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.

Project Spotlight: Barrett Boesen Park and Nature Playscape

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Completed in Summer 2022, this 3-acre park and nature playscape was developed by the City of Urbandale in partnership with the Barrett Boesen Foundation, a local non-profit dedicated to enriching and improving the lives of children in the local community and providing the next generation the opportunity to learn about and enjoy nature.

The project recently received a Merit Award in the Park, Recreation and Open Space category at the Central States Conference of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Read on for an in-depth look at the design of this park and nature playground! 

 

Nature Playground Design Project Background

JBC’s team was tasked with designing a comprehensive, phased master plan for the park and nature play area. This involved incorporating the existing features of the undeveloped space and using natural materials to create a destination park that would elevate nature play in the Des Moines Metro area.

Phase I of the project includes site circulation, creek access, loose parts play, and brings the large main nature play area to life along with the parking lot, shelter and restroom building. The nature play area includes climbing logs, a rock climbing cave, mud kitchens, a sand play area with rock bubbler, water pump and dry creek bed, fort building platforms, and balance logs and rocks. Future phases include an outdoor classroom, natural splash ground, bird's nest play areas, ropes course, and additional play structures.

 

What makes good nature playground design?

The park was designed to create pockets of play that continually change and keep kids curious about what’s next, extending their play time. It was also imperative to design a space that is convenient for caregivers, incorporating a restroom and shelter, shade, easy visual and mobility access, and places to rest while kids are playing.

Research (and common sense!) has shown that the longer parents want to stay, the longer children get to play. In the case of Barrett Park, the longer children play, they more they increase their opportunity to connect with the natural environment, stretch their creativity, practice social skills, and reap the many benefits of being outdoors.

 

Why Nature Play?

Because of what the author Richard Louv calls “nature-deficit disorder,” there is a very real concern that if children grow up to be less connected to the environment, there will be little reason for them to be concerned with sustainability and conservation of our planet. Addressing climate change cannot wait, and it is vital that, through nature play, children have every opportunity to fall in love with the natural world and become the next generation of advocates.

Projects like the Barrett Boesen Park and Natural Playscape have an important role in meeting these objectives, specifically through nature play and connecting all children with nature. This play space creates opportunities for children and their parents to develop increased appreciation for the natural world and what it can do for humankind.

At Barrett Boesen Park, children can appreciate nature through water quality, native plants and trees, insects and animals, seeing the life cycle in action, and learning how natural materials are made, beginning a lifelong journey of dedication to the natural world.

 

Community Engagement Informs the Park Master Plan

The public was also involved in the initial design phase of the nature playscape. An online survey, designed and administered by JBC, received over 1,300 respondents representing 2,550 children. The public shared preferred access modes, prioritized playground features along with their specific desired characteristics, familiarity with nature play, and demographics. The survey also left a blank space to invite further comments from citizens. Multiple respondents ranked accessibility and inclusivity as highly important. The popularity of the park shows that the design team listened, heard, and executed on what users of the park wanted to see. 

 

Specialized Design Features for Inclusive Nature Play

While accessibility and inclusivity were identified as important elements in the online public engagement survey, there are no specific inclusive design standards for nature play. To combat this, JBC adapted standard playground inclusivity standards to the natural elements used on site to ensure accessibility and inclusivity of Barrett Boesen Park’s nature play features.

Inclusive, accessible play was incorporated into the project in the following ways:

  • All concrete pathways meet ADA accessibility standards. Engineered wood fiber is used throughout to maintain access to all play elements.

  • The playground includes a mix of play opportunities: open space for spontaneous play, climbing equipment, quiet areas, hands-on loose parts tactile play, and elements that encourage social interaction.

  • Accessibility of play elements and the importance of allowing children of all abilities to play together in the same space was strongly considered during the design process, and intergenerational play opportunities were also incorporated.

    • Transfer stones for wheelchair users to access the sand pit play area, climbing cave, and the creek play area alongside their peers.

