Big Star
LOCATION
Chicago IL
DESCRIPTION
Restaurant courtyard
SIZE
2,125 sf
COMPLETED
2014
SERVICES
Landscape Design, Landscape Architecture,
Horticulture, Construction, Maintenance
MISSION
A wildly popular taco/tequila bar on a busy city corner desires a friendly outdoor space that welcomes families and patrons to the neighborhood.
VISION
Create an urban green space that stitch together the Big Star establishment and the surrounding community. Private little nooks would foster a sense of personal space even in summer crowds. Thoughtful and sustainable materials would link the garden to the interior design and, importantly, to the historic neighborhood.
Knowing the venue’s high-traffic, we specified resilient and enduring materials. Custom-designed benches and tables were constructed of sustainable black locust lumber, a hardy exterior wood locally sourced from Wisconsin.
Whitacre greer boardwalk pavers,
aka Chicago Cobble, acknowledge
the neighborhood’s history, seeming
to have been there forever.
Two mature birch trees planted at grade emerge from “tree grate” benches for a casual dining spot in the shade. Kousa dogwood trees in large containers space adjacent tables, providing a canopy of blooms in spring and shade in summer.
Raised planters of full-sun sedum varieties and blue fescue grass direct the queue at the patio’s order/pickup window and also zone the larger space
Staggered seating configurations and intentionally open spaces encourage a casual dining experience without feeling crowded.
