55 M Street is a commercial building in Washington DC with a roof deck that sit within a rooftop farm. Located just a block away from Nationals Stadium it hosts views of the Washington Monument, Capitol and Nationals Park. The 15,000 square foot farm was originally built in 2016 in partnership with Hines, property management, and produces a wide range of crops, features two beehives, and an event space with breathtaking backdrop of the DC skyline. When the owners wanted to offer a communal work space for the offices in the building, JMG, Blondie’s landscape architecture division, created several seating areas and a planted border that helps separate the farm from the communal space. In concert with Switzer Group, JMG created asymmetrical planters that created a rhythm with small tree plantings. Since the planters are sitting on existing soil, the planters are open on the bottom to allow for deeper soil depths. When asked for unique elements that would give the space more character, Blondie’s implemented several peacock planters and placed them at specific locations that act as focal points.
