Navigating the Game: Integrating Wayfinding and Multi-Phase Sports Field Design at Holiday Park

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Holiday Park is the oldest baseball complex in West Des Moines, Iowa, and serves as a bustling destination for young athletes, families, local fans, and visiting teams. Managing a high-volume athletic hub requires a balance between intense operational demands, precise spatial organization, and clear site navigation. When the City of West Des Moines sought to revitalize and expand the facility, JBC Landscape Architects provided complete design leadership across multiple phases, linking overall site master planning directly with construction documentation and custom wayfinding signage.

Designing High Performance Sports Fields

The foundation of the project began with a comprehensive master plan for the youth sports complex. Serving as the lead site and sports field designer, JBC evaluated the complex's existing layout, pedestrian flow, open spaces, and athletic facilities.

A central priority during the planning phase was balancing programming needs with practical maintenance practices. Ballfields endure significant wear throughout the season, and maintaining field quality requires precise planning from day one. JBC facilitated multiple stakeholder meetings to engage park operators, league representatives, and municipal staff. By capturing detailed input on turf performance, scheduling demands, and maintenance routines, JBC established a framework optimized for field longevity, safety, and seamless day-to-day operations.

A Cohesive Vision for Park Wayfinding

As the athletic complex expanded, ensuring that visitors could easily navigate the multi-field site became a critical component of the user experience. Alongside the sports complex master plan, JBC developed the Holiday Park Wayfinding Signage Master Plan to create a unified graphic identity for the park.

The primary objective was establishing a park identity that captured existing local character using durable materials and intentional color palettes. The strategy accounted for all modes of travel, offering clear directional guidance for visitors arriving on foot, by bicycle, or by car. Key design objectives included:

  • Establishing a distinct park identity that honors local aesthetic standards and existing site character.

  • Developing graphic standards focused on visual clarity, municipal identity, and timeless design.

  • Identifying strategic signage locations to guide visitors to fields, amenities, and parking areas.

  • Preparing estimates of probable cost to guide municipal budgeting and phased rollouts.

To maintain visual harmony, the signage family took inspiration from simple, geometric forms with consistent textures throughout. This design language provided clarity across the complex.

From Master Plan to Construction Documentation

Following the adoption of the wayfinding framework, the City of West Des Moines retained JBC to prepare construction documents for the wayfinding signage.

JBC drafted detailed construction plans and specifications for four distinct signage types across the park. The structural palette incorporated brick and precast stone masonry, bold aluminum block lettering, and durable fiberglass-embedded kiosk panels built to withstand changing weather conditions and public park activity.

As part of the final design deliverables, JBC created custom, large-format complex maps for display in the informational kiosks positioned near major entry points and central pedestrian concourses. These detailed maps clearly distinguish between the baseball and softball complexes, helping first-time visitors locate specific fields, concessions, and restrooms.

Beyond design drafting, JBC provided full bidding and construction administration services throughout the implementation phases. Overseeing construction ensured that material selections, execution, and graphic standards aligned with the master plan's vision.

A Complete Transformation Driven by Continuity

By guiding the Holiday Park project from initial sports complex master planning through construction administration, JBC ensured total continuity between athletic functionality and site navigation. Today, the sports complex stands as a modernized, accessible athletic hub built to support generations of players throughout the community.

Grounded in Legacy: Balancing History and Sustainability at the University of Kansas

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When people picture a university campus, they usually think of its architecture: grand limestone halls, modern research labs, and iconic clock towers. Buildings carry stories, but they only tell half of the tale. The land between those buildings (the ridges, open greens, mature tree canopies, and historic walkways) forms the physical frame of campus life.

Between 2000 and 2009, the Getty Foundation funded roughly 85 campus heritage preservation studies across the country. Among those initiatives involving landscape architects was the University of Kansas Campus Heritage Plan, one of the largest cultural landscape preservation and sustainability efforts ever undertaken for a Midwestern university.

Sitting atop Mount Oread, a prominent hill overlooking the Wakarusa and Kaw River valleys in eastern Kansas, the 1,000+ acre campus anchors the community of Lawrence. JBC Landscape Architects joined a collaborative team alongside cultural landscape historian Frank Edgerton Martin, Treanor Architects, and Davis Preservation to evaluate and protect this historic ground.

The primary goal was clear: Promote stewardship across the historic campus by identifying, interpreting, and protecting its most significant sites, structures, and landscape elements. These physical layers document time and change on campus and serve as a valuable asset that continues to draw and inspire students, faculty, and visitors.

Achieving that goal was far from straightforward. The project faced a delicate political environment, a vast regional scale, and severe Kansas weather swings. As part of the process, JBC created new methods documenting cultural character to help decision makers actively protect it. The overarching goal was to help the university view its campus as an interconnected living landscape, not just a collection of standalone buildings.

Using regional ecological analysis, graphic site overlays, and spatial mapping, JBC established a defensible framework for evaluating the campus and its setting as a complete system.

This master plan integrated sustainable water treatment practices and species diversity into historic conservation, proving that ecological performance and cultural stewardship can work together in a campus environment. The plan stands as one of the first in the nation to deliver realistic management tools that place landscape architecture on equal footing with building architecture.

