MICHIGAN ASLA 2010 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Landscape Design Honor Award Winner:

     Grissim Metz Andriese Associates -- DTE Energy Corporate Headquarters

Landscape Design Merit Award Winners:

     Beckett & Raeder, Inc. -- CMU Outdoor Learning Center

     JJR -- Gilkey Creek Relocation and Restoration

     Russell Design, Inc. -- Private Residence, Northville, MI

Landscape Planning & Analysis Honor Award Winner:

     Hamilton Anderson Associates -- Pi River Waterfront Urban Design Plan

Landscape Design Merit Award Winner:

     JJR -- Green Grand Rapids

Landscape Research Honor Award Winner:

     MSU / Dr. Jon Burley -- Michigan Landscape Anthology

Landscape Design Honor Award Winner :

Firm: Grissim Metz Andriese Associates

Client: DTE Energy

Project Title: DTE Energy Corporate Headquarters

Project Location: Detroit, MI

Project Purpose

DTE Energy’s urban corporate campus transforms seven city blocks, 18 acres, in downtown Detroit, Michigan, into expansive public and private gardens for employees and visitors. It represents a major private investment from DTE in its corporate campus, as well as a commitment to urban renewal in a significantly economically challenged city. The campus removed greyfield parking lots, metamorphosing over eleven acres into open green space, plazas, fountains, walkways, various scaled gardens, and multifunctional gathering spaces.  

Role of the Landscape Architect

The question posed to the DTE Design Team, that included the project architects, was “Does this fit your corporate vision?” It is the question that defined each stage of advancement during this project. It was answered continuously by the DTE Design Team as well as its CEO, COO, and CFO, who were committed to the greening of the campus and offered many hours of constructive thought. As lead designers of the site, we utilized many other consultants who provided expertise in water feature design, mechanical and electrical engineering, irrigation design, lighting, and structural engineering. In the end, the client recognized that the design team delivered a dream campus and that the concepts “were far more exciting, innovative and in closer alignment” than what they were trying to achieve. As for the City of Detroit, it benefited spectacularly from the collaboration. This corporate campus is worthy of recognition merely for the inspiration and joy it has brought this beleaguered industrial city.

Special Factors

The most significant aspect of this project is DTE’s willingness to invest in transforming their 18 acre campus from a worn collection of gravel and asphalt parking lots, into a sustainable green campus with numerous amenities.  There were several challenges the designers overcame.  With a multitude of utilities crisscrossing the site, all of the plantings were incorporated into raised planters to eliminate buried conflicts. To reduce demolition waste, the existing streets were utilized as the base for the new flexible paving systems and excavated soils were used to build the Sun Garden mounds. Even more innovative was the use of water, seat walls, raised planters and bollards placed seamlessly into the design to provide required Homeland Security systems without looking forced. Also, the 26,000 sf. reflection pools, crucial to the design intent with its aquatic ties to the Great Lakes and the Detroit River, was designed in a highly stylized way to provide DTE with a signature statement, day and night, as well as for all seasons.

Landscape Design Merit Award Winners :

Firm: Beckett & Raeder, Inc.

Client: Central Michigan University

Project Title: CMU Outdoor Learning Center

Project Location: Education and Human Services Building, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI

Project Purpose:     
The Outdoor Learning Center is an exterior educational and play space within Central Michigan University’s Child Development and Learning Laboratory, an on-site child care facility that is part of CMU’s nationally-recognized Early Childhood Development education program. The scope of the project entailed development of a year-round active and passive play space and learning environment for the pre-kindergarten age group that is an extension of the indoor classroom.  The guiding philosophy was one of respecting children for who they are and all that they can accomplish by providing avenues of open-ended and flexible independent play and social engagement.

Role of Landscape Architect:
The Landscape Architect prepared the conceptual design for the Outdoor Learning Center, working closely with the CMU educators to support the educational curriculum and provide active and passive play opportunities for the children.  The Landscape Architect also coordinated with the Architect on the interface of the new building with the Outdoor Learning Center, keeping with the philosophy that the outdoor environment is an extension of the interior classroom.  The Landscape Architect was responsible for all grading and storm water management within the Outdoor Learning Center, for designing and custom detailing the bridges, paths, boardwalks, planters, numerous paved and unpaved surface treatments, and landscaping.  Additionally, the Landscape Architect was responsible for supporting the LEED Gold certification goal of this project, through the use of recycled materials, FSC-certified wood products and reduced potable water for irrigation.

