2012: Volume 6, Number 4 michigaN chapter of the americaN Societ y of laNdScape architectS

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oN the coVer: The Dow Founder’s Garden serves to visually link the downtown to the industrial plant. Photo: Curt Clayton, Clayton Studio.

l e t t e r f r o m t h e p r e s i d e n t

SITES is published quarterly by Michigan ASLA. Cover printed on 50% recycled paper. Text printed on 100% recycled paper.

2012: Volume 6, Number 4 michigaN chapter of the americaN Societ y

Greetings! It’s hard to believe that this is the last SITES issue that I will be addressing you as President. The year has gone by very quickly and it is now time to pass the baton along to the capable hands of Michigan ASLA’s new President, Mark Robinson.

I am pleased to present the 27th Annual Chapter Awards with seven recipients representing the high level of design and research provided by Michigan landscape architects. I want to acknowledge our esteemed colleagues at the Arkansas chapter ASLA, my home state, for so graciously judging our awards.

I am also so very pleased to present the President’s Awards in this issue, which is a new addition to the SITES publication, but allows those of you who did not attend the annual conference in Grand Rapids to learn more about the esteemed and deserving recipients. I trust you will be equally inspired by the work and talent of Beth Hagenbuch, Vanessa Warren and Kenneth Weikal Landscape Architecture, as well as the generosity of Patricia and the late John Chipman.

I now look forward to the final year of presidential duties, as Immediate Past President. I have decided to take on

the challenge of Membership Recruitment as my initiative during this period. As you know, there is strength in numbers and as we address fiscal and licensure challenges, we want to be as well-positioned as possible. Please encourage your friends and colleagues who are not yet members to join!

We have a new addition to the Executive Committee with Robert Gibbs in the position of Member at Large. I believe I speak for the entire board in saying that we look forward to the contributions of such an experienced and respected professional.

I have enjoyed serving as President of Michigan Chapter ASLA and very much appreciate the opportunity that was given to me by the membership. Please enjoy this issue of SITES, and as always, don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about MiASLA or volunteer opportunities.

Christy Summers, LLA, ASLAPresident, Michigan Chapter of ASLA

of laNdScape architectS

table of contents

The Dow Founder’s Gardenhamilton anderson associates

Ann Arbor Municipal CenterInSite Design Studio / Conservation Design Forum

Principles of Urban Retail Planning and DevelopmentGibbs planning Group, inc.

Michigan ASLA 2012 President’s Awards

Lafayette Greens:Urban Agriculture, Urban Fabric, Urban SustainabilityKenneth Weikal landscape architecture

Emerging Professional Spotlight: beth hagenbuch, associate asla

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table of contents

UpcominG eVents

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MNLA Great Lakes Trade Expo January 7-9, 2013 DeVos Place, Grand Rapids

honor award [landscape architectural design]

the dow founder’s garden Firm: Hamilton Anderson AssociatesProject Location: Midland, Michigan

Lighting was an important part of the design process as the park is often utilized at night when baseball games let out and patrons of downtown bars and restaurants meander along the river. The walls are thoughtfully illuminated to highlight the interpretive content.Photo: Curt Clayton, Clayton Studio

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The project strove to be true to history, chemistry, and philosophy in its abstraction of the local heritage. This meant consistent collaboration with historians, chemists and company leaders to ensure meaningful expression. The design utilizes regional materials such as local field stone and reclaimed brick from the former headquarters building. Photo: Curt Clayton, Clayton Studio

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H. H. Dow was renowned for his fearless pursuit of discovery and his innovation in both chemistry and business practices (Dow was the first company to offer stock shares to its employees). Visitors begin their park experience in the Rotunda Plaza, where salvaged bricks trace the footprint of the memorable rotunda of the 47 Building. A statue of H.H. Dow sits in the center of the plaza, surrounded by his thoughts and sketches and a map highlighting how the company has expanded throughout the world. He looks out toward the park and the plant beyond. The design recalls Dow’s spirit of discovery with five walls emerging from the earth with fieldstone that seems to transform from raw, cobble to refined masonry. The walls, at the top of the bluff overlooking the Tittabawassee River, symbolize Dow’s discovery of the first five chemicals he extracted from the vast brine deposits that sit below the Midland area. Visitors experience one wall at a time, in the order Dow discovered them. Each wall describes both chemical discovery, through hand-written notes scribed by one of the company’s leading chemists, and the founder’s philosophy, through quotations attributed to H.H. Dow. After the final wall, views open up to the vast plant beyond as it bends around the river.