Designing High-Performance Sports Fields at Orange County Great Park Sports Park

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From a historic Marine Corps airfield to one of the premier sports complexes in the nation, the redesign of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in Irvine, California was designed as a multi-use athletic hub to host regional tournaments while serving the local community. Working as part of the design-build team alongside BrightView Design Group and BrightView Landscape Development, JBC Landscape Architects (JBC) served as the sports field consultant from early master planning through construction documentation for this 194-acre sports facility.

Planning for Scale and Versatility

A complex of this size requires careful layout coordination to maximize land use, protect player safety, and maintain field performance over time. JBC joined the project as the sports complex Master Plan consultant to help establish the overarching layout for the athletic footprint.

Following the master planning stage, JBC provided specialized design services to BrightView, focusing on the site layout and spatial arrangement of the sports fields and courts. To help bring this project to life across the entire site, JBC completed the detailed construction documentation for all athletic surfaces across the four distinct phases of construction.

World-Class Athletic Facilities

The resulting complex offers an impressive array of high-performance surfaces built to handle heavy daily use and championship events:

  • Soccer Facilities: 18 total soccer fields (including 12 natural turf fields and 6 synthetic turf fields), anchored by a central Championship Soccer Field.

  • Baseball & Softball: 7 baseball fields, 5 softball fields, a Championship Baseball Field, and a Championship Softball Field.

  • Multi-Purpose Fields: 5 natural grass multi-purpose fields designed for flexible scheduling across various sports.

  • Court Sports: 24 tennis courts plus a dedicated Championship Tennis Court, 5 sand volleyball courts, and 4 basketball courts.

A Collaborative Effort

Projects of this scope rely on strong consultant partnerships. JBC worked closely with a multi-disciplinary team of planners, engineers, developers, and municipal leaders to make sure the complex met strict operational standards:

  • BrightView Landscape Development | Calabasas, CA

  • FivePoint Communities | Irvine, CA

  • NBBJ | Los Angeles, CA

  • Hunsaker & Associates | Irvine, CA

  • Stantec | Irvine, CA

  • KPFF | Irvine, CA

  • City of Irvine Parks and Recreation | Irvine, CA

Delivering a 194-acre, world-class sports complex takes seamless collaboration and deep technical insight. We are proud to have served as the sports field consultant for the Orange County Great Park, and we bring this same commitment to precision and performance to every sports and athletic facility we design.

Recognizing Excellence in Design: JBC Receives Two Prairie Gateway ASLA Awards

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We’re thrilled to share that JBC Landscape Architects recently received two prestigious awards from the Prairie Gateway Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (PGASLA). These honors continue to recognize our team's commitment to projects that strengthen communities, enhance educational environments, and elevate corporate spaces through thoughtful, sustainable landscape architecture.

Merit Award: Indianola High School Renovation and Expansion

The Indianola High School Renovation and Expansion project earned a Merit Award in this year's lineup. This project highlights the critical role landscape architecture plays in modern educational environments. By focusing on campus connectivity, safety, and vibrant outdoor spaces, the design seamlessly integrates the new expansions with the existing high school fabric. It provides students, faculty, and the community with welcoming, multifunctional outdoor areas that foster collaboration, school pride, and a stronger connection to the campus environment.

Honor Award: McCoy Group Corporate Headquarters

Our work on the McCoy Group Corporate Headquarters received the chapter's highest recognition, an Honor Award. This project showcases how commercial and corporate landscapes can balance professional functionality with high-end environmental design. The site layout enhances the corporate presence while creating inviting, resilient public and private outdoor spaces for employees and visitors alike. By blending smart water management, native plantings, and elegant hardscaping, the design creates an inspiring, sustainable workspace that reflects the values of the McCoy Group.

Celebrating Design, Community, and Collaboration

These awards reflect the deep dedication, creativity, and collaborative spirit of our design team, as well as the vision and trust of our project partners and clients. Whether we are designing inclusive educational campuses or sustainable corporate environments, these accolades underscore how intentional landscape architecture can shape meaningful and inspiring spaces.

JBC's Spencer Sneller accepted the awards on behalf of the firm at the 2026 PGASLA Awards Gala. We’re incredibly proud to see our team's hard work recognized by our peers, and we look forward to continuing to create projects that enhance communities and bring people closer to the natural world.

Want to learn more about JBC’s projects or explore collaboration opportunities?

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Sustainable Site Performance Through Invisible Infrastructure: JBC's Technical Expertise at work at the Missouri Botanical Garden

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PHOTO CREDIT: MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN

Designing the Future of the Missouri Botanical Garden

The new Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center at the Missouri Botanical Garden seamlessly transitions visitors from city life into the serenity of the botanical garden. The lush, thriving landscape that defines the arrival experience is not accidental. It is the result of a complex, invisible network of high-performance green infrastructure.

Photo credit: Yu Xiao, Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Ltd.

As a specialized green infrastructure subconsultant, JBC Landscape Architects was a key technical partner in this transformation. Working in close coordination with the design team including Ayers Saint Gross, Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, and Arbolope Studio, JBC was responsible for designing the foundational systems that ensure the project’s long-term ecological and operational success.

Photo credit: Yu Xiao, Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Ltd.

