Ken Smith Workshop Ten Projects 2021 by KEN SMITH WORKSHOP

KEN SMITH WORKSHOP TEN PROJECTS

Ken Smith Workshop is an award-winning design firm with experience in a wide variety and scale of projects. The office is structured as a design focused, socially- and environmentallyengaged practice with local, national and international projects. The firm practices landscape design primarily in the realm of public space, with an emphasis on creating landscapes that are original, artful and expressive. Typical design problems involve making landscape space within the context of existing, reworked or complex urban fabric. This requires a strategic approach in making the strongest conceptual landscapes within the limits and possibilities of the site’s infrastructure, context and program. This has led to pushing beyond traditional landscape typologies of plaza, street, and garden to conceptualize landscapes that are hybridized from diverse traditions and influences of the contemporary culture. Experience and experimentation are combined with the goal of producing landscapes of the highest conceptual and artistic quality. Emphasis is placed on providing personal service and addressing landscape problems, which require special effort. Each site, program and client are dealt with individually, giving attention to developing solutions specific to the project. Ken Smith Workshop was founded in 1992 and is based in New York City.

SELECTED PROJECTS

PRO BONO PROJECTS ACTIVISM AND AGENDA FOR CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC SPACES 1. PS 19 QUEENS SCHOOLYARD, QUEENS 2. LOLA BRYANT COMMUNITY GARDEN, BROOKLYN 3. BUSHWICK INLET TANKS, BROOKLYN

COMMUNITY DESIGN REVEALING AND REINFORCING SENSE OF PLACE 4. COWLES COMMONS, DES MOINES 5. THE ELEVATED ACRE, MANHATTAN 6. SANTA FE RAILYARD PARK, NEW MEXICO 7. MEATPACKING DISTRICT, MANHATTAN

LANDSCAPE AS INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDING ENVIRONMENT AND EQUITY INTO LARGE PUBLIC PROJECTS 8. EAST RIVER WATERFRONT ESPLANADE AND PIERS, MANHATTAN 9. CROTON RESERVOIR WATER FILTRATION PLANT, THE BRONX 10. THE ST PETE PIER, FLORIDA

PRO BONO PROJECTS ACTIVISM AND AGENDA FOR CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC SPACES 1. PS 19 QUEENS SCHOOLYARD, QUEENS 2. LOLA BRYANT COMMUNITY GARDEN, BROOKLYN 3. BUSHWICK INLET TANKS, BROOKLYN

opportunity to explore ideas and agenda in pursuit of new program types

1. PS 19 QUEENS SCHOOLYARD, QUEENS

Located in Queens, PS 19 was a pro bono design project for the Robin Hood Foundation’s Library Initiative—a program that engages architects in designing school libraries for New York City’s underserved neighborhoods. This schoolyard, the first landscape project commissioned by the Foundation, brought with it the challenge and opportunity to bring a new sense of pride, color and playfulness to the barren asphalt spaces and its collection of temporary classroom buildings.

Pro bono labor was provided by a number of organizations including the Timberland Corporation and the New York Restoration Project. This project shows the possibilities of creating socially responsible public spaces with good design and community involvement.

The budget was minimal and contingent on using readily available materials, “upcycling”, volunteer labor and creative thinking. The project was conceived as a set of five prototypes, each addressing a typical schoolyard problem: the forbidding schoolyard fence, ubiquitous asphalt paving, lack of furnishings, lack of green space and no areas for kids and classes to gather outdoors for reading and learning.

In the first phase, bright round graphics were painted on standardized steel temporary classrooms and asphalt schoolyard paving. To enliven the perimeter chain link fence, a “cloud scrim” was installed. It raises the eye to an always-blue horizon that’s visible from both the street and inside the garden.

In the second phase volunteers planted the Bird and Butterfly Garden on Earth Day in 2003. It has always been the most beloved part of the garden and a place where kids sit alone and read, and classes study the plants and insects while also making plantings and artworks of their own. The teachers developed both art and science curriculum around the garden, which brings the classrooms outdoors.

2. LOLA BRYANT COMMUNITY GARDEN, BROOKLYN

This small community garden is located in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn and was designed pro bono for the New York Restoration Project. This organization has worked for years to bring parks and community gardens to underserved and economically-distressed neighborhoods with few parks and open spaces.

Like many community gardens sponsored by the Restoration Project, the space is small and requires careful attention to accessibility for people of all abilities and for flexibility of use. The 40-foot by 90-foot empty lot is bordered on two sides by existing houses. The garden provided allotment garden plots, herb gardens, fruit trees, and nut and fruit-producing shrubs. An arbor with grape vines, glu-laminate timber vine columns and some ornamental plantings are also part of the garden design.

This garden is organized along its sides with a series of torqued vine panels fabricated with off-the-shelf fencing components and infill screens of expanded metal, planted with a variety of vines. The folding and torquing of the panels provide both screening and separation from the neighboring houses and in perspective view create a sense of greater garden depth and size.

