Landscape Architecture

Development of Greenleaf Park

gzachris — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 15:46:00 +0000

Development of Greenleaf Park

Springfield, MA

gzachris Mon, 12/09/2024 - 10:46

Greenleaf Park is a 46-acre public park located in Springfield, MA which hosts an assortment of playing fields, tennis, and basketball courts, parking lots, wooded areas, and wetland resources.

Challenge

The City of Springfield came to GZA to develop a conceptual master plan to address the lack of play amenities, accessible pedestrian circulation and park amenities, wayfinding, opportunities for seating, and failed stormwater headwall/ culvert.

Solution

GZA’s landscape architects developed a conceptual master plan, which was used for applying for federal funding. Upon receipt of $2.5M of funding from multiple sources, the City of Springfield contracted GZA for full design of the redevelopment of Greenleaf Park. Site improvements included a new accessible water play “splash pad�� area, two new accessible playgrounds with poured-in-place rubber safety surfacing, redeveloped parking lot, culvert head-wall reconstruction, landscaping, and an extensive accessible walking trail system featuring a new pedestrian bridge. GZA wetland scientists, engineers, and water resource engineers studied the culvert and up-stream and downstream channels and developed a design for a new 10 ft. tall headwall.

Benefit

GZA’s master plan was successfully used by the City in securing funding for project implementation. GZA’s multidisciplinary team provided a park design that provided valuable recreational resources for the community, repaired and upgraded site infrastructure, and preserved and enhanced the site’s natural resources. The project was completed on schedule and within budget.

Conceptual master planning
Cost estimation
Grant funding application assistance
Landscape architecture
Civil engineering
Permitting
Construction phase services

Massachusetts

Government

Landscape Architecture

Redevelopment of Calhoun Park

gzachris — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 15:41:16 +0000

Redevelopment of Calhoun Park

Springfield, MA

gzachris Mon, 12/09/2024 - 10:41

Calhoun Park is a 2.5-acre park occupying one full block in a residential neighborhood, and offers large shade trees, a playground, splash pad, handball court, picnic areas, and open lawn space.

Challenge

Many of Calhoun Park’s amenities were aging and falling into disrepair, and the overall site design required an update. At the same time, the new site design would need to incorporate recent site improvements that were in good condition. The City of Springfield needed to obtain funding for design and construction of the park redevelopment.

Solution

GZA’s landscape architects developed a park master plan that was used by the City to apply for grant funding. Upon receipt of funding, the City of Springfield contracted GZA to provide full design of the redevelopment of Calhoun Park. The redesigned park incorporated the existing splash pad, basketball court, and mature canopy trees, while providing new accessible playgrounds, handball court, and picnic areas in a layout that improved overall site circulation and made the park more inviting and engaging to visitors.

Benefit

GZA provided a functional and playful site design which was successfully constructed on schedule and within budget. Neighborhood residents can now enjoy an accessible and state of the art playground in the shade of an existing urban tree canopy, along with handball, basketball, splash pad, and picnic areas. New walkways invite visitors to enter the park from all sides and to engage with the park’s scenic environment and recreational amenities.

Conceptual master plan
Grant funding application assistance
Landscape architecture
Site civil engineering
Cost estimation
Construction phase services

Massachusetts

Government

Landscape Architecture

Redevelopment of Blunt Park

gzachris — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 15:35:05 +0000

Redevelopment of Blunt Park

Springfield, MA

gzachris Mon, 12/09/2024 - 10:35

The City of Springfield wished to enhance recreational opportunities, achieve universal accessibility, and implement climate-resilient design within the 166± acre Blunt Park, which hosts the popular Stone Soul Festival held annually on Labor Day weekend.

Challenge

The City needed a site design that could be included in state and federal grant applications to fund implementation. The design needed to be constructed in phases and needed to meet grant funding requirements.

Solution

GZA prepared a master plan for the multi-phase redevelopment of Blunt Park, identified a practical and affordable Phase I, and assisted with the grant application for funding. Upon the City’s receipt of $1.5M of funding from multiple State and Federal sources, the City of Springfield hired GZA to provide landscape architecture, civil engineering, and wetlands permitting services for the project. GZA services included preparation of construction documents, permitting, and construction phase services. Phase I project improvements included improved ADA-compliant walkways, accessible playground featuring poured-in-place surfacing and engineered wood fiber safety surfacing, renovated pavilion, enhanced picnic grove, memorial/seating area, water play splash pad, tennis courts, upgraded utilities, improved site drainage and stormwater management, and resilient landscaping.

