Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / William P. Winslow III / Access to water has always been a critical and often times conflicted issue along Colorado's Front Range. With current and projected population growth in the state of Colorado it can be expected that the importance of the issue will only increase. In order to control future conflicts and costs, communities throughout Colorado have started to update and implement water conservation programs to address demand and delivery issues. A water demand category that has been commonly targeted by community water conservation programs is the designed urban landscape. This study explores the effectiveness of landscape water regulations in urban, landscaped open space as tools for water conservation. The study examines the effectiveness of landscape regulations using three landscape regulations in the city of Colorado Springs. The three landscape regulations represent city and development landscape regulations and guidelines implemented before and after 1998. The effectiveness of the three regulations is measured from the results of four evaluations (regulation composition, landscape design, landscape installation and maintenance, and landscape water use) that represent the steps necessary for the development and maintenance of water efficient landscapes. The tool of measure in the four evaluations is the application and enforcement of the research based Xeriscape principles in the codes, policies, and guidelines found in the three landscape regulations. The results indicated that regulation changes that occurred in the City Landscape Code and Policy Manual in the late 1990's effectively created water conserving landscape regulations. The post 1998 landscape regulations used a diverse combination of water-wise principles that were not only suggested by the codes, policies, and guidelines but also enforced through inspections and submittals. The diversity of water-wise principles in the regulations and the balance of citations and enforcement were the major elements that reduced water use and increased conservation in the evaluated landscape tracts.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Timothy D. Keane / The growth of Central Florida led to the planning of a Central Florida commuter rail and a larger interest in designing communities with the environment as a priority. A site suitable for sustainable development is located in DeBary, Florida, in the northern Orlando metropolitan area. The nine hundred acre site includes a commuter rail station and is located along the St. Johns River, a major river in Florida. The intent of this study was to understand and apply principles of sustainable development to the unique landscape of the site and propose a master plan for a community, creating a sense of place. A major goal of the project was to compliment the commuter rail station and its contribution to the community. The project encompassed research of sustainable development and design, an analysis of the site, as well as an understanding of transportation’s specific role in sustainable development. The result of the study is a master plan of the community which utilizes principles of sustainable development, protects and highlights the ecological features of the site and creates a place unique to Central Florida as a healthy, sustainable community.

Master of Science / Department of Architecture / David R. Seamon / In this thesis, biomimicry is defined as imitating or taking inspiration from nature’s forms and processes to solve human problems (Benyus, 1997). As the design community realizes the tremendous impact human constructions have on the world, environmental designers look to new approaches like biomimicry to advance sustainable design. Building upon the claim made by biomimicry scientists that a full emulation of nature engages form, ecosystem, and process, this thesis uses a phenomenological approach to interpret human and environmental wholeness. Phenomenology broadens biomimicry’s scientific and technical focus on nature and considers how wholeness can be found among form, ecosystem, and process; and between people and environment. The thesis argues that, without a deeper, more responsive connectedness among people, nature, and built environment, any proposal for sustainable design will ultimately be incomplete and thus unsuccessful. In developing this phenomenological critique, the thesis reinterprets several environmental designs from the perspective of human and environmental wholeness: American architect Eugene Tsui’s hypothetical Ultima Tower; South African architect Michael Pearce’s Eastgate project in Zimbabwe; the Altamont Pass Wind Energy Development in California; Montana philosopher Gordon Brittan’s Windjammer wind turbine; American environmentalist David Orr’s Lewis Center at Ohio’s Oberlin College; and American architect Christopher Alexander’s Eishin campus in Japan. The collective claims developed in this phenomenological critique identify considerations and approaches that move beyond replacement technologies and systems to describe a way of environmental designing and making that is necessary for actualizing a more realistic sustainability in regard to both the natural and human-made worlds.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / William P. Winslow III / The site for the Riverpond Visitor Center is located three miles northeast of Manhattan, Kansas, along K-13 on the eastern end of Riverpond Park. The design of the visitor center addresses four problems: 1) the fact that many families prefer to stay inside their homes rather than experience the outdoors, based on a study done by the Center on Education Policy in 2008, 2) people are uninformed about sustainable design practices and sustainable energies 3) people lack experience and knowledge of the natural environment creating a preference for the visual characteristics of non-native plant species, and 4) interpretive centers that attempt to reconnect people and the landscape use prescriptive interpretive methods that distract the visitor from the interpretive process. To better understand the relationship of people and the landscape, research was conducted to address the problems stated above. Two articles were reviewed that describe the importance of drawing attention to beauty in the landscape. Two precedent studies were conducted on built projects that use native plant species and vernacular architecture. The program for the visitor center was based on the project research and informed the site inventory and analysis. The site inventory and analysis of existing site conditions creates a strong foundation from which to design the visitor center. The project then went into schematic design and design development. The design of the Riverpond Visitor Center connects people to the landscape by directing them through the native tall grass prairie, informs visitors about stormwater management, wind and solar energy through demonstration, is designed using native prairie species and native limestone, and focuses visitors’ experience on the tall grass prairie by fading the line between architecture and landscape.