3. BUSHWICK INLET TANKS, BROOKLYN

This was a pro bono advocacy project led by a group of local grassroots activists to save a seven-acre site with historic decommissioned tanks on the Brooklyn waterfront, for adaptive reuse and incorporation into the future Bushwick Inlet Park.

8/8/2019

C IT Y S C AP E

Contested oil tanks in Bushwick Inlet Park are being demolished to make way for open space - Archpaper.com

J U N E 17, 2 0 1 9

Can a Gas Tank Be a Playground? Dueling Ideas for Bushwick Inlet Park By Justin Davidson

TANKED

Contested oil tanks in Bushwick Inlet Park are being demolished to make way for open space

TANKED

By AUDREY WACHS (@GRIDWACHS) • August 7, 2019

Contested oil tanks in Bushwick Inlet Park are being demolished to make way for open space By AUDREY WACHS (@GRIDWACHS) • August 7, 2019

Ten oil tanks front the south side of Bushwick Inlet on the border of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, Brooklyn. (Photo by James & Karla Murray / www.jamesandkarlamurray.com)

The Tanks are tanked. The City of New York has nailed the coffin shut on one group’s idea to turn massive abandoned oil tanks on the Brooklyn waterfront into a postindustrial playground. Instead, the parcel is being cleared of its industrial relics, cleaned up, and returned as an extension to Bushwick Inlet Park, the green space on the East River at the border Subscribe between Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

A rendering (exclusive to New York) of the Tanks. Rendering: STUDIO V Architecture and Ken Smith Workshop nymag.com/intelligencer/amp/2019/06/the-tanks-in-bushwick-inlet-park.html

1/7 https://archpaper.com/2019/08/contested-oil-tanks-bushwick-inlet-park-demolished/

1/4

Ten oil tanks front the south side of Bushwick Inlet on the border of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, Brooklyn. (Phot James & Karla Murray / www.jamesandkarlamurray.com)

Over the course of four years, the Tanks team attended dozens of community meetings and produced four large-scale, free and publicized events to present and solicit ideas from the The Tanks are tanked. community. These were held in local public gathering spaces and widely communicated to The City of New York has nailed the coffin shut on one group’s idea to turn massive the larger neighborhood.

abandoned oil tanks on the Brooklyn waterfront into a postindustrial playground. Instead, the parcel is being cleared of its industrial relics, cleaned up, and returned as an extension to Bushwick Inlet Park, the green space on the East River at the border Subscribe between Williamsburg and Greenpoint. https://archpaper.com/2019/08/contested-oil-tanks-bushwick-inlet-park-demolished/

SITE REMEDIATION AND DEVELOPMENT

The Tanks at Bushwick Inlet Park was a vision for adaptive reuse that would capture the creative ethos of the neighborhood around it, and reflect its rich history by breathing new life into the site’s industrial fabric, providing a flexible platform for new programs and cultural and open space uses.

The grassroots activists organized a professional team of architects, planners, landscape architects, environmental lawyers, and remediation specialists, all working pro bono to develop plans for safely remediating the site and for the creative reuse of the tank structures for public benefit.

Ultimately the effort failed and the City demolished the Tanks in 2019.

PROJECT DATA PS 19 QUEENS Queens, New York City

LOLA BRYANT COMMUNITY GARDEN Brooklyn, New York City

BUSHWICK INLET TANKS Brooklyn, New York City

Located in Queens, P.S 19 was a pro bono design project for the Robin Hood Foundation’s Library Initiative—a program that engages architects in designing school libraries for New York City’s poorest neighborhoods. This schoolyard, the first landscape project commissioned by the Foundation, brought challenge with the opportunity to bring a new sense of pride, color and playfulness to the barren asphalt spaces woven through the school’s yard with its collection of temporary classroom buildings. The budget was minimal and contingent on using readily available materials, “upcycling”, volunteer labor and creative thinking. The project was conceived as a set of five prototypes, each addressing a typical schoolyard problem: the forbidding schoolyard fence, ubiquitous asphalt paving, lack of furnishings, lack of green space and no places for kids and classes to gather together for reading and learning.

This small community garden is located in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn and its design is a pro bono project for the New York Restoration Project. This organization has worked for years to bring parks and community gardens to underserved and economically-distressed neighborhoods with few parks and open spaces. Like many community gardens sponsored by the Restoration Project, the space is small and requires careful attention to accessibility for people of all abilities and for flexibility of use. The 40-foot by 90-foot empty lot is bordered on two sides by existing houses. The garden provided allotment garden plots, herb gardens, fruit trees, and nut and fruit producing shrubs. An arbor with grape vines, glu-laminated timber vine columns and some ornamental plantings are also part of the garden design.

This was a pro bono advocacy project led by a group of local grassroots activists to save a seven-acre site with historic decommissioned tanks on the Brooklyn waterfront for adaptive reuse and incorporate them into the future Bushwick Inlet Park. The Tanks at Bushwick Inlet Park was a vision for an adaptive reuse that would capture the creative ethos of the neighborhood around it, and reflect its rich history by breathing new life into the site’s industrial fabric by providing a flexible platform for new programs and cultural and open space uses. This vision captured the eclectic vibrancy of the neighborhood and honors its rich industrial history. The grassroots activists organized a professional team of architects, planners, landscape architects, environmental lawyers, and remediation specialists, all working pro bono to develop plans for safely remediating the site and for the creative reuse of the tank structures for public benefit. Over the course of four years, the Tanks team attended dozens of community meetings and produced four large-scale, free and publicized events to present and solicit ideas from the community. These were held in local public gathering spaces and widely communicated to the larger neighborhood. Ultimately the effort failed and the City demolished the Tanks in 2019.

