Church of the Saviour, United Methodist, Indianapolis, Indiana

Abstract

Suburban communities across the United States are often lacking in public green spaces. Some communities are working to remedy this and are creating parks of various sizes with land not yet developed. In older, more established suburban communities where all the land is already in use, more creative ideas for creating green space are necessary. A largely untapped source of open space lies within the properties of churches and religious facilities.In this design project, the landscape needs for Church of the Saviour, United Methodist and the surrounding Binford-area community were analyzed to see where those needs overlapped. Design elements were then studied to determine what should be included in a small local park to service both the church members and community residents.This study was composed of three phases. The first involved researching the needs of Church of the Saviour and Binford-area community members through interviews and questionnaires. This phase included researching the site, the surrounding community, other small suburban parks and what makes them successful, and what garden elements are often used at churches to create meditative spaces. The second phase consisted of compiling the data, creating concepts, and revising the concepts based upon the input of Dr. Rev. Keith Adkins. The final phase culminated in a master plan for the church property with associated details.