STUDIO39 Teams with AvalonBay to Design DASH Wellness Garden

09.22.2017

STUDIO39 provided pro-bono services to design a wellness garden for District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH) in Washington, DC (www.DASHDC.org) at their Cornerstone residence in partnership with AvalonBay Communities and Ashton Manor Environmental. Today STUDIO39 joined DASH and other contributors for the unveiling of the Wellness Garden.

Unveiling of DASH’s wellness garden from left: STUDIO39’s Landscape Designer Abby Thomas, DASH’s Executive Director Koube Ngaaje, Ashton Manor Environmental’s Eric Dubois, and AvalonBay’s Senior Vice President of Brand Strategy and DASH board member Kurt Conway

DASH provides safe housing for domestic violence survivors in the DC area. They are an innovator in providing access to safe housing and services for survivors, as they rebuild their lives on their own terms.

“Being able to create a space for DASH has been a very gratifying process. This contemplative space exemplifies what we strive to generate and achieve in a lot of landscape designs—a place where people can go to escape the busy environment for a quiet moment, a rest, or even just a breath of fresh air. This new space will offer residents that opportunity in the safety of their own “home”, and allow them to enjoy the company of their fellow survivors, helping further generate a sense of community, more positive life outcomes,  and renewed health and contentment.” – Abby Thomas, STUDIO39 Landscape Designer

STUDIO39’s President Joe Plumpe joins representatives from DASH, Avalon Bay, Ashton Manor Environmental, and NoVA Stone Center at unveiling

“It’s been very rewarding to partner with STUDIO39 and Ashton Manor Environmental to re-imagine the outdoor space at DASH’s Cornerstone residence and turn it into a place that residents can enjoy as they work to rebuild their lives on their own terms.” – Kurt Conway, AvalonBay’s Senior Vice President of Brand Strategy and DASH board member.

“We are so grateful to AvalonBay Communities, STUDIO39, and Ashton Manor Environmental, our partners in this amazing effort. The wellness garden goes beyond aesthetics to provide a nurturing and re-centering space for the mind, body and spirit. Every detail encourages a deep sense of community while acknowledging the individual’s need for a meditative environment. In this garden, residents can work on remaining grounded in the midst of chaos knowing that HOME MEANS SAFETY.” – Koube Ngaaje, DASH Executive Director

DASH’s wellness garden was a team effort, with many companies joining in to donate time, resources and products:

• AvalonBay
• STUDIO39 Landscape Architecture
• Ashton Manor Environmental
• NoVA Stone Center
• ORE, Inc.
• Capital Brick
• Permaloc Corp
• Kurt Bluemel, Inc.
• Texacraft
• Ruppert Landscape, Inc.
• Unilock