Tarentum Japanese Garden
Tarentum, PA
The Owner of this laboratory located in a restored 1890’s brick school house wanted to create a restorative outdoor amenity for his staff and visitors. Pashek + MTR designed an Asian-style garden hidden from public view along the west side of the property on the site of a former parking lot.
The dry garden has mossy islands surrounded by a sea of raked gravel, a wisteria pergola to stroll through and to sit in the shade, and a bamboo grove with a small fountain providing the sound of falling water. The stroll garden has a koi pond at its center and an open viewing pavilion and outdoor office. It is encircled by a path that weaves through groves of trees and out onto the lawn. A rustic stucco wall screens the garden spaces from a parking lot and creates an oasis in an urban setting.
The planting within each of these areas were designed to provide contrast in textures and forms for a rich visual experience and seasonal display. The garden includes stonework and water features built by Jim Lampl and traditional Japanese woodworks by Tadao Arimoto.
