The removal of an existing building adjacent to the center of Stanford’s campus provided a unique opportunity to fashion an interim park space. The project emphasizes reuse and seeks to utilize salvaged materials as well as the existing grading and fountain as key features of the park. As a multifunctional performance and recreational space, the project also seeks to preserve the land for higher future uses.
As the most significant project intended to realize a master plan vision for Stanford’s Panama Mall, the Terman Park program offers an inviting, casual recreational amenity that may also be used for classes, performances, or special events when required. As an interim land use with a limited budget, reuse and redevelopment were major design themes. With the four-story building out of the way, a substantial fountain screened by the L-shaped structure was revealed, creating a natural focal point for the design. Through a set of paths, the park is accessible from opposite ends of the site. An existing patio with trees was reused as a landing for the ramp system. Along the upper path, a low wall provides seating while helping to retain an existing steep slope. Adjacent to the park is a flat field intended for more active recreation. The fill used was generated from another campus project, saving money and creating less environmental impact for both projects. Demolished concrete from the building was crushed into gravel and was used as fill within the existing building footprint. Long redwood planks were salvaged from the building exterior to become the seating surface for the custom benches. In addition to the campus standard lighting for safety, three existing 1970s fixtures were restored to reference the site history and add light and visual interest around the fountain. The updated blue-grey tile color made the fountain more inviting while also reducing water temperature and consumption. A simple planting concept divided the site into two distinct regions, the lawn and steeper slopes with groundcover and mulch. Over fifty new trees were planted in groups to provide shade on the lawn and fill the voids left from the building demolition. Evergreen tree clusters are used to establish a framework and deciduous trees provide seasonal interest and shade throughout the summer. The project is irrigated with recycled storm water.
Gantry Plaza State Park
Once a working waterfront teeming with barges, tugboats, and rail cars, the Hunter’s Point shoreline slowly succumbed to the realities of the Post-Industrial Age and this spectacular site was left to deteriorate. Thomas Balsley Associates, together with Weintraub di Domenico, envisioned Gantry Plaza State Park as a place that celebrates its past, future, skyli...
Tarrant County College
To meet the growing needs of the downtown and North Main communities in Fort Worth, Texas, SWA provided the master plan and landscape design for a new college campus to add to the Tarrant County College District. Designed to be constructed in a series of phases, the project aims to provide a stimulating and rewarding environment for students and the local comm...
Nelson Mandela Park Master Plan
Identified by the City as one of its “Big Five” open space projects, the conceptual master plan for Nelson Mandela Park will create a much-needed central open space for the city’s south district, an industrial area along the waterfront that is home to a growing and increasingly diverse population. Here the city seeks to transcend its current park paradigm of l...
The Clearing: Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial
This project was designed to honor the 20 children and six educators who were slain on Dec 14, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Designers Dan Affleck and Ben Waldo created a competition-winning design for a memorial space which is both open-ended and unifying in how it is experienced, honoring the full spectrum of emotions this tragedy evokes. They wanted...