George Garvin Brown Garden

The Center for Interfaith Relations and a private benefactor commissioned Shadley Associates to create a vision for a new garden which would embody spirituality, multiculturalism, tolerance and inclusiveness. SA responded with a design which presents water as a source of universal origins and a sustainer of life while reflecting Louisville's origins as “River Town” at the Falls of the Ohio River. The Garden is an urban oasis which features abundant shade and two major fountains, providing a microclimate of relief from Louisville’s sweltering summers.  Granite arcs on the walkways flow through the park, and the lush planting can be appreciated from benches, movable chairs and seat walls.

Shadley Associates led the large, all-volunteer client group and consultant team through the design, permitting, documentation and construction. The project earned design awards from the Kentucky Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Boston Society of Landscape Architects.