Location: Princeton, NJ

Owner/Client: Princeton University

Project Size: 1.85 acres

Project Budget: $12.5 Million

Collaborators: Shepley Bulfinch

Awards: SCUP Excellence in Architecture BA,R,AR

Spanning two partially subterranean structures, the Betsey Stockton Memorial Garden creates a space of convergence for the community and university populations at the campus’s downtown edge. The garden was previously an inaccessible gravel roof/lawn with an undesirable lawn. Michael led the MVVA design team to reimagine the roof garden with a rolling lawn and meadow as part of the total renovation of the Firestone Library. The hardscape spaces serve the emergency egress of the building, while the garden design focuses on two levels of experience - the ground view study nooks as well as the reading room views from above in the main library.

Photo courtesy of Steve Hiltner.