Special Factors:
The special factors for this project included thoughtful consideration to the needs of a myriad of users and caretakers of this space:  first and foremost, the children; second, the educators and care-givers, and last though not least, the maintenance staff.  Each has unique needs and approaches to the space that is intended to promote both the active “burning” of childhood energy and contemplative learning, along with so many social and creative childhood endeavors in between.  Creating a space that provided such opportunity and flexibility was challenging, yet gratifying.  Witnessing the children use the space in anticipated ways, but also in so many unanticipated ways, adds a new dimension to that gratification.  

Firm: JJR

Client: Ruth Mott Foundation

Project Title: Gilkey Creek Relocation and Restoration

Project Location: Flint, MI

Project Purpose:

To eliminate flood damage to Charles Stewart and Ruth Rawlings Mott’s historic Applewood Estate while embodying the environmental stewardship of the Ruth Mott Foundation (RMF) through the creation of a demonstration project for Flint and Genesee County. Gilkey Creek, a partially enclosed drain for 25 years, was both daylighted to effectively manage stormwater flows and enhanced to create a variety of riparian habitats along the creek corridor.

Role of Landscape Architect:

The landscape architect lead the project design and managed a project team of professionals from various disciplines, including landscape architecture, civil engineering, horticulture, environmental science, and aquatic biology. The landscape architect also facilitated the series of the workshops that included members from up to ten different public and private organizations. A consultant engineering firm was responsible for floodplain modeling. RMF, the client, encouraged the project team to embrace sustainable design and construction management practices throughout the project in order to educate the public and serve as an example to others about the importance of environmental stewardship.

Special Factors:

Applewood Estate lies at the lower elevations of the Gilkey Creek watershed which drains 15 square miles of densely developed urban land.  Many decades of filling within the creek’s floodplain, combined with an undersized drain culvert, resulted in costly flood damage to Applewood and cancellation of many RMF events.  Further environmental damage (bank failure and sediment transport) to the creek was caused by accelerated stormwater runoff attributed to the urbanized watershed.

Firm: Russell Design, Inc.

Client: Private Owner

Project Title: Private Residence

Project Location: Northville, MI

Project Purpose:

This private residence incorporates client program requirements into an organized sequence of outdoor rooms; each working collectively to welcome individuals with a quiet place to pause, while simultaneously catering to larger gatherings. The strong and formal architecture is complemented by axial walkways and simple geometric forms juxtaposed by informal massings of flowering understory plant material.  The clarity of spatial structure, transition between spaces, simple use of quality materials and attention to detail exude warmth, charm, and timeless design.

Role of Landscape Architect:

Initially the landscape architect was asked to join the design team to assist in the site planning and detail design for the subdivision and entrance for an eight lot enclave cut out of a large regional parkway in Wayne County, Michigan.  Upon receiving municipal approvals, the landscape architect was invited to assist the subdivisions first land owner in the landscape development of their 18,300 square foot site. The landscape architect acting as prime consultant, and in the capacity of construction manager, successfully coordinated construction related issues with the builder, project civil and structural engineers, and building trades to ensure the client’s program fit the framework of the site’s natural features.

Special Factors:

The large footprint home and 27 foot grade change across the site presented unique design and construction challenges.  A combination of natural and man made elements were used  to harmoniously weave the functional design elements into the topography while preserving the significant natural features of the site.

Landscape Planning & Analysis Honor Award Winner:

Firm: Hamilton Anderson Associates

Client: City of Lu'an

Project Title: Pi River Waterfront Urban Design Plan

Project Location: Lu'an City, Anhui Province, China

Project Purpose:

The Lu’an City Pi River Waterfront Urban Design Plan (Pi River Plan) is a collaboration between the Landscape Architect and a Chinese University (the Team) to compete for the opportunity to work with the City of Lu’an, to develop their urban waterfront, in the Anhui province of southeast China, which is part of the Yangtze River Delta City/Town Group – a consortium of cities and towns associated with Shanghai.  Lu’an City is faced with exponential growth and they wish to make the most of their regional land and human resources in an environmentally and socially responsible way. The Pi River Plan aims to make Lu’an a world class City in the water and on the water.  The Team was shortlisted to participate in a competition to create the urban waterfront plan: that is design an entire new city, 12.3 square miles of mostly green fields, centered around the Pi River.  The list of requirements was extensive and the time line short:  three months. The vision for the riverfront development focuses on re-engaging the people of Lu’an City with the Pi River.  Cultural relics are recognized as historical jewels.  Emphasis is placed on protecting environmental quality – the river in particular, so that recreation opportunities can be maximized.  And consideration for economic development is forefront with every movement in the plan.

