3d Design Landscape Architects Grayslake Il

03-01-03 | News

Villages Enhanced By Idyllic Parks

By Dan Dalziel, 3D Design Studios

A 300-year-ol Burr Oak tree is the focus of Lincolnshire,Ao?N??s Village Green park area. The construction of various developments is based on the location of this tree, and all development planning centered on maintaining this tree. As a result, the tree is the visual centerpiece of Village Green.

Just past the large metropolitan area of Chicagoland lie small towns and villages that can be described as the model of middle America. These towns do not have the hustle and bustle of Chicago, a maze of highways do not course their way through the middle of town, nor do they have high rises that dot the landscape. Instead, these small towns feature winding roads, town halls and a plethora of open space that allows town residents an idyllic way of life. Three of these Illinois villages: Lincolnshire, Palatine and Westchester recently received upgrades to their parks that have enhanced the beauty of these areas.

VILLAGE OF LINCOLNSHIRE – VILLAGE GREEN

The Lincolnshire Village Green makes exemplary use of every opportunity for effective utilization of space for the highest possible aesthetic achievement. The project design team was challenged with several key criteria: to be the focal development of the downtown for Lincolnshire; become a central common space for the attraction of shoppers, and provide vital parking spaces for the businesses in the Village Green Center.

The client,Ao?N??s goal was to have an elaborate fountain that provided four-season interest at the center of the space, and eventually, the town. The design and planning team consisted of the Village Manager, the Director of Community and Economic Development, the Village Engineer and Dan Dalziel, Principal of 3D Design Studio.

The Lincolnshire Village Green

A. Entry mouments
B. Primary village green entry
C. Decorative paver roadway
D. Paver crosswalk outlined in concrete bands
E. 300+ year old oak
F. Pedestrian light fixture
G. Drinking Fountian
H. Custom granite fountian
I. Main lawn panel
J. Custom granite planter
K. Bench seating ares, typical

The Village was in the enviable position of being a highly desirable location for business and retail spaces alike. The developer knew he wanted to be in this address location, and was willing convinced to accept the following offer- for an approved Planned Unit Development requested, he would fund and build the Village Green to the contribution level of $500,000.00. Upon its successful and accepted completion, the Village would accept ownership and maintenance of the Village Green. The Village would pay for costs over the stipulated one half million cost to the developer.

With the agreement in place, the design team set out to design a new Village Center. The Director of Community and Economic Development happened to be a landscape architect. He and Dalziel recognized the importance of a giant oak tree standing in the tract of land to be developed.

The first steps in the planning process were to have the site topographically surveyed and the center of the oak located and confirmed. With that task completed, the planning process centered, both literally and figuratively on the 300+-year-old Burr Oak.

The radius for the curb that creates the drive around the green was predicated upon an area three feet beyond the dripline of the branches.

The very first item constructed upon the site before any earthwork could commence was the erection of a six foot high chain link fence at the point that would become the back of curb for the roadway, permanently fencing off the oak during the complete construction period. The entire Village Green space is 180 feet wide (building face to building face) and 385 feet long. The complete development of offices, shops, stores, bank and restaurants configuration was based upon the location of the 300+-year-old Burr Oak tree in the center of the Green. All development planning centered on maintaining this magnificent specimen. In the process, it became the visual ,Ao?N??center piece,Ao?N?? of the Village Green.

The entire Village Green space is 180 feet wide and 385 feet long. Several varieties of trees were planted to line the roadway (right), including matched groupings of Autumn Blaze Red Maple and Autumn Purple Ash. The central focus of Village Green,Ao?N??s open space is a fountain (below) that is a computer activated random sequencing series of jets, sprays and falls, with the entire two-tiered container clad entirely of polished, honed and rough cut granite.

The design features a distinctive entry monumentation along Olde Half Day Road. The brick and stone pillars incorporate the distinctive logo of the Village and complement the architecture of the buildings residing on the Village Green. Upon entering the space, the roadway surrounding the elegant space is paved with decorative concrete pavers to match those used within the Village Green space. Parking areas were treated with asphalt trimmed out with concrete bands for durability. The asphalt was used where cars are parked to minimize any oil stains to any of the brick pavers. A complete signage package was developed for visitor to guide one to their destination.

