Case Western Reserve University - Kelvin Smith Library & Campus Greens

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

The Kelvin Smith Library is CWRU’s main library. It is located above a parking garage in the center of campus, which made the design a challenge. We proposed a planting plan that would address the site’s poor drainage issues, dying vegetation, and water that was collecting inside the parking garage.

The new plantings complement the library’s formal architecture and encompass the entire building, including additional vegetation to areas that were previously bare.

The design also incorporated a new outdoor reading garden and gathering space. Ornamental trees, shrubs, and annual flower displays create year-round interest.