Quasiterrariums“Kepler’s Archimedean Solids, from the Harmonice Mundi”. The Quasiterrariums are derived from a truncated icosahedron. This Archimedean solid is a deviant from classical crystallography and is known as a quasicrystal because of it’s 5-fold rotational symmetry.

Our garden is a feast for the senses, inviting visitors to experience its beauty through feel, smell, sound and sight. The landscape celebrates the wonderful world of plants-their fragrances, sounds, colors, textures, and movements. Our approach inverts the traditional keyhole garden by creating a series of “Quasiterrariums” containing plants from the region. The geometry of the containers relates to the crystaline structure of Canadian Shield bedrock (but rarifies this by substituting quasicrystal structures for the classical). We curated these Archimedean solid to provide individual sensory opportunities for the user that lie outside normal experience.

The garden invites visitors to creatively inhabit it by providing a series of intimate spaces to rest, while immersed in sensory plants. The Archimedean solids range in scale creating narrow entries and bulbous, interior spaces. The largest of the solids is wide enough for two visitors to sit and reach the plantings on either side, while the smallest solid only allows the individual hand to touch the planting.

The piece is an inhabitable geometric construction based on a distorted, truncated icosahedron (a soccer ball).

Keyhole Garden

SEE

SENSORY PLANTING DESIGN

MOSS MEADOW FUNGI VINE HERB

HEAR TASTE SMELL TOUCHLamb’s Ear (Stachys)

Silver Sage (Salvia )

Honeysuckle(Lonicera)

Blue Oyster Mushroom(Pleurotus)

Pearl Oyster Mushroom(Pleurotus)

Sheet Moss (Hyphum)

Cushion Moss (Leucobryum)

Rock Cap Moss (Picranum)

PLANT LIST

Sensory plantings will be hardy, vary in height, color, texture and scent, provide year-round sensory interest, and be planted within easy reach of the visitor.

Meadow Mix:Butterfly Milkweed

Pearly Everlasting

Blazing Star

False Sunflower

Common Mullen

Rattlesnake Master

New England Aster

Common Milkweed

The Archimedean solids will be custom designed and fabricated in collaboration with the University of Nebraska FACT class. Each facet of the solids will be fabricated at the university, shipped, and assembled on site.

The solids will be structurally reinforced with welded steel plates and reinforced to a concrete base. An series of polycarbonate panels will act as trays for the plants, seat cushions, and allow sunlight to penetrate the solid.

Within each solid a series of specific panels have been removed to allow sufficient amount of light for the plants to grow.

Bolted Steel Frame (assembled on site)

Unfolded Polycarbonate Panel

Internal Polycarbonate PanelsPlant TraySeat Cushion