Envisioning a Library in Queens as a Hummingbird Habitat

Each project is an encounter with the opportunities of the site’s context as well as an invitation to imagine our work extending beyond property boundaries. Our work on a public Library in Queens is an example of how a small project can have global connections.

The design of the entryway and rooftop garden for a public library offered us an opportunity to create space for library visitors that would capture their imagination and provide meaningful impact. We discovered the library is located within a greenway system where the Ruby Throated Hummingbird is a known visitor. This bird is an Eastern American treasure, an impressive migrant despite their small size, they travel from North America to the tropics annually. Attracted to bright tubular flowers, these beautiful creatures are a marvel to watch as their tiny wings beat out 50 times per second as they sip nectar.

The second story green roof of the library offered an opportunity to create a micro-habitat for these intrepid travellers who frequent New York greenways from April to September. With a garden plan featuring the vibrant colored plants that most attract these nectar-loving birds, the green roof and library entry-way become micro-habitats that keep birds sustained on their journey, linking one public space to another. Preserving these connectors is critical to providing habitat in heavily developed and urban areas. This is site scale design with a global vision. Our work on the library garden as an example of how small project matter and every square foot of habitat counts. 

written by Lori Ball Horton for Assemblage Landscape Architecture