Benefit

Due to GZA’s practical and efficient design, the construction project was awarded to the lowest responsible bidder following state and city procurement laws, leaving enough contingency to see the project through completion. GZA performed weekly site inspections and participated in more than 16 on-site job meetings to ensure that the project was completed on time and on budget, exceeding the community’s expectations and satisfying applicable state and federal grant requirements.

Conceptual master planning
Cost estimation
Grant funding application assistance
Landscape architecture
Civil engineering
Permitting
Construction phase services

Massachusetts

Government

Atwater Park Terrace Design

gzachris — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 15:25:13 +0000

Atwater Park Terrace Design

Springfield, MA

gzachris Mon, 12/09/2024 - 10:25

Atwater Park is one of Springfield’s most scenic neighborhoods, known for its beautiful parkways and residences. When the Atwater Park neighborhood association asked the City to develop a small garden at one of its public terraces, they came to GZA and its team of landscape architects for professional design services.

Challenge

The City had limited funding for the site improvement project and had to reach out for donations. The site was small and contained many large trees that needed to be protected in the site design.

Solution

GZA developed perspective visualizations of the proposed design, with input from the neighborhood committee, which were used for project fundraising. Upon receipt of funding from the local Community Preservation Act fund and donations from abutters, the City of Springfield contracted GZA to provide landscape architectural services for the development of a garden-like public patio with a decorative water fountain as its focal point. To assist the City in realizing this new public garden space, GZA advanced the conceptual design to full construction documents. The project involved coordination with the fountain manufacturer and coordination and review with Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, the City’s Forester, and the Department of Public Works. GZA provided construction phase design services, and together with the Contractor and City staff, ensured that the project was completed on time and within budget.

Benefit

The City and its Atwater Park neighborhood community have benefited from a new public green space and have demonstrated that they were able to stretch grant funding dollars with local fundraising from project abutters/proponents.

Conceptual master planning
Grant funding assistance
Landscape architecture
Fountain design
Civil engineering
Construction documents
Bid phase assistance
Construction phase services

Massachusetts

Government

Landscape Architecture

Northside Learning Center High School

gzadan — Mon, 16 May 2022 15:02:54 +0000

Northside Learning Center High School gzadan Mon, 05/16/2022 - 11:02

Northside Learning Center in Chicago serves students aged 14 to 22 with intellectual disabilities and impaired adaptive functioning. The skills they are taught at this school help them achieve independent living.

Challenge

A decades-old greenhouse was proposed to be upgraded to provide much needed space and new equipment for students at the school. During the early stages of design, a serious issue with flooding was identified �� water was inundating the new sensory gardens, flooding walkways, and even overtopping doorway thresholds and coming into the school. The challenge was to replace the greenhouse and solve the flooding issue while staying within budget and being finished on time.

Solution

After a careful site analysis, it was determined that much of the flooding issue was coming from buildings that did not have gutters or downspouts to move rainwater away from the buildings. The solution was to include gutters and downspouts on the new greenhouse, replace all walkways with permeable pavers and use them as conduits to move water from one side of the building to existing infrastructure. Rain gardens were also added to the sensory gardens.

Benefit

By replacing old sidewalks with permeable pavers and using them as conduits to move water, the project eliminated tremendous cost and time by not having to reroute water via large pipes, reducing expensive excavations, and eliminating the need to cut open a heavily traveled public road to upgrade a stormwater connection to the City of Chicago stormwater system. The pavers also reduced time for permitting and construction, which allowed the project to open prior to the start of the new year. Within the sensory gardens, stormwater inlets were exchanged for rain gardens that move runoff around the school and into existing infrastructure. To date, the school has not had a single issue with standing water.

New permeable paver walkways to eliminate standing water at doorways and on pavements
Rain gardens throughout the sensory gardens to move runoff from adjacent hardscapes
Elimination of standing water and hazardous situations for students with intellectual disabilities and impaired adaptive functioning

Institutional

Natural Resources and Ecological Services

Redevelopment of Stearns Square and Duryea Way

gzadan — Fri, 13 May 2022 14:21:46 +0000

Redevelopment of Stearns Square and Duryea Way gzadan Fri, 05/13/2022 - 10:21

GZA provided landscape architectural and civil engineering services to the City of Springfield for the redevelopment of Stearns Square and Duryea Way as part of a downtown rehabilitation effort. GZA provided conceptual master planning/design, coordinated multi�� City Department reviews (DPW, Planning, Parks, Traffic Commission), estimated cost, prepared construction documents, and provided construction phase services.