    • Water troughs and the water pump as well as elevated play tables in the loose parts area are situated to provide easy access for a person in a wheelchair as they play alongside children of all abilities.

  • Barrett Park encourages sensory exploration in nature. The loose parts play area includes different tactile materials to engage with, water and sand play allow children to immerse themselves in the sounds and feel of the materials, and adjacency to a stream with existing trees, vegetation, and animals offers a variety of stimuli.

  • Quieter spaces at the stone ring and creek areas are separated from the busier, more active climbing and water play areas.

  • The natural “bowl” shape of the site, along with surrounding vegetation, creates a visual barrier to reduce instances of children wandering away.

 

All in all, the Barrett Boesen Park and Natural Playscape brought a new destination nature playground to the City of Urbandale where children and families connect with nature through play. JBC is proud to share this award-winning and in-depth look at the design process for this nature playground created for the City of Urbandale, Iowa.

 

Future Nature Play Projects

While JBC has offices in Kansas City and Des Moines, we consistently work on projects all over the country. Does your community have a nature play project in the works? Let us know how we can help by contacting us today!

 

Irrigation Designed to Last

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Here in the Midwest, we’ve had our first preview of summer heat and it looks like our region is settling in for a very dry first half of the summer. Irrigation systems are up and running, although getting them operational has proven to be a challenge for a couple of locations that JBC is familiar with. These systems weren’t designed by JBC, so it gives us an opportunity to compare-and-contrast some best practices with some “not so best” practices.

Why have an irrigation “design” at all? Design-build or performance specs are fine, right?

JBC believes that the old approach of incorporating a performance specification as part of a complete landscape is no longer valid in the 21st Century. As Landscape Architects, we should be at the forefront of advocating for the responsible use of water on all our projects. Regarding projects where irrigation is needed or desired by our clients, Landscape Architects should take hold of designing the projects single largest consumer of water. By including full irrigation design as our scope of services we can:

  • Select the appropriate water delivery methods, using drip and other low-volume, high-efficiency equipment wherever possible, rather than the installer gravitating toward equipment that is faster and easier to install.

  • Correctly size the piping and equipment to allow the system to operate efficiently. A good design will provide enough capacity to meet the needs of the landscape within a single watering cycle or window.

  • Anticipate expansion by providing for wire terminations, sleeves under pavements, and valves in the landscape to allow the system to be added to in the future. This is especially important for projects with multiple phases.

How does a good design increase a system’s longevity?

A good design helps increase the system's longevity by anticipating common failures in a system, providing for ease of recurring maintenance, and selecting installation methods appropriate for the location.

Common failures that can be mitigated through good design include:

  • Sizing mainline and laterals to avoid water “hammer”. If you’ve ever slammed a water fixture closed in a house and heard a clanging noise from the wall, you’ve just experienced water hammer. When a column of water is moving at a high velocity and then suddenly stops, shock waves travel back through the water and pipe. In a building, the copper pipes will suddenly move and vibrate causing a clanging sound. In an irrigation system that uses plastic pipes, the shock waves will travel through the pipe as well, but the sudden movement is extremely damaging to the glued, clamped, or threaded joints in the plastic piping. Sizing the pipes to prevent water velocities from exceeding five feet per second (5 fps) reduces the risk of water hammer. Additionally, pressure-reducing valves and slow-closing remote control valves can also be specified for a system where there is a risk of water hammer.

  • Reducing the risk for freeze damage. In regions where soil temperatures routinely drop below freezing, incorporating methods for winterization is key to keep pipes and equipment from freezing and splitting apart. The most common winterization method is blowing out the system with compressed air. To accomplish this, JBC provides valves where air hoses can be attached to the mainline and inject compressed air. Our designs provide locations to inject air in multiple locations so that the system can be blown out from different directions and through equipment that will remain in place (such as meters and backflow preventers).

Maintenance provisions in JBC designs include the following:

  • Specifying and requiring a tracer wire on all mainlines where there is no control wire present. This allows locating and fixing leaks or damage to mainlines in the field.

