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Mountaintop Discovery GardensA student-led garden plan

Planning phase. An independent plan; nothing is funded or built yet. Not an official project of, or endorsed by, Lehigh University. What “planning phase” means

Pilot plan

A small, accessible pilot

The pilot is illustrated at ≈0.74 acre (≈190 × 170 ft) and could range from 0.5 to 1 acre. It is drawn on the gentle terrace of Area 1, east of Iacocca Hall.

Illustrative only

Locations, sizes and dimensions are preliminary and unverified. All depend on survey, utility locating, soils testing, accessibility and code review, and the university's written permission.

Illustrative plan

Illustrative pilot garden plan, about 190 by 170 feet (about 0.74 acre)North is up. A 6-foot accessible loop path circles the garden, entered from the north-west corner nearest Iacocca Hall, where the water point (7) sits. Inside the loop, the deer-fenced edible garden (3) with six accessible raised beds and five longer planting beds lies along the north side, with the compost and tool yard (6) and seed nursery (11, optional) to its west and a native berry hedge (12, optional) and unheated high tunnel (10, optional) to its east. The outdoor classroom (4) is on the east side with the shaded picnic area (9, optional) south of it. A rain garden (5) sits in the south-west of the loop. Secondary paths connect the loop to the edible garden and classroom. Native pollinator meadow (2) fills the remaining ground inside and outside the loop. Two quiet seating areas (8) sit in the south-west and south-east corners. 8 interpretive signs are spaced around the loop. The link from the entry to Iacocca Hall and existing walks is to be confirmed. A scale bar shows 0 to 50 feet. All dimensions are preliminary.1234567889101112N02550 ft≈190 ft (prelim.)≈170 ft(prelim.)To Iacocca Hall
Drawn from the plan PDF's layout. Numbers match the key. Dashed outlines are optional items (9–12), the dotted line around 3 is its deer fence, and the gold dashed line is the pilot study footprint. Red squares are the 8 interpretive signs. The link from the entry to Iacocca Hall and existing walks is to be confirmed.

Key

  1. 1. Accessible loop6 ft wide, about 550 linear ft
  2. 2. Native pollinator meadow & bordersIncludes mown margins
  3. 3. Edible gardenDeer-fenced, about 80 × 50 ft, with 6 accessible raised beds
  4. 4. Outdoor classroom24–30 seats, about 40 × 30 ft
  5. 5. Rain gardenAbout 55 × 24 ft
  6. 6. Compost & tool yardRodent-resistant bins, about 20 × 30 ft
  7. 7. Water pointBottle filler and cistern; connection location to be confirmed
  8. 8. Quiet seating (2)About 12 × 12 ft each
  9. 9. Shaded picnic area (optional)About 30 × 27 ft
  10. 10. Unheated high tunnel (optional)About 20 × 48 ft
  11. 11. Seed nursery & cold frames (optional)About 20 × 22 ft
  12. 12. Native berry hedge (optional)About 12 × 50 ft
  13. Interpretive signs8, spaced around the loop
  14. Pilot study footprintAbout 190 × 170 ft, preliminary

Area schedule

Pilot area schedule (approximate, in square feet). Areas come from the same layout geometry as the plan PDF and are rounded.

Pilot area schedule
FeaturePreliminary sizeSq ft
Required
Meadow & borders, incl. mown margins—≈18,400
Edible demonstration garden≈80 × 50 ft≈4,000
Accessible loop & entry6 ft wide≈3,450
Secondary paths4–5 ft wide≈450
Outdoor classroom≈40 × 30 ft≈1,200
Rain garden≈55 × 24 ft≈1,040
Compost & tool yard≈20 × 30 ft≈600
Quiet seating (2) · water point≈12 × 12 ft each≈360
Optional
High tunnel · picnic shade · berry hedge · seed nursery20 × 48 ft tunnel≈2,810
Total pilot footprint≈190 × 170 ft≈32,300 (≈0.74 ac)

Preliminary dimension guidelines

  • Accessible routes 6 ft clear, with a target of no more than 5% running slope and 2% cross slope, on a firm and stable surface.
  • Secondary paths 4–5 ft wide; aisles of at least 4 ft and 5 ft turning space at accessible beds.
  • Accessible raised beds about 24–30 in high; deer fence about 8 ft; about 10 ft of clear service access, shared with the loop.

These are working targets for accessibility and code review, not final values. They must be confirmed against the 2010 ADA Standards and applicable codes by qualified reviewers.

The pilot in its setting

Illustrative pilot plan on a simplified map of the East Summit Lawn, north up, beside Iacocca Hall. A dashed gold footprint, about 190 by 170 feet (preliminary), holds numbered features 1 to 12 that match the key: a pale accessible loop path, meadow, a deer-fenced edible garden with raised beds, an outdoor classroom, a rain garden, a compost yard, a water point, two quiet seating spots and four optional items in dashed outlines. Small red squares mark signs. A scale bar, a north arrow and a chip in the bottom-right corner reading “Preliminary · planning phase”.
The same pilot on a simplified map, beside the existing Iacocca Hall. Numbers match the key; other sizes are in the area schedule. Faint lines are approximate 2-ft contours (USGS elevation, not surveyed). Existing trees would be protected, and the link to existing walks is to be confirmed. Open the full-size image (1386 × 1151 pixels)

Credits: Base map: USDA NAIP 2017 imagery via USGS and USGS elevation. Building: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Microsoft ML Buildings, via Overture Maps.

How the pilot could unfold

  1. Phase 0 · 0–6 months

    Lehigh review; confirm area, utilities, soils, accessibility and permit path; name a sponsor; baseline biodiversity survey.

  2. Phase 1 · Year 1

    Pilot core: meadow preparation and dormant-season seeding, accessible loop, edible beds, compost, rain garden, signs.

  3. Phase 2 · Years 2–3

    Optional items (high tunnel, picnic shade, seed nursery, berry hedge); review pilot use and upkeep.

Later phases are on Long-Term Possibilities. Costs have not been estimated; they would be prepared with Lehigh Facilities from verified unit costs.