CREW Blue Ribbon Awards Program Book 2022

New Haven Botanical Garden of Healing: Dedicated to Victims of Gun Violence New Haven, CT

The New Haven Botanical Garden of Healing is the country’s first sited memorial honoring victims of gun violence -- and a vision realized for New Haven schoolteacher Marlene Miller Pratt, whose 20-year-old son Gary was killed in 1988. In 2017, seeking to raise awareness, Pratt rallied other surviving mothers and led the multi-year effort to bring this experiential landscape to fruition. In April 2018, the architecture/design team joined the effort and facilitated a series of engagement workshops to help envision what the memorial might become. From the personal stories shared detailing loss, grief, struggle, as well as recovery and hope, the goals of honoring loved ones, raising awareness, and motivating leaders and communities to address the multiple roots of violence emerged. The garden design was inspired by the recognition that each death has a compounded impact on the community. The magnitude of gun violence in New Haven emerges from the site’s walkway into the garden where engraved pavers are placed for each individual lost to gun violence in New Haven since 1976. Situated at the walkway’s mid-point is the Lost Generation perspective sculpture -- a rhythmic composition of solids and voids that transforms with the viewpoint symbolizing the absence created by tragedy. Fabricated in aluminum, the viewing experience serves as a reminder of fragility and strength, and symbolizes the future lost when a life is taken. The walkway culminates in a circular plaza surrounding the Tree of Life – a European Beech that will grow into shelter and shade. The plaza is bounded by a stone memory wall, containing 18 tiles engraved with memories of loved ones lost: “Their smile was contagious”, “She was fearless”, “Loved to dance”. Inspired by the mission of the garden, hundreds of individuals and many local organizations have volunteered in ongoing planting and care. Being part of this effort and sharing a purpose has connected this community and brought fellowship in deep and unexpected ways. The pain of loss is profound, and its shadow will remain, but the Botanical Garden is a symbol of our ability to come together, grow, and strive for a better tomorrow. Owner : City of Haven Size : 20,000 sf Project Team: Svigals + Partners, Botanical Garden Nucleus Group, Urban Resources Initiative, City of New Haven Parks, Police, and Fire Departments, Donor Jackie Fouse, Dalio Philanthropies, State of Connecticut, Schmidt Design Group

15