Challenge

Built in the 1880s, Stearns Square Park is one of the first public sculptural parks of its kind. Designed and realized by famous sculptor and architect duo, Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Stanford White, Stearns Square is situated across Worthington Street from another historically significant public space, Duryea Way, named after the Duryea brothers who were the first Americans to build a gasoline-powered automobile. It was the City of Springfield’s hope that improvement in this area will serve as a catalyst for future investment and community engagement in the Innovation District and downtown entertainment area.

Solution

The City hired GZA to prepare a “Preliminary Master Plan of Stearns Square Park & Duryea Way��. The Master Plan received input from several City Departments and stakeholders, municipal departments, community members, and business owners in a series of design review meetings. While several site improvements and upgrades were selected during the design meetings, the overriding redevelopment themes were chosen to pay tribute to the deep historical roots of the neighborhood. GZA’s design features elements that honor historical roots while making space for modern use.

Benefit

The $1.7-million construction project involved reconstruction of a historic fountain originally designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, creation of pedestrian spaces and outdoor dining areas Duryea Way and sidewalk bump-outs along Worthington Street and Stearns Square ��Ϸ��st, improved pedestrian connections, installation of new lighting and landscaping improvements, traffic calming measures, way-finding signage, bike share terminal, and utility upgrades. The project was completed in the Spring of 2019 and today features outdoor farmers markets, dining, and jazz and classical music performances in the park.

Master planning
Landscape architecture
Civil engineering
Permitting
Construction phase services

Massachusetts

Government

Site / Civil Engineering & Design

Lytle Park

gzadan — Thu, 12 May 2022 14:51:54 +0000

Lytle Park gzadan Thu, 05/12/2022 - 10:51

Lytle Park has been serving recreational needs of city residents since 1914. There are many opportunities to enjoy nature, fitness, play, relaxation, and recreation. Looking toward the next 100 years of recreation for Mattoon residents, the Lytle Park Master Plan, completed in 2012, takes the goals and objectives articulated by Justin Grady and the Park Board and turns them into action items that embrace sustainability.

Challenge

Building off existing uses within the park, the goal is to weave together new features with old using art, nature, culture, and sustainability. Through the restoration of native ecosystems to managing on-site stormwater, the ideas engendered in each new amenity within Lytle Park collectively represent its commitment to being recognized as an educator of sustainability.

Solution

In 2014, the park received an OSLAD (Open Space Land Acquisition and Development) Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for $400,000. The grant will help support a new pavilion and restroom, Nature-Based Playscapes, and New Active Green Environment amenities, all items identified in the Master Plan.

Benefit

Today, the park has a new pavilion built from salvaged lumber; rain is collected in a below-ground cistern to flush its toilets, solar panels offset electrical consumption within the restroom, and energy-efficient mechanical equipment offsets energy use. The Nature-Based Playscape is made from 100% recycled round timber and allows kids, and adults, to climb on apparatus that has been handcrafted from white oak, osage orange, and black locust tree trunks and branches. The New Active Green Environment will cater to senior citizens. The yoga circle, bird feeders, inclined walkways, bird baths, and raised garden beds are all designed to strengthen muscle groups that are normally not used on a regular basis. Seniors will be exercising without even knowing it. And native plant gardens will attract pollinators, infiltrate, and absorb rain, and teach residents about the importance of native plants.

Overseeing construction of the nature-based playscape
Overseeing construction of the New Active Green Environment amenities
Overseeing construction of the pavilion and restroom
Submitting quarterly progress reports to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Secured OSLAD (Open Space Land Acquisition and Development) Grant from Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Government

Natural Resources and Ecological Services

Nells Woodland

gzadan — ��Ϸ��d, 27 Apr 2022 14:59:54 +0000

Nells Woodland gzadan ��Ϸ��d, 04/27/2022 - 10:59

The Nell's Woodland Foundation is an organization dedicated to facilitating a meaningful and connected relationship to nature through programs that support stewardship in the areas of Ecology, Health & ��Ϸ��llness, and the Arts, all of which will utilize inspiration supported by the 60-acre preserve located in Ottawa, IL. By connecting with nature, visitors will benefit from the powerful, healing, and inspirational aspects of nature.

Challenge

To help bring Nells Woodlands�� goals and aspirations to fruition, GZA conducted several site assessments to fully articulate the existing conditions, document important characteristics of the steep ravines, and identify ecotypes within the woodlands that will form the basis of numerous educational features.

