PEA Group designed a nature garden and outdoor break area for employees at the Milford Proving Ground campus. This sustainable project converted the location of the former Building 30 to a beautiful native plant garden. The centrally located site was cleared of the building and redesigned by PEA Group to provide a series of pathways that provide stunning views of the surrounding woodlands and wind through intricately designed gardens with a diverse palette of native plants.
The garden is located along a designated walking route on the vast Campus. As part of this project, a ¼ mile walking path was added through the mature hardwood forest adjacent to the gardens. The pathway was constructed from recycled asphalt millings from pavement projects on campus.
The garden includes thousands of native plants, giant boulders, vibrant colored benches, an artistically designed dry stone stream bed, a wildlife habitat specifically designed for the endangered Karner Blue butterfly, a bluestone paver sitting area under a pergola, and tables and chairs, a pavilion, and greenhouse. The greenhouse provides fresh produce for the campus cafeteria.
The garden entices employees out of their cubicles to interact with nature, contributing to employee health and satisfaction by helping to reduce stress and provide an opportunity for exercise during the workday.