In collaboration with the landscape architects involved in Petite Maison, we have furtherly developed the scenography set in place by the arrangement of a plant nursery. Therefore, the plant nursery is a sort of extension of the existing trees put on site by Devignes landscape designer. The nursery adds another 3 types of plants which are characterized each individually by function, benefits and requirements.
The existing vegetation
Large trees (2m trunk + 3 to 4m the crown) irregularly disposed on the forecourt.
Plant Nursery
1.Large trees (2 to 3m trunk height) in 1m height pots placed at a 2m distance one from another. The trunks are to be reinforced either with a simple wooden assembly built on site, or by using scaffoldings set in a larger configuration.
2.Small trees (up to 2,5m total height) set in at 1m distance from one to another.
3.Vegetable gardens set in containers located in some of the hidden pockets generated by the arrangement of the plant nursery. Ex: one container – root vegetable / one container – squash vegetable / one container – rhizome etc.
The plant nursery is an ephemeral garden, envisioned as an extension of Petite Maison project, framing a space protected by abundant vegetation that is consisted of various types of plants, trees, crops, textures and smells. The entire assembly is approx. 600m2, each square meter will need roughly 30 litres of water per week, meaning that for one week in the summer, the plant nursery will need an approximative amount of 18.000 l of (18 m3).
One of the main supply of the water needed will eventually be the rainwater collected and stored in water ponds on the Belval Campus. The right manner to bring this collected water to the plant nursery is still to be decided. There is a possibility of designing and setting on site a tubular visible installation to bring the water from the ponds/storages to the plant nursery.
Observations:
The exact kinds of trees will be decided soon, by doing so, we will be ready to contact the local plant nurseries.
By having the status of an ephemeral design, the plant nursery as well as the house, must leave no legacy on the existing infrastructures. In result, the 40 cm plinth will incorporate the layers needed to protect the bricks of the forecourt.
The planting process will start by the end of March 2022.
All the best,
Carole, Dragos, Carlo and Margot