Philadelphia estate, Pennsylvania

Urban rewilding

For the last five years, Phyto has lead a massive transformation of an Philadelphia estate which involved re-stitching together a historic landscape fragmented by post-war suburban sprawl. Where there once were mid-century tract houses, there are now meadows teaming with life. Over 3,000 trees were planted throughout the project to restore failing woodlands, acres of meadows seeded, polluted runoff diverted from sensitive streams, rain gardens built throughout the project, and a series of elegant gardens planted around the main farmhouse. Restoring biodiversity and ecological function to this landscape had to be done in a way that preserved the simplicity and legibility of the agrarian landscape. Much of our work focused on creating elegant transitions between stylized, designed spaces around the house and the larger natural landscape.