  • Installation of a master valve. A master valve ‘turns off’ the entire mainline when the system isn’t running. Without a master valve, the mainline is always under pressure. This unnecessarily stresses joints and if the mainline is damaged or leaking, water will run until the system is manually shut down at the point of supply.

  • Specifying (and verifying) swing joints on pop-up sprinklers. This allows ease of replacement if the sprinkler needs repair. Without swing joints, removing and replacing sprinklers is much more complex and usually affects the lateral pipe supplying the sprinkler.

Installation methods are also a key consideration. The primary method worth noting is requiring trenched pipe installation, rather than installation via a vibratory plow that “pulls” the pipe. Trenched installation controls the depth of the pipe (important to consider in freezing climates – see previous discussion) and it prevents issues where rocks or other debris abrades and weakens the pipe as it is being installed. Trenched pipe installation is also generally cleaner as less debris is likely to enter the pipe and it allows visual inspection of joints before the trench is backfilled, preventing leaks before they start.

What are other issues that come up? How does JBC anticipate those?

Pipes and fittings are mostly ‘static’. Once correctly installed in the ground, that is where they stay and, unless there are issues like those previously discussed, they are reliable for years to come. The moving bits of an irrigation system, however, are where season-to-season issues come up. These ‘weak links’ are primarily the valves, heads, and control-related equipment.

  • Valves open and close with each cycle. The plastic or brass bodies of the valve are almost always robust to withstand years of use. The solenoid (the electrified magnet that starts the open-and-close process inside the valve) is one potential weak point. Using a control system with ‘latching’ solenoids increases the lifespan as the electric impulse shuttles the solenoid between the open and closed position, rather than ‘holding’ it open. Good wire connections between the solenoid wires and the control wires also help prevent shorting which can burn out the solenoid. Specifying a dirty-water valve, even for systems that utilize potable water, can increase the lifespan of a valve as the internal components are designed to withstand water-borne debris.

  • Pop-up heads also operate during each cycle. Most commercial-grade sprinklers are designed to provide years of trouble-free operation but certain nuances in the design and specification can help extend the lifespan. JBC often details high pop-ups using the bottom inlet only as the side inlet can allow water to sit in the sprinkler case even after being winterized. Specifying stainless-steel risers increases the lifespan of the sprinkler as sand and small gravel can’t gouge the riser and cause a leak at the seal. Specifying sprinklers that are vandal-resistant will also help mitigate “human-caused” maintenance issues. These features include check valves to help reduce water loss if the riser is broken and internal gearing that resets the spray arc if it is manipulated by hand.

  • Controllers and the related components are the most complex parts of a system. JBC includes provisions for lightning protection, flow sensing, cloud-based monitoring and programming, adequate grounding, and rain/freeze shut-offs wherever possible.

JBC believes that good irrigation design can extend the lifespan of the system, reduce the amount of water used, and minimize the year-after-year maintenance inputs that the Owner will be required to provide. The net effect is an irrigation system that will not only be highly efficient and cost effective in the future, but also provides problem-free operation from the start.

If we can help you build these efficiencies into your project, please contact us!

Behind the Scenes at Carlson Park: A Look into Award-Winning Park Master Planning and Design

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Carlson Park is a 110-acre property that was donated to the City of Decorah in northeast Iowa. JBC recently received a Merit Award from the Prairie Gateway Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects for this planning and analysis project. We’d like to share a little bit more about the project with you today!

 

Planning the Park Master Plan Project: Goals and Objectives

The comprehensive Carlson Park Master Plan project studied the existing site conditions, identified opportunities and constraints, and used information gathered from residents through public surveys and community outreach to help achieve the goals the community of Decorah had for the park.

The goals of the master plan included enhancing the user experience for both residents and park visitors by providing year-round programs and amenities currently absent from other places in the community.  Improving vehicular safety and maintaining pedestrian safety was a focus when establishing connections to existing parks and trail systems and improving access into and within the site.  Protecting the native vegetation through mature tree preservation, prairie restoration efforts, and mitigating invasive species were a high priority. Stormwater Best Management Practices were included where applicable, and as the landscape architects leading the project, JBC developed a maintenance plan for Carlson Park as part of the master plan process.