Once in the space, the central focal fountain dominates the space. The fountain is a computer activated random sequencing series of jets, sprays and falls, with the entire two-tiered container clad entirely of polished, honed and rough cut granite. The fountain is at the central axis of the two walkways as well as the center of the Green. It is a conversation piece and attracts shoppers to come and stay in the area. The fountain is surrounded by distinctive brick seat walls set in decorative pavers creating a distinctive pattern.

Within the Village Green, there are numerous seating areas surrounded by distinctive and colorful landscaping. These are all designed to fit perfectly within a rhythm of street trees, pedestrian lights, planting beds and paver bands adding to the harmonious rhythm created by the sequence of design elements. The surrounding circulation walks and landscaping leading to the buildings set off the entries to each of the building fronts. Each entry to each storefront was given special consideration to make each entry distinctive, yet planned to complement the continuity developed with the hierarchy and system developed within the design guidelines. The north end of the development is culminated with a distinctive two-level granite planter matching the fountain in detailing and materials.

Towne Square Park features decorative pedestrian lighting throughout, a custom pavilion set in an expansive concrete paver plaza, and distinctive walkways designed to accommodate vendor booths that are set up during Palatine,Ao?N??s annual ,Ao?N??Taste of Palatine,Ao?N?? event.

Care was taken throughout the process in the selection of materials for all parts of the project. The light fixture selected became the standard to be identified for the Village and its use throughout. The benches, trash receptacles, drinking fountain and associated site amenities all complement each other in both style and color. The trees that were planted lining the roadway were hand selected as matched groupings of Autumn Blaze Red Maple and Autumn Purple Ash, with specimen Washington Hawthorn in the northern terminus planter. The remainder of the landscape is a variety of flowering perennials for seasonal color, complemented with the array of ornamental grasses and evergreen shrubs. The entire development has become an activity hub for the creation of the downtown of Lincolnshire.

PALATINE PARK DISTRICT – TOWNE SQUARE PARK

Palatine Towne Square Park is a cooperative development between the Palatine Park District and the Village of Palatine. This traditional neighborhood park was developed from a poorly kept, vacant, unattractive site in the center of downtown Palatine. Half the site was a run-down parking lot, and the other an overgrown mess.

At the beginning of the planning for the site, numerous considerations were placed before the design team. The park program included providing a central gathering place for civic events, concerts in the park, a large art fair, and host to the ,Ao?N??Taste of Palatine,Ao?N??.

The Taste of Palatine consists of a four-day long event featuring booths occupied by local restaurants, businesses, and vendors with rides and attractions, a dance tent, a beer tent, and an area for musicians to play. The event is one of the biggest in their summer, and had many special considerations for which the landscape architect had to plan.

The resulting layout appears, on the surface, as a simple and elegant downtown park with intersecting walkways and a central pavilion. However, each walk was designed to accommodate vendor booths along each side with underground power outlets, the entire site is irrigated, pedestrian lights run throughout the park, and power was provided at strategic areas for food booths, musical events, and rides.

,Ao?N??The layout of all the utilities underground is almost as interesting as the resulting beauty captured in the finishing touches above ground,,Ao?N?? said the Parks Superintendent upon its completion.

The new park development features a distinctive custom pavilion set in an expansive concrete paver plaza for the use by all the residents. A Brussels block garden wall and entry columns frame the pavilion. The columns and wall materials are complemented by use of Brussels block concrete pavers throughout the park.

The plaza contains seating areas in both private and semi-private locations focusing inward onto the central pavilion. All four street corners are linked with distinctive brick paver walkways. In an innovative fund-raising approach to defer some of the costs of the parks development, the mayor ,Ao?N??sold,Ao?N?? each of the corners to local businesses, and in exchange, the business received a large, polished granite paving block in the center of the corner ,Ao?N??mini-plaza,Ao?N?? with their name and business logo. Each corner was ,Ao?N??sold,Ao?N?? for $25,000. Each corner is set off with the use of large Cornelian Cherry shrubs framing the entry walk to the pavilion, two bench areas within the ,Ao?N??mini-plaza,Ao?N??, and two raised planters creating the remaining boundary for the space.

