Brookside Gardens Entry Area Design Charrette a Success
On Saturday, March 19th, ten Chapter members participated in a Design Charrette to create a design for the new entrance of Brookside Gardens , in Wheaton, Maryland. The scope of the charrette included improving pedestrian access and circulation while addressing safety issues for visitors arriving on foot; signage; options for relocating fences and the deer gate; location for a gatehouse; paving suggestion,s and an overall planting plan – all designed to create a grand entrance into Brookside Gardens.
APLD designers were joined by David Vismara, Brookside ’s Director, Phil Normandy, its curator, Stephanie Oberle, Assistant Director, as well as a representative landscape architect from the Maryland Park and Planning Commission. After Vismara explained how Brookside Gardens wants to provide a place where people can enjoy nature and get away from their busy lives, he added that the garden is also designed to use that opportunity to educate the public about plants and the use of plants in creating “places.” Phil Normandy took the designers to the designated site and explained specifc constraints and considerations pertinent to the design process. Back inside, the Chapter members formed four teams to produce separate designs, using information provided by Vismara and Normandy.
After a full day of intense creative work, the designs were critiqued by Wolfgang Oehme, Cheng Fang Chen, and Roland Oehme, from the landscape architecture firm of Oehme, van Sweden Associates, who praised the teams for their energy, innovative solutions, and sensitivity to the need for a grander entry design. Vismara expressed his gratitude for the wonderful range of ideas and said he hopes to move forward to identify the aspects in each of the designs that are of greatest interest and promise as Brookside proceeds to implement its Master Plan. Vismara was very excited about having so many designers “kicking off” the Master Plan of Brookside Gardens. Next month, we hope, Joel Lerner, APLD, will write about the charrette in an article for the Washington Post, where he is a regular columnist.
Chapter members attending were Nicolien van Schouwen (President), Mark Voelkel APLD (Vice President), Melissa Clark APLD (Secretary), John Gordon, Philip McClain, Nancy Lowry Moitrier, Jane Berger, Anne Irving, Corinna Posner, and Jack Lattimore.
Clockwise from above: Nicolien explaining her team's design; the entry area viewed from Glenallan Drive at present; Charrette participants pose with David Vismara (Back row, second from left) and Phil Normandy (Back row, second from right)
This page last updated 1/15/06