Photos by Virgina Harold.
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By Amy Karagiannakis
As cities and urban centers around the world continue to grow in population, the drive to design or redesign spaces to be more sustainable and multifunctional has become critical. Utilizing elements of green infrastructure such as rain gardens and natural water filtration systems not only preserves and repurposes water, reducing potential for flooding elsewhere, but can also provide beautiful and environmentally friendly spaces that benefit the community, as well as urban plants and wildlife.
Chris Carl (MLA ’14) is the founder and director of Studio Land Arts, a landscape design and construction practice that collaborates with pertinent experts and community members throughout the development process – from project conception to implementation and completion. The teams formed under the Studio Land Arts umbrella vary with each project and may comprise artists, designers, ecologists, gardeners, craftspeople, plant specialists, and site construction specialists along with volunteers engaging in a wide variety of tasks. Together, they implement infrastructures such as rain gardens and native plant installations to create distinctive green open spaces within complex urban environments.
Photos by Virgina Harold.
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Studio Land Arts is part of the Granite City Art and Design District (G-CADD) in Granite City, IL. G-CADD is an artist-run consortium that provides creative practitioners with the opportunity to implement and exhibit their projects in alternative spaces while making a positive impact in the communities they serve. As an artist, designer, and builder, Carl is deeply involved in every facet of his work. He advocates for a holistic approach, blending art, design, and craftsmanship to foster more resilient and meaningful relationships with and between the built and natural environments.
Studio Land Arts was recently commissioned by the Pulitzer Arts Foundation in St. Louis, MO, to redevelop a grassy plot opposite its premises into a welcoming space for community use, accommodating both flora and fauna. Named Park-Like, this project combines elements of archaeology, land art, and rain garden techniques to manage stormwater runoff and lessen the burden on the city’s drainage and sewage systems. Launched in September 2019, this sustainably designed space not only serves educational purposes but also enriches the local community as a vibrant public venue with winding paths and places to gather.
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Carl explains, “We have so many of these same kinds of situations where you have empty lots or parking lots that don’t get used anymore. And they’re really there to serve one function. And so, if we can look at these kinds of spaces to be multifunctional, so it’s not just for people but starting to look out into the broader ecological context, we can create something that’s doing more than just one thing.”
Using found building materials, Carl and his team created retaining structures and water filtration systems to bring more water into the site and essentially change the dynamics of the ecosystem. The half-acre garden that resulted from this project consists of over one-hundred varieties of native and non-native plants, as well as unique seating areas for the local community to enjoy the space.
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Chris Carl returned to the University of Illinois campus in March 2024 to lead participants in a guided site exploration along and around the Boneyard Creek in Urbana. The event was made possible with support from the Visiting Practitioner Fund in the Department of Landscape Architecture.