Solution

Working closely with Serena Sturm Architects, the Master Plan identifies buildings, bridges, trails, overlooks, outdoor spaces, healing gardens, passive recreation, nature-based activities, and places for reflection that connect visitors to the landscape. At the Ecology Center and ��Ϸ��llness Center, visitors will find outdoor spaces that are extensions of the interior classrooms, kitchens, and lecture halls. The outdoor spaces incorporate raised beds for food production, native plant gardens, and seat walls that emulate natural stone outcroppings found in the ravines. Walking trails through the oak woodland lead to ravine overlooks that offer quiet places to rest, read, and rejuvenate the spirit. For those looking for more active programs, a high ropes course in the woodland will allow visitors to ‘walk�� through the canopies of century old white and red oaks.

Benefit

The entire development is seen as an asset to Ottawa; a place where people can learn about nature, express themselves through art, and develop relationships with the environment that begin to heal through the inspiration of nature.

Conducted site assessment of property to identify issues and opportunities for restoration
Connecting people to nature through ecology, history, and land stewardship
Programming and education to support the Ecology Center
Inclusion of various green infrastructure strategies, such as permeable pavements, rainwater harvesting, solar carports, and car charging stations

Illinois

Natural Resources and Ecological Services

Land Use and Environmental Planning

Fondy Food Market

gzadan — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 20:23:25 +0000

Fondy Food Market gzadan Tue, 04/12/2022 - 16:23

The Fondy Food Center connects Greater Milwaukee to local, fresh food �� from farm to market to table �� so that children learn better, adults live healthier, and communities celebrate cultural food traditions. At the Market, farmers will provide healthy choices to local residents who often times do not have access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

Challenge

The land next to the farmers market has been vacant for years and has become a place where items are often dumped and abandoned. The challenge is to turn the land into a ‘super green park��, meet all of the visions put forth by residents, and meet those visions on a very limited budget.

Solution

Working closely with local community members and the City of Milwaukee, the vacant land was transformed into a new park that encompasses three-fifths of an acre, incorporates numerous green infrastructure features such as a “water tower�� cistern, downspouts connecting to bioswales, in-ground runnels that direct roof runoff to a large bioswale, and a native prairie garden. The project will also monitor water that leaves the site through an in-ground vault and measuring equipment to quantify the amount of water that leaves the site versus be infiltrated on site.

Benefit

The project’s ecological features incorporate nature and nature-based rainwater management strategies into places for people to enjoy the park. Items such as rain gardens, native landscapes, and infiltration zones handle a tremendous amount of roof runoff. A new stage for music and performances incorporates concrete foundations that will support a future boardwalk and art displays. Moreover, the park's central lawn plays host to various programming and activities such as summer jazz music, public art showings, movie nights, and yoga. All of these items were suggestions in the Fondy Park Resident Survey and are now a reality for the neighborhood and residents adjacent to the market.

Creation of an eco-park from unused space at the market
Sustainable stormwater management from building roofs
Native prairie establishment for pollinator habitat
A place to showcase local artists on art platforms
Connections to Nature through native landscapes

Government

Natural Resources and Ecological Services

Coffee Creek Center

gzadan — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 19:10:46 +0000

Coffee Creek Center gzadan Tue, 04/12/2022 - 15:10

The Coffee Creek Watershed Conservancy, a non-profit organization incorporated in 1998, owns and manages the natural areas and recreational facilities within the Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve. Its mission is to protect and maintain the biodiversity of the Coffee Creek corridor and to provide educational and recreational experiences for the public.

Challenge

The Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve is a 157-acre complex of wetlands, woodlands, and prairie. More than 400 native plant species have been identified on the property. The magnificent display of wildflowers from spring through fall is one of The Preserve’s most notable features. Unfortunately, many of the ornamental plants in established landscape beds have been overrun by cool season grasses and aggressive ornamental plants. At The Water Plaza, The Amphitheatre, The ��Ϸ��ir bridge, and Pathway Islands, existing landscapes have become monocultures of unwanted cool season plants.

Solution

Working closely with the Conservancy, a simplified plant palette of native forbs and grasses was selected to transition the overgrown landscape beds. For those areas that receive full sun, the plant palette will be Prairie Dropseed interplanted with Butterfly ��Ϸ��ed and Pale Purple Coneflower. For those areas in shade, the plant palette will be Oak Sedge interplanted with Wild Geranium, Mayapples, and Jacobs Ladder. Over time, as the new plants become established, additional wildflowers will be added.

Benefit

The primary benefit will be an on-going reduction in maintenance, time spent weeding, and cost to continually replenish mulch in the beds. The Conservancy will soon be able to rely on one tool maintenance �� prescribed fire. The new gardens will also benefit pollinators that visit the landscapes.

Site assessment of natural features and resources
Sustainable tree farm plan
Sustainable water management recommendations
Ecological restoration recommendations
Connections to nature through boardwalks and trails

Natural Resources and Ecological Services