Sacred Places
Roberta’s House Rooftop Garden
Chairs that become covered pods, seven storeys above North Avenue.
WHERE
Baltimore, MD
SETTING
Neighborhood
PARTNER INSTITUTION
Roberta's House
Visit
Where it is
928 E North Ave, Baltimore, MD 21202
What happens here
The roof hosts group activities such as art workshops alongside individual healing. It works as a multifunctional space for programming, workshops, and events, melding healing through nature into the activities Roberta's House already runs.
HOW IT CAME TO BE
Somebody asked for a chair that closes.
Drag to see the transformation.
01
The Need
Roberta's House supports children and families suffering loss and provides a safe place to heal, treating grief as a public health preventive service. The roof had expansive views of the surrounding neighborhoods and Green Mount Cemetery, and no use made of them.
02
The Vision
The engagement process drew in volunteers, board members, staff, interns, and maintenance personnel, and out of it came a range of programming and design elements for the roof. One request was specific enough to shape the whole: a member of the Sacred Place Steering Committee asked for chairs that become covered pods, so that individual healing could happen in company without being on display.
03
The Transformation
The design uses the roof's existing views while keeping the space safe and secure for people to heal in. It holds room for group activities alongside the covered pod chairs, plus a circular portal, a water feature, and plantings.
WHO TENDS IT
Annette March-Grier
Firesoul, Roberta’s House Rooftop Garden
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