The Millbank Collection

Nestled into a previously-overlooked corner in the King Charles neighborhood of up-and-coming East Raleigh, NC springs The Millbank Collection. A chic and charming village of 3 single family homes and 18 townhomes, The Millbank Collection is a community of modern homes designed by Clearscapes and built by Redeeming Development Group.

The 4 acre landscape surrounding The Millbank Collection provides residents and neighbors with a pocket-destination for discovery, gathering, and recreation in an ecologically-robust environment. Located near the entrance of the community is a dog park where humans and canines can burn off some energy, as well as a picnic area with fire pit where residents and neighbors can gather. Throughout the neighborhood, tree conservation areas invigorated with native plants connect to create a hiking trail through woods, meadow, and a paw paw orchard. Woven between townhomes and along the neighborhood’s main street are lush plantings carefully chosen for their capacity to provide resources for pollinators and songbirds while also providing for humans through beauty, privacy, and with minimal management needs.

Paying critical attention to historic plant populations documented in the area while acknowledging the sites new topography, hydrology, and soils, The Millbank Collection seeks to live lightly on the land by creating new plant configurations based on environmental restoration techniques. Native plants that provide resources for pollinators and songbirds are prioritized and sized according to their location for two reasons. First, plants located adjacent to roadways and houses, or used as screening, are sized large to provide for a sense of instant gratification and because they are most likely to receive attention (critical for coaxing more mature specimens to adapt to a new environment). Second, plants located along more natural areas, between amenities, or in support of screening and wayfinding are planted small, employing bespoke native seed mixes, live stakes, tubelings and saplings. These plants, many of which are large native trees and shrubs, are planted en-masse at a very adaptable age, and will be allowed to self-thin following principles of ecological landscape design. The result will be a community embedded in a wide range of novel, modestly-managed ecosystems that generate food, shelter, comfort, and social health for as many species as possible (including, of course, Homo sapiens).

Landscape plan exploring how slopes and tree conservation areas present opportunities for the location of amenities like a proposed dog park, picnic area, hiking trails and habitat restoration zones.

Diagramming exercise to locate optimal sites for community amenities as well as a vegetation strategy for reducing lawn and boosting screening for a sense of privacy between homes.

Conceptual plan exploring scale and location of amenities to test how different configurations impact budget, environmental responsibility, and human perception.

Schematic landscape plan assembling the best ideas from three concepts that meet installation budget, provide the widest range of robust habitats, and meets expectations of beauty and privacy for residents.