The Backbone of Site Performance

While the visual focus is often on the plant specimens that line the entry sequence, the true work of the landscape happens below the surface. JBC led the design of comprehensive landscape support systems, including sophisticated integrated irrigation and subdrainage networks. These systems are specifically designed to provide the precise level of hydration and drainage required for a living collection that represents over 300 global species.

photo credit: missouri botanical garden

In a botanical setting, precision is everything. Our expertise in green infrastructure ensures that every portion of the site, from the raised planters to the expansive ground-level beds, functions reliably under the varying weather conditons of the Midwest. By balancing water distribution with rapid drainage, JBC contributed to a site that protects the Garden’s living assets while minimizing the wear and tear that high-traffic public spaces often experience.

photo credit: missouri botanical garden

Innovative Stormwater Strategies and Resource Recovery

A centerpiece of the project’s sustainability goals is its forward-thinking approach to water management. JBC collaborated with the design team to integrate stormwater management strategies that go beyond simple runoff control. The site is a model of resilient landscape design featuring:

  • Rainwater Harvesting: A massive underground cistern captures rooftop runoff, which is then filtered and reused for greenhouse irrigation.

  • Pervious Systems: Strategic use of permeable paving and bioretention areas allows for stormwater retention on-site during typical rain events, significantly reducing the load on municipal systems.

  • Holistic Infiltration: By ensuring water quality through controlled infiltration, the subdrainage infrastructure supports thriving plant communities in both formal and naturalistic settings, all while achieving LEED Gold certification.

photo credit: missouri botanical garden

Protecting Legacy Through Technical Expertise

Designing and constructing the landscape for a new visitor center for a 160-year-old National Historic Landmark requires a careful, precise approach. JBC worked with local suppliers to source various soil types to align with and support the planting design. This work was critical in protecting the site’s historic trees and to ensure tree health. By coordinating design to confirm that the new infrastructure did not interfere with existing root zones, JBC assisted the design team in preserving the Garden’s legacy for future generations.

photo credit: missouri botanical garden

By bridging the gap between grand architectural vision and rigorous site performance, JBC exemplifies how a specialized technical landscape architecture partner can elevate a project. Our work on the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center proves that for a public space to be truly beautiful over the long-term, it must first be designed with sustainable resilience in mind.

photo credit: missouri botanical garden

Purgatory Creek Soils Assessment: Balancing Hydrology, Ecology, and Soil Management

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The Purgatory Creek Soils Assessment in San Marcos, Texas, was part of a larger flood mitigation and ecosystem restoration effort led by Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN). The project sought to transform the Purgatory Creek corridor into both an improved flood channel and a revitalized public amenity, complete with a multi-use trail that would connect residents and visitors to nature. JBC was brought on board to provide soils expertise, assessing existing conditions and developing a plan to amend and manage soils throughout the lengthy creek corridor to support new plant communities.

JBC’s scope centered on evaluating the site’s native soils, determining their structure, composition, and suitability for reuse. The team then identified strategies to improve soil function both hydraulically and ecologically, ensuring it could withstand regular flooding while fostering robust plant growth. These soils would ultimately serve as the foundation for the restored creek corridor, designed to perform as both a resilient floodplain and a vibrant ecological and social landscape.

Photo credit: William L. Farr

One of the project’s major challenges was the site’s scale and complexity. The 15.2 acre creek corridor experienced frequent flooding, and portions were slated for widening to accommodate greater stormwater volume. This required careful choreography during construction, mapping where soils could be stripped, stockpiled, amended, and then redistributed efficiently across the site. JBC’s detailed recommendations helped guide this process, providing a clear roadmap for both designers and contractors.

Through this collaboration and assessment report, the project team established a stronger foundation for the success of the future landscape. JBC’s technical expertise in soil science ensured the design could balance hydrologic function with ecological health, turning a flood-prone corridor into a resilient, thriving space for both people and nature.

Photo credit: William L. Farr

The Kansas City Zoo Elephant Exhibit: How JBC Optimized Views, Circulation, and Soils for an Enhanced Visitor Experience

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The Kansas City Zoo Elephant Exhibit project focused on creating an engaging landscape for visitors while enhancing habitat quality and preserving the site’s valuable heritage trees. JBC contributed to landscape design for spectator circulation and social gathering areas, providing pavement layouts, soils, irrigation, and site amenities. The design emphasized optimal viewpoints and vantage points, allowing visitors to experience the exhibit while maintaining a safe yet enjoyable separation from the elephants.

JBC collaborated closely with PGAV Architects, the primary architectural firm, and SK Design Group, Inc., who handled civil engineering. JBC's design process included early visualizations and animations to help guide design decisions and communicate the experience of the space before development of construction drawings. Circulation patterns for both pedestrians and the tram system were carefully planned to maximize efficiency, comfort, and safety while enhancing the social gathering areas overlooking the exhibit.

One critical aspect of the project was soil design. A unique challenge involved incorporating elephant manure as an organic amendment in the soil mix, balancing nutrient content to support plant health without risking nitrogen burn. Repeated soil testing ensured the proper recipe, resulting in thriving plants and earlier establishment than anticipated. JBC also conducted a tree preservation study to protect heritage trees and developed a low-maintenance native plant palette that would serve as both a foreground and a buffer for visitors.