H.H. Dow found inspiration and solace in gardens and nature, in his walks through the birches and pines, and his cultivation of fruit orchards. When any of his employees were married, he would give them a Bridal Veil Spiraea as a gift. These connections are remembered as the multi-modal trail weaves through a through a pine grove, the entrance walk is lined by a Spiraea hedge, and an orchard-like arrangement of trees creates spaces for staging community and company events, sculpture, or product display. A wide swath of native plantings softens the edge of the park and connects to the naturalized shoreline.

The park serves to visually link the downtown to the industrial plant that still symbolizes community success and hope for the future to the residents of Midland. It restores the natural shoreline and strengthens connections to the river and the greenway that runs along its shores. But most of all, it honors the shared heritage and history of the City of Midland. Hamilton Anderson Associates (HAA) worked extensively with the company leadership, community, and chemists to distill the local heritage into a design that is meaningful to the local residents and visitors, both regional and international. The design is expressive of the Dow’s dynamic history, not just through the written story but through the design elements.

The reshaping and naturalization of the shoreline was led by HAA, in coordination with environmental engineers. Every design element was carefully developed in keeping with the design intent; every plant was selected for how it fit with the broader story.

Linking the site to downtown, the Midland Loons minor league baseball stadium and the regional greenway network was a key part of the design process. The multi-modal trail that runs along the river and past the stadium is now routed through the site and has become popular for runners and cyclists.

HAA worked with the owner from conceptualization through documentation and construction and remains involved in assessing opportunities to expand the park and how it connects to the adjacent minor league baseball stadium and planned developments.

merit award [landscape architectural design]

ann arbor municipal centerFirms: InSite Design Studio and Conservation Design ForumProject Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

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The pedestrian bridge floats over the rain garden to the left, allowing visitors to see rain water management first hand. To the right, the water path as it flows off of the water sculpture and down the runnel is shown. A thin film of flowing water provides the sounds and cooling effects of water without a deep pool of standing water. Photo: InSite Design Studio/Conservation Design Forum

Once blocks apart, the City of Ann Arbor’s city services, including the city hall and police and courts facilities, are now housed in one consolidated location. Recently completed, the Ann Arbor Municipal Complex is a leading-edge, high-performance renovated/new facility that demonstrates the City’s leadership in sustainable practices and policies.

ScopeThe project included the partial renovation of the Larcom Building (City Hall), the addition of the new, state-of-the-art Justice Center, and the entire two-block site, which now includes a rain terrace/public plaza, drop-off plaza with short-term, disabled, and bicycle parking, and an upper-level green roof terrace over conditioned space.

Philosophy/IntentThe site design demonstrates Ann Arbor’s commitment to the community through public space enhanced with local art and craft, a strong pedestrian focus, and shared uses in a compact urban form within a framework of high ecological performance. Designed and built to LEED Gold standards, the project’s water and vegetation systems support health to the Huron River and foster a vibrant setting where all manner of City business is conducted. The City sought to achieve these qualities in a facility that improves the service provided to the community within a modest capital budget that maximized the value of every dollar spent, while reducing long-term operations costs.

Role of the Landscape Architects The project team included landscape architects with local knowledge, expertise in water-based ecological design, sustainable site development and maintenance/stewardship practices. The team’s landscape architects collaborated closely with the project architects on the site design, and provided the stormwater design, pavement, soil and vegetation design, coordination with the project artist, and construction administration for the site elements. The landscape architects worked closely together to develop an integrated, water-based design that functions beautifully for both water and people.

Integrated Design ProcessIn order to meet/exceed the City’s expectations and provide the highest level of overall project performance, the design team used an integrated design process.

The project team was comprised of a local architect with expertise in green building and renovation, surveying/civil engineering, landscape architects, and many other sub-consultants. The process required close collaboration between the team members to thoroughly integrate site and building systems.

Significance/Special Factors The Ann Arbor Municipal Complex was the result of many years of planning. Many challenging factors were debated and overcome to achieve the facility that serves the public today, including: the decision to retain and renovate the Larcom Building, the need to keep it occupied and functioning during a three-year construction process, the size and programming of the Justice Center, the reduction of on-site parking to accommodate a more people-friendly urban setting, and the City’s public art program and the expenditure of public funding on art, especially during the global financial crisis and the impacts on local budgets.

