In renovating the 2,800-square-foot entrance courtyard of this beloved 130-year-old house of worship, the congregation sought to create a space that was open, visually accessible and welcoming to the community. The design process resulted in a central, symmetrical paved processional space, on axis with the church’s expanded entrance steps. Flanked by a raised planter along the church foundation, the space encourages casual use via a seatwall. A continuous planting bed with refurbished ornamental steel-and-cast-iron fence and gate define the courtyard’s property edge and entrance. Easy-care plantings accentuate the church’s aesthetic with three seasons of bloom and visual interest, while new exterior lighting highlight the detailed brownstone facade at night. The end result is a peaceful, inviting courtyard providing spaces to interact and connect within this center of spiritual and social life in the Greenwood Heights neighborhood.

Completed: 2017
Client: Saint John Matthew Emanuel Church Congregation
Consultant: DR Pilla Consulting Engineers