Construction coordination was another challenge, as the zoo remained open throughout the process. JBC worked with the project team to design temporary circulation paths and ensure visitor safety while maintaining construction efficiency. The exhibit’s vantage points, pedestrian circulation, and social gathering areas received overwhelmingly positive feedback from visitors, enhancing the overall zoo experience.

By combining innovative soils design, low-maintenance planting strategies, and thoughtfully engineered circulation patterns, the project successfully integrated visitor experience with sustainable landscape practices. The Kansas City Zoo Elephant Exhibit stands as a model for how technical expertise and creative design can enhance both ecological and social outcomes within a public space.

JBC Landscape Architects Celebrates Two ASLA Awards

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We’re thrilled to share that JBC Landscape Architects recently received two awards from the Prairie Gateway Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (PGASLA)! These honors recognize projects that strengthen communities, connect people with nature, and showcase the impact of thoughtful landscape architecture.

Merit Award: Barrett Boesen Park and Natural Playscape

The Barrett Boesen Park and Natural Playscape in Urbandale, Iowa, earned a Merit Award. This park transforms public space into an interactive, educational, and inclusive playscape. By blending natural materials with creative play features, children and families can explore, learn, and connect with nature in a safe and engaging environment. It’s a great example of award-winning park design that encourages curiosity, play, and community interaction.

Honor Award: Marion Urban Reforestation Plan

Our Marion Urban Reforestation Plan received an Honor Award, celebrating its role in expanding Marion’s tree canopy. This project enhances the city’s green infrastructure, supports environmental resilience, and creates welcoming public spaces for residents. By thoughtfully planning urban forests, we’re able to balance ecological benefits with community needs, creating spaces that are sustainable, engaging, and accessible.

Celebrating Design, Community, and Collaboration

These awards reflect the dedication, creativity, and collaboration of our team, as well as the vision of our project partners and clients. From sustainable urban reforestation to inclusive community parks, these projects highlight how landscape architecture can shape meaningful, resilient, and inspiring public spaces.

JBC's David Stokes accepted the award presented by ASLA Prairie Gateway Chapter President Celine Armstrong. We’re proud to see our work recognized and continue to create projects that enhance communities and bring people closer to the natural world.

Want to learn more about JBC’s projects or explore collaboration opportunities?

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Steeple Square: Transforming a Historic Church Site into a Community Green Space

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The Steeple Square project in Dubuque, Iowa, represents a transformative effort to bring new life and purpose to a historic property while serving the surrounding community. The project centers on the former St. Mary’s Church, which was decommissioned and renovated by Gronen Restoration into a vibrant community event center. JBC, serving as lead landscape architect and designer, was tasked with creating an outdoor environment that not only complemented the event center, but also provided much-needed green space and recreational opportunities for an underserved neighborhood.

What made the project especially distinctive was JBC’s role throughout the entire process, from master planning and schematic design through construction documents and administration. A central challenge involved working with the City of Dubuque to vacate an adjacent alley so the site could expand into a functional public park. That process required extensive coordination over five years, involving multiple city departments and careful documentation. The result was the creation of a safe and accessible open space that extends the community event center into the outdoors while offering lasting benefits for residents.

The design integrated stormwater management solutions that balanced community needs with environmental responsibility. Because additional impervious surfaces were introduced as part of the development, JBC incorporated underground stormwater detention chambers, as well as surface bioretention cells, to slow runoff, reduce volume, and promote infiltration. These systems enhanced both the ecological performance of the site and its long-term resilience.

Engaging the neighborhood was another critical aspect of the project. JBC hosted public meetings where community opinion was initially divided, but through dialogue, design revisions, and persistence, the project gained strong support. Today, the park is well-received and actively used, reflecting its success as a community asset. Beyond the open space and event lawn, JBC also designed an age-appropriate playground for the childcare center housed in the former rectory, further extending the site’s value to local families.

The Steeple Square project has been widely recognized for its contribution to preservation and community revitalization, earning the 2024 State of Iowa Margaret Keys Historic Preservation Award. By transforming an underutilized property into a thriving public resource, the project demonstrates the power of design to honor history while creating new opportunities for connection, recreation, and resilience.

From Parking Lot to Park: JBC's Role in West End Square’s Transformation

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IMAGE COURTESY OF JAMES CORNER FIELD OPERATIONS

West End Square is a transformative urban park developed by the Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy and designed by James Corner Field Operations, with JBC serving as a key subconsultant for irrigation, soils, and subdrainage design. Formerly a surface parking lot, the site is now the only neighborhood park in Dallas’s West End Historic District—an inviting green space nestled within a dense urban fabric. The park was envisioned as a much-needed oasis in the heart of the city, blending technology, sustainability, and thoughtful design.

IMAGE COURTESY OF JAMES CORNER FIELD OPERATIONS

JBC played a vital role in ensuring the long-term success of the landscape by developing soil systems and irrigation strategies suited to the challenges of an intense urban environment. The compact site presented significant design and construction constraints, with dense utility networks, limited subsurface depth, and a nearly flat grade. To overcome these obstacles, JBC crafted a soil design that maximized root volume under paved surfaces while carefully avoiding underground utilities. The team also designed a subdrainage system with precise grading to ensure reliable flow to existing storm infrastructure, despite the minimal slope available.