Integrated Sustainable Site ElementsThe entire site is designed with multiple, stacked functions and benefits, and simultaneously addresses public use, circulation, safety, security, the compact urban context, stormwater management, beauty/aesthetics, and maintenance. Significant site features are illustrated and described in the accompanying images, and include:

• Rain Terrace/Public Plaza• Public Drop-off/Short term Parking• Streetside Rain Gardens• Upper Green Roof Terrace

Water as ArtThe project is the first in the City that falls under its public art program, which allocates a portion of the project budget to public art. The landscape architects designed the site and rainwater systems to make water a visible element, which facilitated the creation of water-focused art within the public space. The Arts Commission conducted a search, and decided to retain German artist Herbert Dreiseitl to create a water sculpture as a focal piece for the rain terrace.

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merit award [landscape architectural research & communication]

principles of urban retail planning and developmentFirm: Gibbs Planning Group, Inc.

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Case studies profile both historic downtowns and new town centers all over the country.(Shown: Easton Town Center, Columbus, Ohio). Photo: Gibbs Planning Group, Inc.

Principles for Urban Retail Planning & Development, a new book by Michigan consultant Robert Gibbs, ASLA, is based on Gibbs’ 30 years of urban design and planning practice. Written from an insider’s perspective, this book reveals the retail industry’s current principles and practices for implementing sustainable commerce—the knowledge needed to increase retail sales and market share in historic urban centers and ensure their viability in new ones. This book focuses on explicating the retail principles for restoring neighborhoods, villages, towns, and urban commercial districts to their traditional roles as the local and regional centers for commerce and trade.

Urban retail design and shopping center development constitute two of the most important contemporary landscape architecture design categories, though they are perhaps the least understood by many landscape architects. Municipal authorities, city planners, and real estate developers have widely differing views on how best to implement new retail. Although well intended, many public policies have resulted in hindering the viability and growth of commerce in historic cities and new towns. Unfortunately, such actions were based on gross misunderstandings of how commerce works in urban environments—the retail rules that often conflict with the accepted tenets of urban design and planning.

Historically, American towns and cities serviced the commercial needs of their residents, workers, and visitors by providing a broad range of goods and services. Today, shopping centers in suburban communities dominate the industry. In most regions, they attract the vast majority of consumer spending. In doing so, they are a major factor in the continued growth of suburban sprawl, a development pattern that is simply unsustainable. Most people who now reside in traditional villages, towns, and even some cities must drive to suburban shopping centers for many of their basic goods and services.

In easy to understand dialog, the book describes and illustrates the relationships between commercial real estate finance and development and the psychology of commerce—the practical art of analyzing and adjusting all elements known to affect a shopper’s state of mind, from the location and design of all sizes of buildings (including large format department stores), liner retail, parking, and streetscape to the level of site lighting. It features research and case studies in

Alaska, California, Canada, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, Scotland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. Representing Michigan are case studies of Bay City, Birmingham, Pontiac and the Village of Rochester Hills.

Gibbs has merged proven retail industry techniques for building typology, business models, lighting, historical centers, parks, parking, pavers, signage, streetscape, trees and zoning policy into diagrams and explanations that can be easily understood by citizens, landscape architects, real estate developers and public policy makers.

The principles outlined in this book are not intended to replace traditional landscape architectural practices. Rather, they constitute a guide to help planners and policy makers master basic yet essential retail principles that when disregarded or misconstrued can have grave economic consequences.

The applications are intended to help landscape architects design and communicate with their private and public clients on how to revive downtown retail, and retrofit failed suburban centers as well as plan new towns.

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An example of the double reverse L format creates a walkable main street lined with shops and large parking areas facing the highway and large-format anchors. Graphic: Michael Morrissey

Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the 2012 Michigan ASLA President’s Awards. Honorees received recognition on October 25th at the annual chapter conference in Grand Rapids.

Images from top to bottom:

Mark Robinson, ASLA presents Patti Chipman (also on behalf of John Chipman) with this year’s Honor Award.

Mark Robinson, ASLA presents Beth Hagenbuch, Associate ASLA (left), and Ken Weikal, ASLA (right), from Kenneth Weikal Landscape Architecture, the Firm of the Year Award.

Mark Robinson, ASLA presents Vanessa Warren, ASLA (right), with the Distinguished Member Award.

David Skalka, from Victor Stanley, receives a Certification of Appreciation for our annual Chapter Supporters from Mark Robinson, ASLA.

Toni Gasperoni (right) and Anita Wojda (center) receive the Certification of Appreciation for our annual Chapter Supporters on behalf of Landscapeforms from Mark Robinson, ASLA.

Mark Robinson, ASLA presents Jessica Spencer from EJ, a Certification of Appreciation for our annual Chapter Supporters.

Beth Hagenbuch, Associate ASLA received the Emerging Professional of the Year Award (not pictured). See page 14 for more about Beth.

