November 2005
Landscape Strategies that Add Value
Publication: Urban Land Magazine November/December 2005
Title: Landscape Strategies that Add Value
Author: Kenneth Caldwell
Caldwell, Kenneth, “Landscape Strategies that Add Value”, Urban Land Magazine, November/December 2005.
Landscape Strategies That Add Value
The Office of James Burnett
Kenneth Caldwell
Landscape Strategies That Add Value
Landscape strategies are becoming an important component in establishing a sense of place. In an extreme environment like that of Las Vegas, the water and landscape features of resorts are far more significant than the architecture. Developers now spend more resources on landscaping features because they see considerable returns on such investments. A well-designed park, for example, can bring value to the uses that border it. Municipalities have long understood how landscape design can create an amenity and raise real estate values – Central Park is a prime example. Seattle’s Freeway Park by San Francisco landscape architect Lawrence Halprin created an urban oasis where none existed and eventually linked the convention center to downtown, while Seattle landscape architect Richard Haag’s design for Gasworks Parks turned an urban eyesore into an urban amenity.
Recognizing the potential of infrastructure as a catalyst for design and value, landscape architects now are using all of these strategies to make cities more livable and to generate new development and activities. Houston/Solana Beach, California, landscape architect James Burnett, for example, receives commissions to design contemporary environments for unusual situations. He has combined an abstract approach with the keen understanding of a developer’s goals to develop the following projects:
The Park at Lakeshore East. Historically, the site – where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan – was used for decades as a port and warehouse facility for the Illinois Central Railroad. As port uses declined, other portions of the area were developed. Most recently, the site was a par 3 golf course – with a noteworthy view.
The new Lakeshore East development, which covers 28 acres and is one of the largest urban development projects in the country, will eventually include 10 million square feet of residential, retail, and recreational uses, as well as a public elementary school. Some of the buildings will have views of the water and the adjacent Millennium Park. The centerpiece and identity of Lakeshore East is a six-acre park that opened this past July.
Rather than create several small parks throughout the development, the development team recognized that a single large open space could more successfully accommodate a diverse population (with children and pets), meet the challenge of a major grade change, and, in the end, create a full-scale public place.
Though the design of the park at first seems abstract, it is rooted in the site’s history: forms resembling boat hulls and sails are used repeatedly, while several water features are placed along the arcing pathways. The designers took into account the variety of activities that would take place in the park and their relationships to one another. For example, the children’s play area is located adjacent to the future school site, away from the dog park. There are six district zones: the grand stairway, the great lawn, the children’s play park, water gardens, ornamental gardens, and the dog park. The park was built on grade and acts as a frontyard for people living in the development. A sloped lawn and grand staircase on the south side take advantage of the three-story grade change. One of the many activities in the new park is a farmers’ market every Sunday in the summer. Although the development is private, the park is public. Pedestrians on the ground, as well as high-rise residents above, can experience all facets of the park’s design.
Six of the 28 acres have been used for open space, which has turned out to be a wise investment since units facing the park now command higher prices than initially projected, points out Joel Carlins, CEO of Chicago-based Magellan Development.
Power Block. Next to the convention center and the Toyota Arena in downtown Houston, an existing power substation takes up an entire block. The city wanted to enhance activity on the street and improve the view from nearby buildings, but the substation was too expensive to relocate. Instead of using landscaping to obscure the city’s infrastructure, Burnett featured – and celebrated – is presence. The brick wall was raised to nine feet; above that level are metal grades holding light columns that change color at regular intervals to celebrate special events. An observation area on the street level fully reveals the substation’s inner workings. All of the equipment was painted on a glossy pearl white, which reflects the changing colors. On the perimeter, Bald Cypress and Nuttall Oak trees line the sidewalk, which is composed of a variety of custom-colored pavers. Along the brick wall are various plantings and ornamental grasses. An ever-changing light show and the display of power imagery make the substation a highly visible landmark where people can meet before going to events at the hotel, arena, or convention center.
Woodall Rodgers Park. In a move that will completely alter downtown Dallas, a new park will cover a problematic eight-lane sunken freeway, preventing it from separating two urban districts. Collaborating with several downtown interests, Burnett has developed an initial scheme for a 5.3-acre park that will connect the uptown and downtown neighborhoods. The new streetscape will reinforce pedestrian linkages, allowing people to walk all the way from the sports district through the arts district and down to the west end. In addition to connecting two pieces of downtown, the project will create significant development opportunities. New buildings near the park may total as much as 6.1 million square feet of office space, according to the Real Estate Council, Dallas’s real estate advocacy organization. Most of these towers will be congregated in the area near the park in the Arts District and the Uptown District. The Real Estate Council estimates increased tax revenues of $33 million.
Unlike Freeway Park in Seattle, which resembles a small mountain range of concrete forms and trees, Woodall Rogers Park will be a flat deck, more than 800 feet long, with fields and plantings. Although not yet programmed, the initial design will include shade gardens, sculpture gardens extending the Nasher Sculpture Museum, open lawns, and water features with a nighttime light show.
This large-scale urban amenity is expected to benefit public and private interests. The Dallas city council has created a public/private partnership with the Real Estate Council, known as the Woodall Park Foundation. The foundation arm of the Real Estate Council has already donated $1 million, as has the Texas Capital Bank and its president Jody Grant. Another corporation, Crescent Realty, has donated $500,000.
All this has happened before the capital campaign has even kicked off. However, figures are still a long way away from the $45 to $60 million it reportedly will cost to build the deck over the freeway and the park. The plan is for private interests, and city, state, and federal governments to contribute to the cost. Some of the government funds already have been committed, although the precise percentages have not yet been determined. But Jamee Green, director of public affairs at the Real Estate Council, is optimistic that the money can be raised, noting simply: “The property owners will come forward.” – Kenneth Caldwell, a writer and communications consultant based in Oakland, California.
The Office of James Burnett is world renown for creating fresh and innovative designs that transform. The firm crafts landscapes that change perspectives and evoke emotional responses, creating unique and unforgettable sensory experiences. Their award-winning designs span the globe, from Beijing, China to Dubai, United Emirates. The firm’s portfolio includes urban parks and streetscapes, educational and corporate campuses, health and wellness centers, and residential community landscapes. For 17 years Mr. Burnett and his team, based in Houston, Texas and San Diego, California, have designed awe-inspiring landscapes for clients around the world.
The Magellan Development Group, Ltd. Anchoring the rapidly growing New East Side of downtown Chicago where the Chicago River joins Lake Michigan, the Lakeshore East mixed-use community is the recipient of the 2002 National Honor Award for excellence in urban design from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Inspired by traditional Chicago neighborhoods, Lakeshore East will combine homes, shops, services, recreational and community offerings ranging from a spectacular 6-acre park to a planned elementary school.