Sculpted Forest Garden
Former Smith College President Jill Ker Conway commissioned Michael Singer to create a sculpted forest garden for her property in Conway, Massachusetts. This distinctive site is a terraced woodland lot with mature pine trees and small ponds at two levels of the site. At the heart of the Conway Forest Garden is a curved stone retaining wall at the uppermost terrace, placed to center and unite the garden. The base of the retaining wall forms a platform for Sangam Ritual Series, a granite, bronze and precast concrete sculpture. Sangam Ritual Series encloses a cistern reservoir that is the source for a sculpted runnel and fountain that pours water back into the ponds, slowly aerating and filtering the water and introducing the sound of flowing water into the woodland garden.
Adjacent to the site was a former writing studio for Ms. Conway overlooking the sculpture and ponds. The writing studio was removed and replaced with the Garden Shelter, a spare 14 foot by 16 foot contemplative shelter nestled within the existing woods. The pavilion has a planted roof, a singular light well, inlaid copper soffits and custom wood and concrete construction and detailing. The pavilion has custom built-in furniture and sliding screen panel walls allowing one to feel within the garden while inside the pavilion. Stone steps built within the stone terraces connect the home and garden to pavilion.
Artist / Designer: Michael Singer
Singer Studio Project Team: David Loomis, Peter Vandertuin,
Eric Slayton, Rob Gurrina, Bob Hannum, John Guminak, Jason Bregman
Stone Walls: Luis Pagano
Photography: David Stansbury
