“Rivers” of locally harvested black locust planks, cut flat to function as paths, lead through a composition of river birch, hellebores, ferns, moss, and river cobbles, visually connecting the two courtyards. While thickets of daffodils and ferns fill the sunny areas, the logs widen at the far ends of the spaces to create sitting terraces that suggest an abstraction of the forest floor.

The design emphasizes the tactile and sensuous qualities of its materials. Slight variations to the courtyard layouts create dramatic differences in exposure to sunlight, allowing for distinct microclimates to develop: one courtyard is sunny all year round and the other is nearly always in shade.