Sacred Places
C3 Campus Contemplative Garden
A parking lot turned into an antechamber.
WHERE
Des Moines, IA
SETTING
Neighborhood
PARTNER INSTITUTION
Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines
Visit
Where it is
1910 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309
What happens here
Staff, partners, and neighboring residents use the plaza. It works as both the antechamber to the Foundation's main entrance and a space for indoor-outdoor hybrid events, extending the building's gathering space into the open air.
HOW IT CAME TO BE
The parking lot came out.
Drag to see the transformation.
01
The Need
The Community Foundation serves as a collaborator, supporter, and nexus point for partners working across the community, providing training and grant opportunities for local nonprofits and connecting donors with organizations aligned to their interests. Wanting to expand its office space into a campus, it had a parking lot where the campus needed to be.
02
The Vision
The lot would become a public plaza for staff, partners, and neighboring residents. Nature Sacred partnered with the Foundation and the local landscape architect to ensure the final design reflected input from community members and multiple stakeholders alongside the four design elements.
03
The Transformation
Perforated screens and understory trees now shade the site and give it a sense of enclosure it could not have had as open asphalt. Prairie grasses sway in the wind, evoking Iowa's native plant palette. Retaining walls and benches provide ample seating, and a water feature bubbles quietly as a focal point. The result is a compact nook rather than an expanse.
WHO TENDS IT
Kristi Knous
Firesoul, C3 Campus Contemplative Garden
Read more →
HEAR FROM THE VISITORS
From the Little Yellow Journal
What a beautiful, sunny day. This weather always gets me so inspired. I'm so thankful for this organization and the people I work with. I feel like I am really able to be myself + grow in new skills. I'm excited for what the next year will bring. So exciting!
