Direct Design Assistance: Munisotarum Buddhist Temple Grounds, Farmington, MN, 2004

With a grant from the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, Tree Trust and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) are working with five Twin Cities area Asian communities-the Hmong, Lowland Lao, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Chinese-to "develop a broader mutual understanding and interest in community forests and their importance to community health." One project of this initiative is to plant trees and shrubs on the grounds of Munisotarum Temple, a Cambodian Buddhist Temple, in Farmington, Minnesota.

Tree Trust contacted the Design Center for assistance in developing ideas about how the temple grounds could be planted. For discussions with the temple community, the Design Center prepared three conceptual site plans illustrating different ways the landscape could be treated. One plan accentuates the height of the hill upon which the temple sits by planting tall trees on the hill's crest. A second option creates zones of native vegetation with the shortest plants-grasses and low shrubs-located around the temple while tall trees are located at the foot of the hill and beyond. This design highlights the temple by permitting unobstructed views of this unique structure from all directions. The third option extends the architecture of the temple into the landscape with a two large terraces that jut out of the hillside.

With direction from the temple board and staff, Tree Trust, and MN DNR, the Design Center created a final concept plan that will be used to guide the planting efforts, serving as the base for further detailed design work including specific plant selection and siting by Tree Trust and MN DNR.

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Outcome: The concept plan was used to guide the planting efforts, serving as the base for further detailed design work including specific plant selection and siting by Tree Trust and MN DNR.

 





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