2022 Professional Awards
of the Potomac Chapter ASLA

Packing House Courtyard

Carmichael Associates

Many design details link the courtyard to the site’s history, including seating structures inspired by Packing House tomato boxes, and highlighting the site’s iconic smokestacks. The jury applauded the landscape architect’s creation of a space with flexible uses, helping the client see new possibilities for a tightly-bounded site.

Honor Award in Design Unbuilt

The landscape architect designed a multi-use, 4,000-square-foot courtyard, nestled into the imposing Packing House, an historic cannery in Cambridge, Maryland.

The paving and seating terraces reflect the Packing House geometries in a bold triangular rhythm, with stepped walls that provide performance area seating along with sound buffering to the adjoining rail trail.


The courtyard allows for a variety of stage locations, offering flexibility to tailor the space to diverse performances ranging from acoustic soloists to full jazz bands.



Fiber optic cables provide a glowing, evening light lid as complex digital media can be projected onto single or multiple walls, enabling dynamic and flexible experiences that evolve over time.



Project Team
Carmichael Associates
Heile Haus

Photo Credit
Courtesy of Carmichael Associates

Congratulations to Carmichael Associates.



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