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Richard Farnan / Redevelopment of the 18th and Vine neighborhood has long been a goal of community leaders in Kansas City. Through the redevelopment there is an opportunity to restore pride to an impoverished area once considered the center of black life in the city. During segregation the area around 18th and Vine was famous for its baseball, jazz, and nightlife. However, the area slowly fell into decay. Since the 1980s there has been a renewed focus on the redevelopment of the area with major additions including: museums, music clubs, restaurants, and space for retail. Difficulty in finding tenants for the new retail space has lead to an uncertainty about how to proceed with the development. Understanding the failure to attract retail space to the area is a potential guide for future successful development around 18th and Vine. Lessons learned from African American community development include the need to define the community accurately (Dorius 2009), utilize community organizations (Dorius 2009), encourage residential empowerment (Dorius 2009), create economic self-sufficiency (Moore 2005, Katz 2004), encourage middle class black migration (Sampson 2009), and limit the negative effects of gentrification (Kirkland 2008). These lessons along with information gained in the studies of Overtown in Miami, Florida and Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee were applied to the information about 18th and Vine identifying issues associated with redevelopment of the community. New design strategies and guidelines were developed utilizing the understanding of why the area around 18th and Vine decayed and why new development has thus far failed. A combination of socio-economic and physical strategies is needed to make more informed decisions about future development. The physical strategies are proposed as alternative frameworks of focusing on the core, expanding to the south, and expanding to the west.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / William P. Winslow III / The American campus is a distinct place. Harboring collegial values much different from American social-scapes, urban campuses are insular places of outward-minded activism. The University of Pennsylvania is breaking down these perceived barriers that separate its campus from the city; attempting to reconnect with adjacent neighborhoods, civic institutions and the greater Philadelphia-area. Dynamism at Palestra Green seeks to establish this connection along the most important pedestrian corridor linking Penn to Center City Philadelphia. A proper connection requires extensive knowledge of Penn’s genius loci. By synthesizing an analysis of the historic DNA of Penn and its spaces, as well as regionalism and site-specific programming, the proper design of Palestra Green is achieved. Furthermore, the proposed site design is intended to provide flexible spaces for the accommodation of numerous programmatic functions located both on site and in adjacent campus buildings. Adapting to seasonal campus, event and civic programming while adhering to the aesthetic and underlying qualities of Penn creates a truly unique and dynamic destination. Through this robust design, Palestra Green connects to the whole of Penn, properly accommodates the range of uses and events taking place on site, and contributes to the extensive park network in Philadelphia. In addition, the implementation of multiple designed systems provides a diverse set of amenities contributing to the flexibility of use and sustainability at Palestra Green. Supporting these solutions is a project-specific conceptual framework driven by personal philosophy and experience. The conceptual structure is tuned to actively reconcile and resolve all site and program issues. In its final state, Dynamism at Palestra Green communicates the significance of all proposed components, discusses the space’s long-term value to the university and city and exhibits how the new Palestra Green positively contributes to the profession of landscape architecture.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / William P. Winslow III / Sand bunkers serve multiple roles as components in the game of golf and golf course design. Bunkers began on early Scottish linksland courses as natural areas of exposed sand. However, as golf has grown since those early beginnings centuries ago, bunkers have become designed, constructed and maintained elements of the course. Significant resources are now used to build and maintain bunkers, in some cases more than are used on greens. As economic factors cause those in the golf business to search for opportunities to be more efficient, bunker maintenance and management plays a key role. This study identifies and analyzes the factors that are most important to bunker design, maintenance and management. It also examines the bunker design – management relationship and the impacts that bunker design decisions have on golf course management. A survey questionnaire targeted toward golf course designers and golf course superintendents was used to obtain opinions and statistical data pertaining to the study. A total of 109 completed surveys were returned. Survey responses were used to determine: 1. The importance of bunkers 2. Bunkers’ roles and characteristics 3. The most important factors related to bunker design and maintenance 4. The reasoning behind undertaking bunker modification projects 5. The degree of involvement