IMAGE COURTESY OF JAMES CORNER FIELD OPERATIONS

One of the most critical successes of the project was the inclusion of a robust irrigation system—an often-overlooked feature in public spaces. Given Dallas’s hot, dry climate and the added heat stress of the urban context, this investment was essential to supporting a thriving landscape. JBC’s irrigation design ensures that the diverse plantings and urban canopy have the water they need to grow and endure.

IMAGE COURTESY OF JAMES CORNER FIELD OPERATIONS

West End Square is now a welcoming public space that serves the surrounding neighborhood and downtown Dallas community. The completed park offers much-needed green space, seating, and shade in the West End Historic District, supporting both daily use and programmed activities. It reflects the successful coordination of design and engineering in a complex urban setting.

IMAGES COURTESY OF JAMES CORNER FIELD OPERATIONS

Sustainable Solutions for a Historic Landscape: The Farrand House Project at Dumbarton Oaks

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IMAGE COURTESY OF REED HILDERBRAND

At the Dumbarton Oaks Farrand House project in Washington, D.C., JBC collaborated closely with Reed Hilderbrand and Selldorf Architects to provide integrated design for irrigation, soils, and subdrainage systems. This work supported the renovation of the historic greenhouse area and its transformation into an educational outreach center. JBC’s role was foundational in ensuring the site’s landscape systems functioned sustainably and efficiently, both above and below ground.

IMAGE COURTESY OF REED HILDERBRAND

Given the property’s historic significance, JBC employed low-impact strategies that met modern performance standards while respecting the legacy of the historic site. One of the key challenges was the limited water pressure available for irrigation. JBC responded with a carefully calibrated system using low-volume, low-pressure-rated equipment to provide adequate coverage without overtaxing the infrastructure. The team also worked within an exceptionally tight footprint, where space for utilities, planting, and circulation was at a premium.

IMAGE COURTESY OF REED HILDERBRAND

JBC’s soil and subdrainage solutions were designed to optimize fertility and drainage, promoting long-term health and resilience of the landscape. One of the most significant accomplishments was fitting substantial soil volumes into the constrained entry walkway to support growth of new overstory trees. This attention to detail and technical precision will have a lasting impact on the overall health of the landscape and visitor experience of the site.

IMAGE COURTESY OF REED HILDERBRAND

By integrating green infrastructure into a complex historic setting, JBC helped shape a landscape that is as sustainable as it is functional. The result supports the Dumbarton Oaks mission of education and stewardship by enhancing the landscape while establishing new spaces for learning, art, and innovation.

How Harwood Park Brings Green Space and Stormwater Solutions to the East Quarter

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Nestled in the heart of downtown Dallas, Harwood Park reclaims nearly four acres of the city’s East Quarter with a dynamic blend of green infrastructure, public gathering spaces, and custom-designed play areas. JBC supported Ten Eyck Landscape Architects as a subconsultant on this transformative urban park, providing specialized soils and irrigation design services.

IMAGE COURTESY OF TEN EYCK LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

The park features an expansive children’s playground, two dog parks, a flexible lawn for events, and a variety of ornamental planting spaces—all thoughtfully arranged to offer both grand public areas and quieter, more intimate corners. Running through the center of the park is a green infrastructure corridor designed to manage stormwater from the surrounding hardscape, showcasing sustainable design in action.

IMAGE COURTESY OF TEN EYCK LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

JBC’s contributions included the design and integration of high-performance soils and irrigation systems throughout the site. Extensive use of soil cells in both street tree plantings and interior park spaces supported healthy root development in an otherwise challenging urban environment. Permanent irrigation systems were carefully tailored for long-term maintenance and plant vitality.

IMAGE COURTESY OF TEN EYCK LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

The project also integrated reclaimed architectural materials from former on-site buildings, honoring the area’s history while enhancing its contemporary character.

IMAGES COURTESY OF TEN EYCK LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

With a complex, phased construction timeline and a confined downtown footprint, Harwood Park required close coordination and flexibility from all team members. JBC’s technical expertise helped ensure that the park's trees, plants, and green infrastructure will thrive for years to come.

Balancing Preservation with Landscape Performance: JBC's Work at Terrace Hill

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JBC served as the lead landscape architect and consultant for the Terrace Hill Erosion Control project, addressing significant stormwater and erosion issues on the grounds of the historic Governor’s mansion in Des Moines. Working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to establish key stormwater management parameters, JBC developed a site-sensitive design that resolved active erosion problems while maintaining the historic integrity of this high-profile property.

Prior to the project, uncontrolled stormwater from downspout leaders was flowing freely across the landscape, creating visible erosion and degrading the site. JBC designed two bioretention basins (rain gardens) to capture and infiltrate this runoff, allowing water to filter into the ground while reducing the volume and velocity of flow across the property. These basins were carefully sized in coordination with IDNR to ensure proper function based on the watershed area and typical storm events.

To manage larger storm events, JBC included an overflow system that connects to the site’s existing stormwater infrastructure. A series of weir walls within the rain garden areas act as check dams and create a mini "treatment train” that slows, filters, and detains stormwater, turning a formerly problematic zone into a functional landscape feature that supports water quality.

