Say "Oui!" to Lunch at Floura Teeter Landscape Architects PARK(ing) Day Bistro

On Friday, September 19, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Floura Teeter Landscape Architects (FTLA) will join other Baltimore-area design firms participating in AIA Baltimore’s second annual PARK(ing) Day event as part of an annual worldwide movement called PARK(ing) Day.

AIA Baltimore is coordinating the event, which will occur in more than 20 parking spots surrounding its chapter house at 11 ½ W. Chase Street. FTLA plans to convert two metered spots near the corner of N. Charles and W. Chase Streets into a temporary French bistro featuring synthetic turf grass, café tables and chairs. Visitors can sit and rest, or enjoy lunch available from nearby food trucks while French themed music sets an authentic mood.

This is FTLA’s sixth consecutive year participating in PARK(ing) Day and the firm’s second year participating with AIA Baltimore. Firm president Joan Floura says her staff looks forward to creating a new installation every year. “Each year we try to out-do our previous PARK(ing) Day design. This year’s installation focuses on a very real need our society has: simply take the time to stop and literally smell the roses.” She adds, “In France the average lunch is two hours; in the U.S. the average lunch break is 30 minutes or less, and that’s often taken at the worker’s desk. This installation is a way to give our brains a break from constant stimulation and showcase the benefits of a leisurely lunch.”

Floura says showcasing the calming effects of landscape artistry is a natural fit for FTLA, as part of the firm’s mission is to use landscape design to enhance mental and physical health. Previous FTLA installations have emphasized the need for more playground spaces for children, safer bike routes and the value of urban gardening and green roofs.

PARK(ing) Day began in 2005 when art and design studio Rebar converted a single metered parking space into a temporary public park in downtown San Francisco to challenge people to rethink the way streets are used and reinforce the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure. Since then, it has grown to include more than 950 “PARK” installations in 162 cities, 35 countries and on six continents.

The entire AIA Baltimore’s PARK(ing) Day event will run from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and feature music and food trucks. It is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to share their PARK(ing) Day experience using the hashtag #BmoreParkingDay.

For more information regarding local PARK(ing) Day, visit www.ftla.com, and for more information on the PARK(ing) Day project, visit www.parkingday.org.

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About Floura Teeter Landscape Architects (www.ftla.com). Since 2000, WBE-certified landscape architecture firm FTLA has been helping great ideas take root while keeping transportation, senior living, campus, parks and recreation, urban design and sustainable projects on schedule and under budget.