Michigan ASLA 2012 President’s Awards

National aSla honor award [general design]

lafayette greens: urban agriculture, urban fabric, urban Sustainability

Firm: Kenneth Weikal Landscape ArchitectureProject Location: Detroit, Michigan

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Photo: Beth Hagenbuch

This corporate sponsored garden brings urban agriculture, community gardening, productive landscapes and the entire conversation about the food movement into the heart of downtown Detroit. A vegetable garden that also functions as an engaging public space, it is a tangible expression of the possibilities for integrating urban agriculture into city spaces and city life in a way that is participatory, beautiful and productive. Envisioned as a place for Compuware employees to be invested in downtown Detroit and give back to the community, the garden is tended by Compuware and community volunteers. In its first year, over 2,000 pounds of produce from the garden have been donated to local food banks.

The 0.425 acre garden fills a parcel of city land left vacant after the 2010 demolition of the historic Lafayette Building in downtown Detroit. Just a one block walk from Compuware headquarters, adjacent to the financial district and bordered by the Detroit Federal Building and the renovated Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, this vegetable garden fills a busy and highly visible urban setting.

The garden contains raised beds for the production and display of over 200 types of vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers, a children’s garden nestled within a circle of thornless blackberries, an heirloom apple orchard, hardy kiwi trellis, whimsical garden sheds, and spaces for art installations, events and workshops. A variety of seating is offered throughout to encourage public use of the space and provide respite from the surrounding busy city streets which offer virtually no outdoor seating. Fragrant lavender, with its documented ability to induce calm, lines the public passage through the space, reinforcing the regenerative and restorative function of the garden in this bustling city environment.

To accommodate 4 feet of grade change across the site, long rows of steel vegetable beds rise out of the ground plane as it falls gently from Lafayette Boulevard to Michigan Avenue. The continuum of bed heights from 8” to 40” high along the 70 foot long planters allows toddlers to get close to the action at the low ends, while the taller areas are barrier-free and back friendly.

Several key concepts and systems were identified and integrated into the final design of the garden including the following:

• Water Management Planted between two gabion curbs, a hedge of Redtwig Dogwood are sheared into a clean architectural bioswale appropriate for a city street. In addition, 70% of the site’s surfaces are pervious.

• Materials Re-useA gabion curb filled with concrete rubble frames the site and bio-swale, broken sidewalk pieces are re-used as pavers, the garden sheds are clad in reclaimed pallet wood and salvaged doors. Repurposed food grade steel drums are planters in the Children’s garden.

• Urban Bio-diversityMore than 200 plants: vegetables, herbs, flowers, heirloom fruit trees, vines, berries, a native species short orchard meadow and a bioswale add diversity to the urban environment and habitat for pollinators.

• Efficient Organic Growing MethodsOrganic, bio-intensive raised beds with drip irrigation are highly productive with a potential 200-400% increased caloric production vs conventional gardens, consume less water and require low energy inputs.

• Education and CommunityLafayette Greens is unique as an urban garden in that it is a public space that is participatory. Anyone can take part in planting, tending, harvesting, learning and teaching. A showcase for urban growing techniques from bio-intensive methods, organic pest management, and the French Potager tradition, it is a garden planted for its beauty as well as its productivity. Education is inherent in the very act of growing food - from science, ecology, history, and nutrition to issues surrounding urban agriculture, public health and food access.

Lafayette Greens is urban agriculture specific to its site and surroundings. It is an example of how landscape architects can set the standard for urban agriculture design that enhances the urban experience and highlights the interrelationship of landscape, food systems and the built environment. With food security becoming an increasingly important global concern, the growth of urban agriculture is inevitable. Landscape architects are uniquely equipped to design productive landscapes in our cities that are beautiful, functional, sustainable, efficient and fully integrated into city living in innovative and surprising new ways.

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It was great that Beth had the opportunity to live and work in the desert environment of California and the hot, humid environments of Houston, Miami and Mexico. It allowed her to realize her affinity for northern forests when she met her future husband, a Michigan resident. Having grown up in Michigan, “It feels like home”, she said. Her father, who was always planting trees she remembered, was a significant influence in her decision to become a landscape architect. In the 1970’s, he wrote some of the first wetland protection ordinances for Meridian Township’s Planning Commission.

Beth works with Ken Weikal, her husband, in a landscape architecture firm in Farmington Hills. They specialize in urban food production and community planning. ”We do inventory, analysis and planning; looking at the bigger picture”. Beth and Ken tend to look at many components of the area and make it an entire system.

