The sustainable garden separating Turlington and Owen, known as the Artist’s Backyard and Owen’s Refuge, has been undergoing construction to further the purpose of the landscaping.

The construction of the Artist’s Backyard began in the spring of 2011, when the Landscaping Architecture Department received a grant from University Housing to build a low-impact, sustainable social place for students living in Turlington and Owen. The name of the garden is a reference to Turlington’s Art Village program.

Students from the Landscaping Architecture 500 class taught by Andy Fox are helping design and construct the Backyard.

“The LA500 class works with housing to transform blighted areas on campus into something beautiful,” David Dean, Outreach and Communications Coordinator for the University Sustainability department, said.

Two years ago, the department worked with University Housing to reclaim the areas behind Syme resident hall. The success of their project gave east campus the Syme Rain Garden.

Phase I of the project began July 6, and the Artist’s Backyard will be completed in full after five years.

“This project is truly a living and learning opportunity for students on campus,” said Dean. “Hopefully it will be a model to be replicated.”

The students spend five weeks in class and studio designing the layout for the garden, and five weeks on the ground, seeing their plans come to life.

The Backyard officially opened for residents Aug. 19.

The goal of the Artist’s Backyard is to be ecologically friendly, with low impact to its surroundings. Most of the materials used are reusable, including the foliage, which was mostly transported from Talley’s north plaza, prior to its construction.

Students who live around the area enjoy and appreciate the Backyard as a place to relax and spend time with friends.

Brandon Capps , undeclared freshmen in textiles, frequents the Backyard for a study space.

“The lighting is perfect back there, which I know sounds weird, but it is,” Capps said. “It’s perfect for book-reading.”

Just prior to spring break, phase II of construction began. This phase focuses on rebuilding the porch behind Turlington and fixing the walkways around it. Later in the spring, flowers will be planted as well.

The timing of phase II construction was bumped up to coincide with school.

“Part of the purpose of the Artist’s Backyard is for students to see that they can have an impact while at State,” said Dean. “Most classes, you create something and it never comes to fruition. The building of the Artist’s Backyard is the next evolution in education.”

Though Turlington residents are now cut-off from the back entrance of their building, and the noises from the construction site are prevalent throughout the day, most barely even notice it.

“I liked sitting on the back porch, and I do miss it,” Eric Howard, freshmen in mechanical engineering, said. “But I am really excited to see what the Backyard will look like when all of this construction is done.”

Lauren Pearce, junior in animal science and vice president on the Turlington Hall Council, is enthusiastic about the progress behind her building.

“Before [The Artist’s Backyard], there was just the deck, which was old, some grills and picnic tables, trees and mulch,” said Pearce. “And the lighting wasn’t all that great.”

Before phase II began, residents of Turlington , along with the Hall Council, had an opportunity to talk to the landscapers and express their opinions concerning what they wanted to see in their backyard.