CONNECTING COOLAVIN

Coolavin park is located within an urban neighborhood in Lexington, Kentucky. Although the park is adjacent to apartments, restaurants, and a community college’s athletic facilities, it is barely utilized by the public. The park appears to be hidden within the neighborhood as it does not have a defined, welcoming entrance. In addition to the site’s lack of connection to its surrounding community, the park lacks connection within itself as well. The absence of paved pathways makes it difficult for potential visitors to navigate to the site features.

I wanted to create a space that provides guests with a sense of community and unison. Implementing defined paved pathways and entrances will help connect the design elements and bring visitors from surrounding areas into the site. The memorial gardens located at the entrance will draw in and encourage guests to discover more about the park’s natural elements and history. The bio-swale and bio-retention wetlands will help with drainage, create educational opportunities, and provide biodiversity.

Learning Outcomes:

» Becoming familiar with key standards relating to site protection and demolition, erosion and sediment control, and utilities and lighting

» Understanding and applying standards for developing a schematic design into a construction package

BASEBALL FIELD

BIKE POLO COURTS

TENNIS COURTS

PAVILION

COMMUNITY GARDENS PLAYGROUND

PARKING

MEMORIAL GARDENS

WETLAND BOARDWALK

OUTDOOR EXERCISE TRAIL

BASKETBALL COURTS

Hand rendered concept plan.

Limestone Commons

The site is currently a McDonald’s parking lot and has a poor amount of shade, drainage, and connections to its surrounding areas. It is located along a very busy road and is across the street from UK’s campus dorms and adjacent to many popular shops, restaurants, and bars.

Surrounding the site, there are very few green spaces for shoppers and residents to take a break. The goal for this project was to create a space for the surrounding community members to sit and hang out. It was important to include green spaces and lots of trees within our design to provide an “oasis” for residents living in such a harsh, hard scape environment to escape to.

This project received an honorable mention in the University of Kentucky’s annual Oswald Research and Creativity Competition. The photo-shopped site plan was created by me. The Lumion model perspectives were a collaboration between me and my partner.

Learning Outcomes:

» Collaborating and dividing work with a partner

» Understanding and designing a space for surrounding community

» Improving skills in small scale urban design

BIO-RETENTION SWALE

Natural Lawn

Trellis Walkway