Sutcliffe Courtyard Garden

Click here for a slide show of project photos.

The Sutcliffe Courtyard Garden is a shady urban oasis and the centerpiece of a four building office, museum, residential and restaurant complex owned by the Brown–Forman Corporation in Louisville, Kentucky. Work on rehabilitation and expansion of the buildings was led by Robert A.M. Stern Architects. The courtyard site is the remnant of the basement level boiler room for a long-demolished building. The goal of the project was to provide an attractive passive garden for office workers and guests to enjoy lunch or informal corporate gatherings. Stylistically, the many remaining historic details in the buildings and site inspired the decision to retain and celebrate the site’s unique industrial heritage.

The site’s industrial details were repaired or faithfully recreated. The historic brick pavers are from a local salvage yard and the limestone caps were saved from a cathedral that had burned years before. The brick wall dividing the courtyard from the conference room doorway was lowered to let more light into the space. The original massive wooden doors and shutters were rebuilt, including the period hardware, but left open to provide more air, light and visual flow within the space. Lights are reproduction industrial “hat” fixtures. JP Shadley started the work while with CRJA and completed the work with Shadley Associates. The restoration won a 2006 Design Award from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects and a 2007 Design Award from the Kentucky Society of Landscape Architects.