Designing within a historic site required a careful and respectful approach. JBC strategically located BMP stormwater features to preserve key viewsheds and avoid disrupting the character-defining features of the estate. Existing infrastructure posed additional challenges due to its age and limited documentation, but thoughtful coordination and innovative design by the JBC team helped overcome those constraints.

The project proved its success quickly. JBC observed the first rainfall after installation and confirmed that the new systems performed as intended, mitigating erosion and managing flow. The Terrace Hill erosion control project is a strong example of how sensitive design solutions can address modern environmental challenges while respecting the context of historically significant landscapes.

Longwood Reimagined: JBC's Role in Designing Custom Soil Profiles

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The Longwood Reimagined project represents an exciting new chapter in the evolution of one of America’s most celebrated public gardens. As part of the design team led by Reed Hilderbrand, JBC was tasked with soils design for both the interior conservatory and the surrounding exterior landscapes. Our work focused on crafting specialized soil profiles to support a wide variety of planting environments ranging from curated garden beds and a native meadow to areas of high-performance turf.

JBC’s scope included both technical design and collaborative consultation, ensuring the selected soils would meet the horticultural needs of the site while also aligning with the aesthetic and ecological vision of the project. Each soil blend was carefully designed to optimize plant health, support biodiversity, and perform well under Longwood's maintenance schedule. This attention to detail was critical, especially in the conservatory, where plantings required an entirely custom mix to thrive in the interior climate conditions.

What truly set this project apart was the collaboration between JBC, Reed Hilderbrand, and Longwood Gardens’ own horticulture department. Known for its top-tier staff and resources, the Longwood team brought deep institutional knowledge to the table, resulting in a dynamic partnership and a cooperative atmosphere. For JBC, it marked the first time we partnered directly with a horticulture department, resulting in an exciting and rewarding experience that expanded the scope of our expertise.

To highlight the transformation, we’re sharing a series of before-and-after images, comparing construction progress in 2023 with the completed gardens in 2025. These visuals showcase the dramatic impact of the project, both indoors and out.

Opened to the public in late 2024, Longwood Reimagined offers visitors an immersive experience that pairs world-class design with horticultural excellence. From the expansive meadow views to the lush plantings within the conservatory, every element has been carefully engineered to flourish, both above and below the surface. JBC is proud to have played a role in shaping this iconic transformation.

Designed for Learning: JBC’s Role in the Indianola High School Renovation

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The Indianola High School Renovation project was a comprehensive update to both the architecture and site design of the school campus. Collaborating with Invision Architecture and Larson Engineering for the Indianola School District, JBC served as the landscape architectural consultant for the project, focusing on site landscape and hardscape design, courtyard layout, circulation improvements, and native planting strategies with a focus on stormwater management and BMP areas.

JBC’s design work centered on creating a more welcoming and functional experience for students, staff, and visitors. At the building’s front entry, JBC enhanced the arrival sequence with an updated plaza design that balances vehicular and pedestrian circulation during busy drop-off and pick-up times. Despite the site’s predominantly flat topography, JBC introduced subtle rolling berms and layered plantings to add dimension and visual interest to the landscape.

A key feature of the project was the design of a new courtyard that doubles as an outdoor classroom. This space provides opportunities for informal gathering, learning, and quiet retreat within the heart of the school campus. JBC selected plant materials, including native species, that support biodiversity and bring visual interest to the site.

In the back of the school, JBC reconfigured the layout of athletic and sport courts, improving spatial efficiency and optimizing court orientation. These changes enhance usability while maximizing the available footprint. Throughout the site, JBC worked carefully around existing infrastructure, thoughtfully siting walkways and circulation routes to connect new and existing entrances despite space constraints and complex utility networks.

The result is a more cohesive and functional campus that reflects the school’s investment in both education and environment. JBC’s site design plays an integral role in shaping the daily experience of students and visitors, supporting both the practical needs and long-term goals of the school district.

With construction currently underway, we look forward to sharing more photos here on the blog once the exterior improvements are finalized in Fall 2025.

Collaboration in Design: JBC’s Role in WashU’s East End Transformation

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JBC played a key technical role in the East End Transformation of Washington University’s Danforth Campus, resulting in an ambitious redevelopment that replaced six acres of surface parking with a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly landscape. This transformative project introduced five new campus buildings, a below-grade parking garage, and a thoughtfully designed public realm that now welcomes visitors with green space, gathering areas, circulation paths, and a sense of arrival onto campus.

JBC collaborated closely with Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Arbolope Studio, and KieranTimberlake to design and coordinate site-wide irrigation, landscape subdrainage, and engineered soil systems. The complexity of the project required precision as irrigation and soils transitioned across five new buildings and over an underground garage, where soil weights and structural profiles had to be carefully managed. The JBC team successfully navigated a broad spectrum of soil conditions, supply-related material changes, integration with existing irrigation systems, and turf fire lanes, all while preserving the integrity of the landscape design.