Beth enjoys the unique characteristics of each job and the challenges of finding a workable solution. “What I like about landscape architecture is the whole systems thinking of it, bringing everything together, looking at not only natural systems, but built systems, social systems, economic systems; we get to work in a lot of areas.”

For a successful project, Beth believes strong communication and attention to detail are essential. ‘What I’ve learned is that relationships are important, especially with clients and others that you may be working with because landscape architects are always collaborating with other people and professions. Being very detailed oriented is the other part, whether it is doing construction details and how things go together or the construction drawings in general, if you are not detail oriented then you are not communicating.”

Currently, Beth is conducting research through the non-profit Grow Town regarding urban development at Penrose Village located in Detroit at 7 mile and Woodward. The project involves neighborhood planning that is integrating urban food systems and urban agriculture into an affordable housing development with a for-profit market garden. “We are trying to put together a model that is a small, sub-acre to an acre or less market-garden that could provide a living for one or

emerging professional Spotlight

beth hagenbuch, associate aSlaKenneth Weikal Landscape ArchitectureFarmington Hillls, Michigan

By Joane Slusky, Associate ASLA

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The sheds at Lafayette Greens in Detroit, MichiganPhoto: Beth Hagenbuch

two farmers. These are very focused farms that grow a high value crop such as lettuce, greens and baby carrots. These kinds of things don’t ship well.” The planning exercise includes (10) one-half acre spin farms to bring in $50,000 per year per farm.

The biggest surprise in her career came when the sheds at Compuware’s Lafayette Greens were under construction. The structures looked quite different than what she expected. “Sometimes you surprise yourself when it goes from paper to reality.” Upon seeing the form of the sheds, she felt that sinking feeling many designers feel at some point, and she thought to herself “What have I done!” Beth knows that they turned out quite nice, they are very unique. She has learned that sometimes you just have to take a risk.

Beth Hagenbuch, Associate ASLA (right), receives the 2012 Michigan ASLA Emerging Professional of The Year Award from chapter president Mark Robinson, ASLA at the Michigan Chapter annual meeting in Grand Rapids.Photo: Joane Slusky

Membership in the American Society of Landscape Architects provides resources unavailable elsewhere. Membership includes the

Michigan quarterly newsletter SITES, Landscape Architecture Magazine, and member access to the website. Discover networking opportunities when attending monthly meetings and participating in the annual golf outing and conference. Meet prospective clients at educational and community roundtable programs and other events throughout the year. Becoming a part of ASLA will help to shape the

profession of landscape architecture in Michigan.

For more information, visit www.michiganasla.org and www.asla.org

JOIN US

PresidentChristy Summers, ASLA

President ElectMark Robinson, ASLA

Immediate Past PresidentSuLin Kotowicz, ASLA

TrusteeVanessa Warren, ASLA

VP of MarketingCraig Hondorp, ASLA

VP of Education Scot Lautzenheiser, ASLA

TreasurerMonica Schwanitz, ASLA

SecretaryJohn McCann, ASLA

Member at LargeClare Jagenow, ASLA

Associate at LargeJoane Slusky, Associate ASLA

Government Affairs Committee ChairBill Sanders, ASLA

Executive DirectorDerek Dalling

U of M Student RepresentativesKatie Dennis, Student ASLAChris Strasser, Student ASLA

MSU Student RepresentativesJessica Pilon, Student ASLAJonathan Doherty, Student ASLA

SITES:

Editor and LayoutClare Jagenow, ASLA clare.jagenow@jjr-us.com734-669-2691

Advertising SalesJoane Slusky, Associate ASLAjoane@junosolutions.us248-547-3775

2012 michiGan asla officers and staff

visit us at: www.michiganasla.orgfind us on: linkedin.com and facebook.com

michiGan asla Welcomes neW

execUtiVe committee members for 2013

PresidentMark Robinson, ASLA

President ElectSuLin Kotowicz, ASLA

Immediate Past PresidentChristy Summers, ASLA

TrusteeVanessa Warren, ASLA

VP of MarketingCraig Hondorp, ASLA

VP of Education Scot Lautzenheiser, ASLA

TreasurerMonica Schwanitz, ASLA

SecretaryJohn McCann, ASLA

Member at LargeRobert Gibbs, ASLA

Associate at LargeJoane Slusky, Associate ASLA

1000 W. St. Joseph Hwy., Suite 200 Lansing, MI 48915

www.michiganasla.org

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2012: Volume 6, Number 4 michigaN chapter of the americaN Societ y of laNdScape architectS