Ballard P-Patch is unveiling a brand-new community patio during its upcoming 23rd annual Art in the Garden festival.
The patio started as a legacy gift from longtime gardener and educator Roy Bueler and evolved into a collaborative design/build project led by local high school students. Sawhorse Revolution, a nonprofit that mentors youth in design and construction, teamed up with landscape architects from Hewitt and the Bueler family trust to bring the vision to life.
Students from six area high schools—including Ballard, Nathan Hale, and Seattle Academy—helped design and build the patio at the Ballard P-Patch, gaining real-world experience through workshops, site visits, and hands-on construction. Many returned for the build after contributing to the design phase.
The new patio features ADA-accessible pathways, solar lighting, a built-in grill, and covered seating. Community members helped shape the final design, which uses sustainable materials and includes flexible seating and sun-friendly shade structures.
“Many of our youth shared that being a part of both design and build processes has changed the way they look at their surroundings and how much deeper they think about design and build as they go through the city,” Daisy Lemus, education manager at Sawhorse Revolution, said in a statement about the project.
The project reflects the P-Patch community’s long-standing commitment to public green space. In 2020, community members successfully transferred land ownership to GROW, a nonprofit land trust that protects the garden as a shared public space.
The free Art in the Garden festival is on Saturday, August 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the P-Patch (8527 25th Ave NW).
Photos by Sawhorse Revolution