The result is a lush and inviting landscape that has redefined the eastern edge of the WashU campus. With strong early performance from the plantings, including rapid growth of smaller-caliper trees, this new campus entry is already thriving. “The transformation at the East End is a project I always look forward to visiting,” said Spencer Sneller, Senior Project Manager at JBC. “WashU is a beautiful campus, and MVLA’s planting design continues to evolve and mature.”

Revitalizing City Ridge in Washington, D.C.: JBC's Expertise in Green Infrastructure at Work

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Located in Washington, D.C., City Ridge reimagines the historic Fannie Mae headquarters, transforming it into a dynamic, mixed-use development. With a thoughtful blend of preserved architecture and modern design, the development spans more than nine acres of vibrant green roofs, terraces, and public spaces, all integrated above a network of underground parking and complex infrastructure.

JBC played a key role in bringing City Ridge's landscape vision to life. Our team provided comprehensive site-wide design services for irrigation, soils, and drainage, supporting everything from structural soils beneath paved surfaces to the complex needs of elevated green roof environments.

The scope was as diverse as the site itself. We managed soil specifications across multiple types of soils, including structural, planting, turf, green roof, and bioretention, along with custom blends for street trees and heritage plantings. Working in close collaboration with Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, ParkerRodriguez, and Shalom Baranes Associates, as well as structural, civil, and MEP engineers, we ensured every design detail was aligned to support both aesthetics and long-term plant health.

Coordinating across nine distinct buildings with varying site conditions, JBC approached the challenge of irrigation layout, stub-out locations, and conduit routing with precision.

Across the project, our integrated approach resulted in a resilient and cohesive landscape system that not only meets rigorous performance standards but also enhances the design and overall experience of this urban space.

JBC Receives ASLA Central States Honor Award for the Marion Urban Reforestation Plan

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We’re thrilled to share that JBC Landscape Architects recently received an Honor Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Central States for our work on the Marion Urban Reforestation Plan.

Completed in 2024, this project is especially meaningful because it highlights not only the complexity of planning wtih the urban forest in mind, but also the impact the project will have on the community and the environment for decades to come.

A Plan Rooted in Resilience

After a 2020 derecho swept through Marion, Iowa, wiping out over 1/3 of the city’s existing tree canopy, the city faced a massive environmental and community challenge. JBC was honored to partner with the City of Marion to work on a long-term, community-driven vision to restore and reimagine the urban forest.

The award-winning plan takes a structured, data-driven approach to increase canopy cover to 35% by 2055. It’s packed with sustainable strategies, from selecting native and climate-resilient species to updating city policies and encouraging public-private partnerships. The study divided the city into six unique areas to ensure solutions that work in practice, not just on paper.

But what makes this plan truly special is how it integrates science, policy, and community — working together to turn a natural disaster into an opportunity for growth.

Celebrating the Team

JBC's David Stokes accepted the award alongside Marion’s City Arborist, Mike Cimprich. The award was presented by ASLA Prairie Gateway Chapter President Celine Armstrong. The team at JBC is incredibly grateful to be recognized among such inspiring peers in landscape architecture at the 2025 Central States ASLA Conference.

Want More Details?

If you’re curious about the nitty-gritty — like how stormwater management, advanced GIS mapping, or tree species resilient to climate extremes were incorporated into the plan — check out JBC's previous blog post called Miracle in Marion: Marion Reforestation Plan. It offers a sense of the kind of community-centered work the JBC team is passionate about.

This Honor Award celebrates how landscape architecture has the power to not just respond to disasters, but how it can also help communities imagine better futures.

Miracle in Marion: Marion Reforestation Plan

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August, 2020 the heart of the midwest was left in devastation. Derecho winds with velocities exceeding 100 mph had roared through towns, moved buildings, flattened crops, and ripped down thousands of acres of trees. In response to the destruction, the central Iowa town of Marion reached out for help to take inventory of their loss and provide a path toward reforestation.  JBC answered the call.

The Marion Reforestation Plan is the result of an 18 month engagement process working with the Marion Reforestation Steering Committee and reaching out to the public.  From the start, the community’s values drove the plan recommendations. Steering Committee members set the goals for reforestation, objectives for the plan process, and priorities of types of places in the community to be replanted.

David Stokes, JBC Owner and Managing Principal recalls, "About 6 months into the project the Steering committee was very vocal about setting the groundwork, using very focused and succinct goals as a foundation from which the plan was built. The committee wanted to make sure the plan: (1) is inclusive of the entire community and participatory in the development of the plan; (2) works toward increasing the City's overall tree canopy cover; (3) provides education, training and guidance of reforestation principles; (4) provides recommendations for tree species diversity; (5) identifies replanting of the proper trees in the proper locations; (6) addresses the removal and cleanup of remaining storm-damaged trees and those associated areas; (7) identifies manageable phasing, timelines, budgets, and incrementally measuring success of implementation of the plan; and (8) addresses accessibility and equality throughout.”

“Great leadership combined with telling the humbling and honest human-centric story of tragedy will transition the community from the disaster recovery phase to the community rebuilding phase. We couldn't be more proud of how the Steering committee and the City (and its Forestry Division and Parks & Recreation Department) has advocated for the plan on behalf of all of its residents, carrying forward its message of plan benefits and positivity. They will be the true, long-term champions of this plan," Stokes added.