Role of the Landscape Architect:

The Landscape Architect lead the team of architects, renderers, videographers, model builders and the University to complete the competition requirements in three months.  The Landscape Architect was responsible for urban, open space and environmental design; coordination and project management between all team members in Michigan and China; and design, editing and compilation of the printed and video materials.  They also worked closely with the team architects on building character, massing, and placement; and with the renderers, videographers and model builders in China. 

Special Factors:

The Landscape Architect’s firm and the Chinese University traded personnel for three months, allowing both English and Chinese speakers to be in both Michigan and China at the same time and making the process almost a 24-7 operation.  American practitioners rarely get the chance to design a whole city where the site is on water, contains 5,000 years of cultural heritage and a degraded environment where the motivated user is building before the plans are even done! The Team knew they had to stay focused by keeping the clear, strong concept in mind throughout the planning process.  Every design decision was vetted through the concept.    The project was a truly interdisciplinary, multi-cultural effort complete with late nights, long weeks, the occasional short tempers and even tears, but always with incredible energy, enthusiasm and team spirit, on both sides of the Pacific, resulting in an extraordinary product.

Landscape Planning & Analysis Merit Award Winner:

Firm: JJR

Client: City of Grand Rapids

Project Title: Green Grand Rapids

Project Location: Grand Rapids, MI

With:

Project Purpose:

A citywide green infrastructure master planning process focused on quality of life and the physical development of community infrastructure as it relates to parks, the urban forest, non-motorized connections, natural systems, Grand River recreation and local food.  As a sustainability-focused update to the city’s 2002 master plan, Green Grand Rapids proposes a range of strategies for creating an interconnected network of green spaces that provide valuable ecological services and improve the quality of life, environmental health and economic resilience of the community and its citizens.  An array of GIS analyses methods and public engagement/outreach processes set the stage for implementation and lasting support.

Role of the Landscape Architect:

As the primary planners and public facilitators, the landscape architects lead a 30-member steering committee through 19 meetings over 18 months, organized and facilitated four city-wide “green gathering” workshops, conducted stakeholder interviews, carried out a series of special study projects, managed the GIS inventory and analysis work (resulting in the production of over 30 maps to serve as tools for future decision making) and drafted the plan’s objectives, strategies and action plans.

Special Factors:

The use of GIS technology to map and analyze natural resource systems in collaboration with public engagement helped establish actionable and transformative priorities and tools to inform future decision making.   This approach helped fuel citizen input and collaboration in generating green ideas and turning those ideas into actions.  Existing organizations began adopting elements of the green agenda, even as new groups were formed during the planning process to implement other priority strategies.  Green Grand Rapids became a model for how to rethink government during tough times and leverage the capacity of residents to improve their own community.  According to city manager Greg Sundstrom, “As a city we are going to provide a platform for the community to come together and organize and do things. We will help you engage. Then we need you to make it happen.”

Landscape Research Honor Award Winner:

Firm: MSU / Dr. Jon Burley

Project Title: Michigan Landscape Anthology

Project Purpose:

Facilitate sensitivity, understanding, and intellectual growth for the Michigan Green Industry audience by presenting, illustrating, and discussing selected design issues and opportunities in the environment by writing one or two articles a year intended for readers of The Michigan Landscape, a trade publication.

Role of the Landscape Architect:

The landscape architect was the lead author and initiator for each paper.

Special Factors:

Practitioners often have relatively little professional time to communicate to members of the Michigan Green Industry concerning theory, describing the practical impact of recent research, advancing design opportunities, or featuring their projects.  Therefore, the entrant for this award category was interested in communicating with the Michigan Green Industry to promote projects, ideas, and materials based in landscape architecture, ecology, social science, and horticulture.  The collection is an anthology of “stand-alone” topics suitable for consumption by the Michigan Green Industry.