The Upper Garden is a new family-oriented garden in historic Pinecrest Gardens. The garden includes a playground, a petting zoo, a sensory garden, a new restroom building, and new classroom facilities, and features an inclusive design that strives to go beyond minimums in providing access to family members of all abilities. The design gives special attention to inclusion of individuals on the autism spectrum. The theme of the garden celebrates South Florida with the inclusion of local materials, native plants, and references to native flora and fauna. The main feature of the garden is a large play sculpture themed on the Anole, a native lizard of Florida. The sculpture is not only for play, but also serves as an accessible route between two levels in the garden. LandscapeDE served as the prime consultant, overseeing the design and development of the site master plan, detailed design development, and construction oversight. The multi-disciplinary project team included architects, engineers, a zoo designer, artists, accessibility consultants, and others.

Collaborators: William Lane Architect - Architect; Felis Consulting - Zoo Consultant and Master Planning Consultant