Concord Park is designed based on the desire of village residents to have a space that promotes beauty and serenity (top and bottom). This quiet space features a central plaza with a decorative shelter landscaped with surrounding planters and seating areas. Two sun/shade arbors with bench seating face into the central lawn, providing peaceful areas for rest and relaxation.

Towne Square Park features a native landscaping approach in the berm that surrounds the central plaza. The berm and landscape provides a buffer and respite from the surrounding streets and parking for those enjoying the passive aspects of the park during a casual stroll or lunch in the park. The combination of the landscaped berm and the seating areas helps to create a central private space within the park.

An extensive landscaping plan with emphasis on native and drought tolerant plants was developed for the park creating a beautiful and colorful plant palette while reducing long term maintenance costs. These landscape enhancements dramatically improved the aesthetic qualities of the central downtown area.

Great care was taken in the development of the park to preserve the few existing trees on the site. Prescriptive horticultural procedures were specified for the care of these larger trees during the construction, including root and upper branch pruning and applications of fertilization to enhance the outward appearance of these long neglected trees.

The site furnishings within the park feature decorative pedestrian lighting throughout with the ability to include banners on the perimeter, benches and matching trash receptacles, concrete band lined brick paver walkways everywhere in the park, game tables within the central plaza, decorative accent garden walls and the custom central pavilion.

Finally, the design added perimeter parking on two sides of the park that was in high demand for the downtown businesses. The parks utilization of every square foot for function and aesthetic enhancement has been a great success and attraction for all the residents of Palatine.

WESTCHESTER PARK DISTRICT – CONCORD PARK

Concord Park is a passive park organized in a formal fashion of the historic ,Ao?N??town square,Ao?N?? layout on a small lot featuring a custom shelter as the focal element within the park. The park is part of the contribution required by a housing developer and was designed for the Westchester Park District. The approach to the design for this park involved several meetings with the area residents to determine what the uses the park should include. Most of the residents bordering this park are ,Ao?N??empty nesters,Ao?N??, and therefore had little desire for the traditional playground within the park.

Many native and naturalized, drought tolerant plant materials were used around the park,Ao?N??s perimeter to create the desired neighborhood park setting.

Instead, they voiced a strong desire for a beautiful, serene setting that would be an inviting place to relax and provide passive garden spaces to enjoy peace and quiet. While some smaller functions were anticipated, the resulting park arrangement features a central plaza with a beautiful decorative shelter landscaped with surrounding planters and seating areas. The structure for the park is the arrangement of the central lawn ringed with a brick paver walking path leading to the central brick paved plaza.

The central plaza features brick pavers and stone retaining walls opening onto a generous lawn panel that is ringed with a decorative paver walkway. The walkway has two identical shaded seating areas that architecturally compliment the central shelter. The two sun/shade arbors with bench seating and surrounding landscaping face into the central lawn.

(Continued from page 110) Lush landscaping around the perimeter creates a beautiful neighborhood park setting for the residents in the area. Maintenance requirements were anticipated during the design, and the use of many native and naturalized, drought tolerant plant materials have proven very effective in providing bright displays of color throughout the season with minimal care and attention, since an irrigation system was not affordable within the development budget. As is often the case, the land provided by the developer is generally the smaller, less desirable, remainder of the development.

Concord Park is an ideal example of turning a small remnant of a housing development into a beautiful and useful asset to the neighborhood and Park District.

Dan Dalziel is a principal at 3D Design Studio in Grayslake, Illinois

–––––––––

Lincolnshire

Owner-Village of Lincolnshire, IL
Owners Representative-Mark Weir, Director of Community Development
Contractor-Valenti Construction, Inc.
Landscape Architect-Daniel D. Dalziel, ASLA

Palatine

Owner-Palatine Park District, Palatine, IL
Owners Representative-Cheryl Scensny, Park Planner
Contractor-JEM Morris, Inc.
Landscape Architect-Daniel D. Dalziel, ASLA
Principal, 3D Design Studio
James Ramos, Project Manager

Westchester

Owner-Westchester Park District, Westchester, IL
Owner's Representative-Gary Kasanders, Executive Director
Contractor-Great Lakes Landscape, Inc.
Landscape Architect-Daniel D. Dalziel, ASLA
Principal, 3D Design Studio
Charlie Cunion, Project Manager