ELFORD PARK GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE

The Elford Park Garden and Greenhouse, designed by Barrett Dickey in collaboration with Analog Architecture & Design, is a study in how landscape and architecture can work together to support both daily ritual and long-term growth. Conceived as a fully functioning horticultural garden, the project balances utility with craft; offering a place where plants are cultivated alongside family life.

The project originated with Karly, Barretts’s wife and an avid gardener, who envisioned a shared outdoor sanctuary where their young family could spend time together while tending the garden. Rather than creating a purely ornamental landscape, the design team approached the site as a working environment; one that supports planting, harvesting, learning, and gathering. Every element, from circulation to seating to enclosure, was shaped to serve both horticultural efficiency and human connection.

Drawing inspiration from the ordered geometry of traditional European potager gardens, the layout reinterprets classical structure through a contemporary Pacific Northwest lens. At the garden’s entrance, rhythmic concrete pavers establish a clear sense of procession, guiding movement into a carefully organized landscape. The patio is planted exclusively with native Pacific Northwest species, grounding the project in the ecological richness of the Cascadia region while reinforcing a sense of place.
At the heart of the garden sits the Elford Greenhouse, envisioned as the project’s “engine room.” More than a utilitarian structure, the greenhouse serves as a quiet architectural anchor with its restrained form and materiality providing a subdued backdrop for the changing colors and textures of the plantings. The design reflects a belief that functional buildings can still possess beauty, proportion, and craft without distracting from their purpose.
Adjacent to the greenhouse, a shou sugi ban–clad potting shed and delicate glass enclosure form a cohesive workspace for seed-starting, transplanting, flower arranging, and tool storage. The relationship between the two structures supports an efficient seasonal workflow, while permeable paver flooring allows for drainage and durability within a refined, architectural palette. Together, they create an environment that feels purposeful yet calm, designed for hands-on use.
An intimate, recessed seating area offers a quiet vantage point across the orderly plantings. At its center, a custom steel water fountain anchors the composition, its crisp geometry and gentle sound providing a moment of pause within the garden. From this focal point, six raised planters extend outward in symmetrical alignment, framing the approach to the greenhouse. Surrounding beds draw inspiration from English garden borders, blending formal structure with lush abundance.
Material choices throughout the project reinforce a dialogue between contemporary form and natural texture. The warmth of the shou sugi ban cladding contrasts with the metal greenhouse frame, steel planters, and fountain, while a serpentine quartzite stone wall and large granite boulders soften the architecture’s edges. These elements work together to create a landscape that feels both deliberate and organic.