Recognized as a Tree City USA, in addition to the loss of trees, Marion experienced a loss of identity and spirit. During an outreach event, a participant shared how they had enjoyed walking on Marion’s trails and “you could get lost in nature and to see it all gone is heartbreaking.”  Through the open house and online survey, recurring themes were clear.  Residents are extremely supportive of reforestation and want back their sense of tree covered lanes, they appreciate what the City of Marion has already done to care for their forest, and they value what trees do for Marion’s beauty and livability. The responses were also emphatic that the right kind of trees need to be planted in the right places. JBC brought these ideas of place making, function-oriented plantings, and identifying priority places with the right conditions into the analysis and planning process.

Analysis of tree loss took a two-pronged approach, surveying firsthand the state of trees along key transportation corridors, and second evaluating the entire urban forest through computer imagery analysis.  The survey was conducted feet-on-the-ground, or as in Landscape Designer Emma Lorenz’s case, tires on the trail.  Lorenz rode streets and trails around the city and shares, “It was a really fun and yet humbling experience to ride around the City of Marion and inventory their trees. Having grown up in the community and having experienced the derecho firsthand, it was very powerful to ride around as a pedestrian and see the canopy loss - both in remembering trees that were no longer there and seeing storm damaged trees that still needed to be brought down. The experience served as a great motivation to put together a well-thought-out plan to help Marion start to rebuild their canopy.”

Evaluating the urban forest loss and current conditions from aerial imagery required a multi-method analysis which resulted in an estimation of over 35% relative loss of their tree canopy from 2019 to 2021. The method allowed JBC to see which portions of the community were most impacted.  In the words of Landscape Designer Joseph Jennings, “There was something incredibly satisfying about superimposing maps from our aerial imagery assessment. It allowed us to pinpoint areas with opportunities for design implementations. Designers can then clearly explain why certain design choices are made, highlighting both form and function. It makes a significant impact in the client's eyes and reassures them that funding is being strategically allocated across the community in a meaningful way.”

The City of Marion Reforestation Plan lays out the path Marion sought with recommended planting phases, references to resource and ordinance best practices, and pages of supporting analyses and graphic strategies.  Phasing included flexibility to match planting schedules to the pace of resource availability and resident engagement.  In presenting the plan to Marion City Council, Mike Cimprich shared, “the plan is a guide and tool to Tree Board and City Staff to prioritize reforestation in Marion over the next ten years…I think we’re on the right path and I think this plan will get us there.”

Residents’ concerns about the right tree in the right place were addressed head on in the graphic strategies and tree atlas, so specific tree cultivars could be matched to the situation of the landscape, be it municipal or private.  Each strategy was crafted to help the community gain a vision of how Marion can look, when reforested.

Stokes and Cimprich presented the City of Marion Reforestation Plan at Marion City Council meeting, September 19, 2024, and Marion City Council unanimously approved the plan.  Marion’s urban forest has a roadmap for growth and JBC is honored to have been part of the process.

Project Spotlight: Metropolitan Park in Arlington, VA

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Earlier this summer, after several years of intense construction, Arlington, Virginia officially welcomed the public and new employees to Metropolitan Park and the adjacent Amazon office building towers. This marked the completion of the first phase of Amazon’s HQ2 at the National Landing where JBC worked with James Corner Field Operations (JCFO) on the building terraces, park, and adjacent streetscape renovations. Read on to find out more about the park, JBC’s involvement in the construction process, and the nuanced design of the soils, subdrainage, and irrigation systems provided by JBC on this exciting project.

While the terraces are for employees only, the park can be enjoyed by all. The public can use the playground and the open lawn, or meander on the park paths while enjoying the diverse tree and planting palette envisioned by JCFO. At an overlook there are views of the park, the at-grade dog runs, and a few of the building terraces.

While visitors will experience the fantastic park and building amenities, there is so much more to the project below the surface. JBC was involved early on in the park’s design phase to help figure out how the new park could safely be layered on top of both existing and new underground parking garages. With a revamped park to be installed above, we worked with the design team to provide a layered soil profile. These different layers considered the drainage as water moved down through the profile, accommodated the structural limits of the garages below and provided an agronomically-viable soil mix to ensure sustainable and healthy plant growth. In addition, the JBC-designed irrigation system utilizing reclaimed building water as its primary water source also helps support the terrace and park landscapes.

Throughout the project’s construction, JBC visited the site to review progress and check in with those working on site. When an issue arose, such as a previously unknown site condition, unclear construction document, or unacceptable installation, the team worked together collaboratively to determine the best path forward. Different areas of the project were continually being worked on simultaneously, making timely clear communication an absolute necessity.

The project’s success was achieved through the efforts of so many groups of people including construction workers, the client, the county, and the design team. We’re happy to say that the end result of years of work and collaboration is already being enjoyed by many as the park plays host to community events, exercise classes, and a weekly farmers market.

The Met Park and Amazon HQ2 project presented plenty of challenging opportunities for innovative design solutions, and the talented team at JCFO provided excellent leadership throughout the project. While JBC worked on just a few pieces of a very large puzzle, we are grateful for our involvement and happy to share our expertise in soil design, subdrainage design, and irrigation design on this outstanding project.