The Commercial/Retail Issue of Landscape Architect and Specifier News saw many firms submit their projects for feature consideration. West End Cary is one of several great projects we are excited to showcase on LandscapeArchitect.com.

West End Cary is a bold reimagining of a forgotten industrial site into a vibrant neighborhood destination that anchors the western gateway to downtown Cary, North Carolina. Envisioned as a layered garden experience, the project seamlessly blends adaptive reuse, placemaking, and brand storytelling into an immersive public realm centered around craft, connection, and community.

 
At the heart of the project is "The Garden" - a shared, lushly planted outdoor space that serves as both the soul and stage of West End. Framed by two locally beloved breweries, Vicious Fishes and Southline Brewing, the Garden is more than just landscape; it's an identity. Visitors are welcomed through a locally crafted gate into a series of informal garden rooms that encircle a central green. These rooms invite exploration and interaction through raised planters, movable seating, bar ledges, and a sculptural corten steel fire pit - all designed by the landscape architect in collaboration with local artisans.

Flexibility defines the spatial strategy. The landscape invites daily rituals and serendipitous moments - morning coffee, food truck lunches, evening performances - all supported by thoughtful design. A repurposed shed now hosts a covered gathering and performance venue, while subtle grade changes and layered edges offer nooks for private reflection or communal celebration. Transparency between buildings and across the garden allows for visual continuity and a sense of openness, while lighting extends the garden's magic well into the evening.

The project's success is rooted in its collaborative ethos. The Stewart played a central role in guiding the vision, uniting tenant brands under a shared aesthetic of expressive craftsmanship, honest materials, and welcoming human scale. This integration of architecture, craft, and landscape results in a tactile, social, and highly photographable environment - one that thrives in person and across social media. Aligned with the Cary 2040 vision, West End contributes to the transformation of Chatham Street into a walkable, mixed-use corridor. It offers a blueprint for creative infill that celebrates local identity while supporting economic and social vibrancy.

West End Cary isn't just a development - it's a destination. A crafted garden that stitches together brewery culture, adaptive reuse, and community life into a new kind of urban gathering place. One where everyday experiences unfold across flexible layers of space, and where the edges - literal and figurative - invite people to linger, connect, and return.

To see more Commercial/Retail Development projects, go to: https://landscapearchitect.com/landscape-articles/lasns-commercial-retail-development#article1

For more information about submitting a project, go to: https://landscapearchitect.com/research/editorial/editorial-submissions.php