In 2004 the design/build program was asked by the Pacifica Flora International Youth Garden Forum to participate in an international competition to create a garden for the 2004 Pacifica Flora Flower Show in Hamamatsu, Japan. The competition included teams from eight countries, each of whom designed and built a flower exhibit. Each team has a week to build and install the garden.
The University of Washington’s proposal “ Garden of Transformation” represented the conversion of an industrial site into a series of gardens. The exhibit featured a sheet metal remnant structure in which was a small garden/water feature that was viewed through a window in the wall. A wood deck extended through one of the walls and a dry streambed ran from under it to a viewing area at the far end of the exhibit. The garden used traditional Japanese garden forms, which were interpreted in a contemporary manner.
The Garden of Transformation was awarded the show’s Best Design Award.