 

Principles of Park Master Planning and Design

Design principles that guided JBC through the master plan process were connectivity, safety, activity, and stewardship.  To provide connectivity to and through Carlson Park, it was important that the overall design provide access and linkage to the larger Decorah parks and trails system. Safety was included to guarantee the planned uses of the park were feasible and accessible.  JBC designed the park for appropriate and sought-after activities within the park to offer year-round options for visitors to enjoy.  By implementing activities and programs which complement and preserve ecological features and processes on site, JBC met the final design principle – stewardship.

An environmental framework for Carlson Park was derived from a study of existing conditions that included topography and drainage, existing vegetation, existing circulation, existing infrastructure, site opportunities and site constraints.  This framework helped inform the design team for the overall master plan concept.  The master plan also includes vegetation recommendations for the entire 110-acre site, broken up into proposed vegetative zones. Goals and strategies for a restored prairie and arboretum zone, a reconstructed prairie zone and two forests zones were presented, as well as recommendations for selective pruning areas on site.

 

Community Engagement Informs the Park Master Plan

The team of landscape architects at JBC organized a two-day ‘soft opening’ community engagement event, in which residents and local park users were encouraged to come to Carlson Park and share their input on features and elements that should be implemented into the master plan.  

Participants were asked questions ranging from activity preferences to opinions on how much the park should be ‘developed’ to how users would access the park.  For those residents and park visitors that were unable to attend the engagement event, an online survey was developed to gather as much feedback as possible from the community. 

The results of the survey and soft opening were summarized and used to create the final master plan design.  JBC also consulted with a local mountain bike trail builder to help determine the most appropriate locations for proposed trails, trail distances and skill level requirements.

 

Park Master Plan Elements

The final master plan incorporated six different trails designed for a variety of user groups including hikers, skiers, and bicyclists.  With guidance from a local bike trail builder, three mountain bike zones, which span three skill levels (novice, intermediate, and advanced), were developed.  A bicycle skills park and pump track are also proposed.  Further trails included a cross-country ski loop and an arboretum trail. 

Two entrances and trailheads were placed in key locations within the park to provide areas for rest and respite as well as bicycle repair stations and an observation tower with restroom facilities. 

A nine-disc golf course, nature playground, bouldering areas, and campsites complete the master plan design.

The park master plan was compiled and presented to the City of Decorah and the Decorah Parks and Recreation Board. The document concluded with a phasing and implementation plan for the entire park, including cost estimates by phase and funding opportunities.

 

Park Master Planning Summary

The Carlson Park Master Plan project is a shining example of how thoughtful and collaborative future planning can create public spaces that meet the needs of a community. The new features and amenities designed throughout the park will make Carlson Park a more vibrant and enjoyable place for residents and visitors alike.  JBC is proud to share this award-winning and in-depth look at the master planning process and outcomes created for the City of Decorah, Iowa.

sean ray presents David Stokes, Principal, with a PGASLA Merit Award for the Carlson Park Master PLan project

 

Do you know a community with a park master plan project in the works? Let us know how we can help by contacting us today!

Seeing is Believing

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Introduction

Nothing gives greater in-the-moment insight into how Landscape Architecture projects are built than seeing construction in progress and in person. This involvement through the construction of a project is important for all parties involved in the construction phase: the Owner, the Contractor, and the Landscape Architect. This blog post will discuss why “seeing is believing” and what JBC looks for when we visit one of our projects as its being built.

Why do we make site observations?

Harwood Park - Dallas, TX

JBC believes that site observations are a critical service that we provide to our clients and their construction partners on our projects. Being able to observe how the various trades interpret our Construction Documents allows us to protect the integrity of the design, protect the Owner’s financial investment in the project, and help solve problems that come up during construction.

  • Validating the integrity of the design involves looking at (seeing) the level of care that the Contractor is taking. One example that often comes up is whether existing trees are being protected. In some cases, these shady spots become “storage yards” or parking areas even though the Drawings and Specifications may clearly show how to fence off and protect delicate rootzones.

