The Orchard Receives 2024 Topaz Award for Best Landscape
We’re proud to share that The Orchard townhome community in Sandy, Utah has been recognized with the 2024 Topaz Award for Best Landscape, an honor presented by the Rental Housing Association of Utah.
The award celebrates the thoughtful design and meaningful outdoor spaces that make The Orchard a unique place to live—spaces inspired by the land’s history and designed to bring neighbors together.
The Orchard Receives the 2024 Topaz Award for Best Landscape
The Topaz Awards are among the most respected recognitions in Utah’s rental housing industry. Hosted annually by the Rental Housing Association of Utah, the awards highlight communities and professionals who demonstrate exceptional design, innovation, and resident experience.
The Best Landscape category specifically recognizes communities that go beyond basic landscaping—creating outdoor environments that enhance the beauty of the property while also encouraging connection, relaxation, and everyday enjoyment for residents.
Among communities across the state, The Orchard was selected as the 2024 winner, recognizing the neighborhood’s unique approach to landscape design and its thoughtful connection to the history of the land.
You can view the 2024 Topaz Award winners on the Rental Housing Association of Utah website.
Award-Winning Landscaping Rooted in History
The Orchard’s landscape design was intentionally created to reflect the property’s agricultural past while providing beautiful and functional outdoor spaces for modern living.
Long before the townhomes were built, this land was home to a thriving apple orchard owned by the Farnsworth family. Rather than erase that history, the design team embraced it. Today, the community’s landscape weaves elements of the orchard’s story into the environment through garden spaces, gathering areas, and thoughtfully placed greenery.
At the heart of the landscape design are two vibrant community garden areas where fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs are grown. These garden boxes create a farm-to-table experience while preserving the agricultural spirit that once defined the land. Flowering, non-fruit-producing cherry trees line the open space in carefully spaced rows, echoing the structure of the original apple orchard and giving the community its distinctive orchard-like character.
Throughout the neighborhood, tree-lined pathways, lush plantings, and welcoming outdoor seating areas create inviting places for residents to spend time outdoors. Carefully placed benches encourage neighbors to stop and chat, while landscaped gathering areas—such as the community fire pit lounge—offer a cozy space for connection during every season.
The landscape also extends the orchard story into play spaces for families. An old produce delivery truck and a whimsical treehouse play structure were incorporated into the outdoor design, creating imaginative places for children to explore while celebrating the land’s farming heritage.
A Community Designed for Connection
The Orchard was designed to be more than just a place to live—it was created to be a neighborhood where people feel connected to the land and to each other.
The barn-inspired clubhouse serves as a central gathering place and features artifacts and photography from the original orchard, creating a living tribute to the property’s history. The Farnsworth family, who once owned the orchard, still visits the neighborhood and enjoys seeing the legacy of the land carried forward in the community that stands there today.