among parties involved in bunker design and construction. Additional analysis was undertaken to determine potentially important differences or disconnects between the responses of the two survey groups – golf course architects and superintendents. Survey results and analysis indicate that the primary roles of bunkers are intended for player strategy and course aesthetics. The most important factors in bunker design and construction are their; location, visual appearance, drainage and structural quality, all of which directly impact a bunker’s overall maintainability. The results of the study and literature review show that the bunker design – management relationship appears to play a significant role in the playability and continued quality of bunkers over the long term. Issues that arise related to bunker maintenance and management can often be traced back to less than thoughtful decisions or actions made during design and construction. Conclusions are also presented regarding limitations of the study and potential areas for future related research. Additional exploration regarding the specifics of bunker design, construction and maintenance, as well as the associated resource expenditures, would be of relevance to professionals practicing in golf course architecture and maintenance. Future research also might focus on golf course components beyond bunkers using methodology similar to that set forth in this study.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Stephanie A. Rolley / The challenges of the 21st Century will require a force of bright, innovative thinkers and leaders, researchers and scientists. Academic Institutions all across the world must prepare these future leaders. Creating physical spaces that manifest an institutions mission is critical. This study seeks to find a paradigm for the 21st Century campus; to create a more collegial, engaging, influential environment to study, research and learn. Each academic institution is guided by a mission that shapes curricula and informs scholarship. It is the campus environment that provides the physical space for study and shapes interactions between students and faculty and creates a meaningful community of learning. The goal of the project is to create spaces which encourage strong interaction, collaboration and the creation of ideas. The intersection and convergence of knowledge at Wellesley College exemplifies the dynamic campus of the 21st Century. The study will connect the campus community through the creation of vibrant, dynamic campus spaces along its waterfront, furthering the goals —engagement, collaboration and experience—while enhancing the immutable regionalism of Wellesley College. Convergence at Wellesley College aspires to create spaces which inspire, encourage and assist in the education of leaders who will confront the worlds greatest challenges.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Mary Catherine E. Kingery-Page / Druid City Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is one of the fastest growing heart, cancer, and rehabilitation hospitals in the southern United States. Although once characterized as one of the greatest modern innovations of the early century, the exterior is now outdated (DCH, 2009). However, as the hospital has increased in size and new additions constructed the identity and character of the once prized facility have been lost. Today the existing campus is a juxtaposition of mixed architecture styles and hastily planned construction efforts. The patients and employees of the Druid City Hospital believe that the exterior of the hospital fails to reflect the diligence and care being given within (DCH, 2009). The creation of a unified and cohesive exterior landscape would bring a strong connection between the interior and exterior and once again showcase the hospital as a marvel of it’s time. Through the implementation of spaces designed specifically for rehabilitation, the design of a cohesive landscape will address the current needs and existing conditions of the Druid City Hospital. The application of a health care garden typology and rehabilitative design elements adapted from Clare Cooper Marcus and Marni Barnes as well as the American Horticultural Therapy Association will aid in the design solutions and creation of acohesive and rehabilitative landscape for the Druid City Hospital.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Melanie F. Klein / Cities and nature are often popularly viewed as polar opposites. Many American cities are seen as “destructive of nature, gray and natureless, distinct and separate from natural systems” (Beatley 2008, 189). Cities lacking in ecological functions can benefit from the application of Green Urbanism theory. Green Urbanism incorporates ecological features as central design elements, cities, and to restore, nurture, and celebrate urban ecology. Unique ecological features can affect a place in positive ways while adding and establishing an identity for the city. One city that has been stuck in a gray and natureless state is St. Louis, Missouri, in particular, the Central business district. In order to transform St. Louis into a more ecologically rich city, an eco-boulevard will be implemented. An eco-boulevard is a green ribbon that collects stormwater runoff and connects people to surrounding local amenities. In addition to stormwater benefits, the eco-boulevard will serve as a visual and physical connector for pedestrians to public destinations, and connect pedestrians with other pedestrians by serving as its own destination. The eco-boulevard can also provide multiple ecological and social benefits to promote healthy places with a high quality of life. In order to achieve the implementation of an eco-boulevard, a thorough analysis of watersheds, key low points, transportation hubs, public destinations, and established pedestrian traffic routes were considered. The design of the eco-boulevard is concentrated in areas where low points in elevation, transportation hubs, public destinations, and highly traveled pedestrian traffic routes converge. At the intersection of these elements, unique features capture and store stormwater runoff. As a whole, the entire eco-boulevard improves urban ecology through the use of vegetation, street trees, and the recycling of water.