  • Protecting the Owner’s financial investment requires us to look at the materials being used. This will be discussed in greater detail, but we always want to make sure there haven’t been any unauthorized product substitutions.

  • We also expect that there will be ‘surprises’ of some sort during construction. Whether it’s a buried foundation, poor soil, or some other circumstance no one expected, there will inevitably be something that comes up during Construction. Being able to see the issue first-hand, and then collaborate on a solution that is cost-effective and sensitive to the Project’s schedule is a value to both the Owner and the Contractor.

What do we specifically look for?

Longwood Gardens - kennett square, PA

JBC’s primary goal for all our site observations is to verify that the Contractor has correctly interpreted our drawings and details and is constructing the Project accordingly. We do this by checking for the following:

  • We verify that the products and materials being installed are the same products and materials that the contractor has submitted and that we approved. JBC includes a submittal review and approval process in all our specifications. We want to verify that the contractor is using the products we specified or, if they can demonstrate that there’s an equivalent product, we can approve a substitution. In many cases there is an underlying reason why we select a given product or brand that the Contractor may not be aware of (such as having the same brand of irrigation equipment on other properties) and going through the submittal process allows us to bring all those issues into the light.

  • Once construction starts, we look for those same products and brands to be present on site and being installed as the project continues. We look for shipping labels, brand ‘marks’, labels and printing on pipe, bags of materials, etc. If a certain material doesn’t look correct, we will take samples and send them to our specified testing laboratory to be evaluated.

  • We are also balancing the ‘big picture’ (how well they are sequencing and protecting the work) with a ‘narrow focus’ on workmanship and quality. As mentioned above, is the Contractor being sensitive to the constraints of the site? Is the work logically sequenced and protected as it is completed? Have the required tests been performed or on the schedule to be performed? These are the big picture items. We also want to make sure that the folks installing everything are also aware of the requirements of the Drawings. For example, are the irrigation pipelines being built with good quality joints, with a minimum of primer and the correct amount of glue visible at the joint? Is the pipe clean and laid straight? These are just two very specific examples, but they demonstrate the overall quality of the work and are the sorts of things that we want to see.

  • Site observations are also learning opportunities for us as we observe alternative or new methods from good contractors. Many of these ‘tweaks’ get incorporated into our details and specifications for the next project and this allows JBC to stay current with the latest trends in materials and equipment that is being used on construction sites.

What are other considerations for making a site observation?

JBC always tries to respect the fact that the Project site is, in essence, the Contractor’s ‘office’. This is where dozens (or hundreds) of people work every day, usually in the elements and around hazardous equipment, utilities, and chemicals.

  • We make sure that we know the Contractor’s safety protocols before arriving. This protects JBC staff, the Contractor, and the Owner. No one wants an injury to occur on a project and by being aware of the safety protocols and wearing our PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) we greatly reduce the risk of injury. While on the site, we always try to watch out for hazards and make eye contact with any heavy equipment operators or drivers before encroaching into or crossing their work path.

  • JBC also tries to balance being problem solvers while making sure we look out for our clients’ interests. We prefer to bring up issues as they’re discovered so that everyone (Owner, Contractor, and JBC) can quickly address an issue, especially if it’s related to quality or unexpected materials.

  • Lastly, we believe it is important to take lots of photographs and provide the Owner and Contractor with a detailed Site Observation Report; this helps document that ‘moment in time’ and capture the conversations and directions that are given during the visit.

Holiday Park - West Des Moines, IA

Summary

JBC believes that performing construction site observations preserves the integrity of the design, protects the investment made by the Owner, and provides opportunities to solve problems as they emerge in the construction phase of a project. JBC is a strong advocate for all Landscape Architects to be involved throughout construction for these reasons but also because it is such a practical way to learn new things. It is truly a classroom for the most practical type of continuing education and the instructors are the folks tasked with turning our designs into reality.

Get out there on a construction site!