Palm Garden 'Common Place' Receives ASLA Honor Award

The palm garden 'Common Place' project at Sungkyunkwan University's Natural Science Campus, in which Suwon Special City (Mayor Lee Jae-joon) participated in creating, has received an honor award in the student community service category of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) '2026 Student Award.'

The project involved students Kim Na-gyeong, Kim Ji-woo, and Oh Si-eun from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Landscape Architecture major at Sungkyunkwan University, with guidance from Professor Choi Hye-young.

'Common Place' is a project that transformed an underutilized vacant green space of 192㎡ within Sungkyunkwan University's Natural Science Campus (Yul-jeon-dong, Jang-an Ward) into a palm garden that residents and students use and maintain together.

During the design phase, the Suwon City Green Space and Landscape Division, Sungkyunkwan University, and the Yul-cheon-dong Residents' Autonomous Council gathered opinions. In creating the garden, the Yul-cheon-dong Residents' Autonomous Council, Sungkyunkwan University staff members, and citizen garden volunteer groups participated together.

Campus trees that fell due to typhoons and heavy snow were upcycled into benches, and tree branches were used as boundaries along pedestrian pathways. After completion, residents and students use and maintain it together.

'Common Place' lowered the boundary between campus and community as the university, administration, and residents collaborated from design through construction and management, creating a space where residents and students naturally meet and stay. The garden demonstrates participatory design and resource circulation principles.

An official from Suwon City said, "It is significant that the palm garden created together by the university, residents, and administration has been internationally recognized," and "It is meaningful that we transformed unused green space within the university into a living area garden shared with the community." The official added, "We will expand garden culture in which citizens enjoy and maintain gardens together in their daily lives."