Perpetual Trust Pilot Project

Aug 4

FWD is designing the gardens for a historic home in Trenton NJ, for Vesi, Inc., a neighborhood development trust. working to stabilize homes and community assets for long term benefit.
Located in a city shaped by long periods of uneven investment over time, this project demonstrates what it looks like to treat quality residential outdoor space as a standard, not a luxury. The landscape supports comfort, health, and everyday access to nature. It also shows how beauty can be paired with measurable performance. The goal is to model a type of landscape that can be replicated across similar sites throughout the Vesi portfolio through a low-bono format.
Within the 4300sf open space, the design balances secure parking, flexible event space, and private gardens, resulting in a highly efficient layout. Planting plays a key multifunctional role. The climate-adapted planting palette supports native pollinator species, screens views into the property and improves views within, and reduces heat stress around the home. It manages stormwater, through landscape systems and creates a calm, immersive environment. Amenities are set against the home’s historic stone and brick walls, harmonizing contemporary uses with historic forms and materials.
This historic residence is a pilot project within Vesi’s larger vision to support pathways to stable home occupancy and shared benefit, reframing property as a community resource that can endure.