In the first phase, bright round graphics were applied to standardized steel temporary classrooms and asphalt school yard paving. To enliven the perimeter chain link fence, a “cloud scrim” was installed. It raises the eye to an always-blue horizon that’s visible from both the street and inside the garden. In the second phase volunteers planted the Bird and Butterfly Garden on Earth Day in 2003. It has always been the most beloved part of the garden and a place where kids sit alone and read, and classes study the plants and insects while also making plantings and artworks of their own. Plantings include hardy perennials including: lilies, Hollyhock, Bishop’s Weed, Butterfly Bush, Daffodil, Snowberry. The school teachers developed both art and science curriculum around the garden, which brings the school room outdoors. This project shows the possibilities of creating socially responsible public spaces with good design.

Completion, 2003 Client: Robin Hood Foundation Owner: City of New York Dept. of Education Design Team: Ken Smith Workshop, Landscape Architect

This garden is organized along its sides with a series of torqued vine panels fabricated with off-the-shelf fencing components and infill panels of expanded metal that are planted with a variety of vines. The folding and torquing of the panels provide both screen and separation from the neighboring houses and in perspective view create a sense of greater garden depth and size. Completion, 2009 Owner: New York Restoration Project Design Team: Ken Smith Workshop, Landscape Architect Guy Nordenson, Structural Engineer Langan, Civil Engineer

Completion, NA Client: “The Tanks” Grassroots Organization Design Team: Studio V, Architect Ken Smith Workshop, Landscape Architect ARUP, Engineering Tenen Environmental, Environmental Engineers Cozen OConnor, Real Estate Law Sive Paget Reisel, Environmental Law Pentagram, Communications

COMMUNITY DESIGN REVEALING AND REINFORCING SENSE OF PLACE 4. 5. 6. 7.

COWLES COMMONS, DES MOINES THE ELEVATED ACRE, MANHATTAN SANTA FE RAILYARD PARK, NEW MEXICO MEATPACKING DISTRICT, MANHATTAN

there are embedded narratives and community histories in every landscape

4. COWLES COMMONS, DES MOINES

A $12 million redevelopment to revitalize Des Moines’ 2.5-acre historic civic square. The new Cowles Commons is a flexible space designed to support a range of downtown programs and activities ranging from daily use to outdoor markets, concerts, performing arts productions, special events and downtown civic space celebrations and other events able to accommodate more than 3,000 people.

In 2008, the project began with a multi-day charrette and informal meetings with stakeholders and community leaders in an adjacent storefront space. Out of those meetings came a set of principles and goals for the site’s redevelopment which would guide the design efforts. During design there were other public forums, listening meetings and outreach to ensure a socially engaged and responsive design.

The design juxtaposes two directional axes to organize the space. One aligns with the downtown grid and the river, and the other with the greater city grid based on the Jeffersonian national survey. The centerpiece of the design is a boldly striped plaza of red brick and stone with a new interactive fountain and commissioned public sculpture.

Cowles Commons replaced the previous Nollen Plaza, which was built in the 1970s on a city block in the heart of downtown Des Moines. The only items to remain from the original Nollen Plaza were seven red oak trees and the Crusoe Umbrella sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Artist Jim Campbell was commissioned to create a major new environmental light sculpture.

Framing both sides of the plaza are ovoid-shaped gardens planted with native oak and hickory trees, prairie grasses and wildflowers. Low seating walls are inscribed with peace quotes, curated by the Iowa Peacekeepers, a group founded in the late 1960s by local interfaith clergy.

5. THE ELEVATED ACRE, MANHATTAN

This one-acre project renews a 1960’s-era public plaza set on a podium thirty feet above street level. The original design was a barren hard-paved space, isolated from public access and cut off from the dramatic harbor views. Developers had proposed to eliminate the public space, which was ardently opposed by the downtown community. The Municipal Art Society, a civic organization, stepped in to sponsor a design competition to transform the public space into a “vital destination that served local needs and contributed to the cultural life of Lower Manhattan.”

With the East River as a backdrop and a view of historic ships moored at the South Street Seaport, there’s a rediscovered sense of the river and the harbor shipping that helped to build New York City.

The design vocabulary is an abstraction of the terminal moraine dunescape that historically typifies the geology of the area. This strategy tilted the ground plane upward toward the water creating a series of landscape “dunes” with woodland and waterfront plantings.

Working in three dimensions, the design manipulates perspective with the slope initially obscuring the view of the East River. As visitors move through the space, the horizon gradually opens up—and the East River, the graceful span of the Brooklyn Bridge, and ultimately the harbor are dramatically revealed.

The challenges of the site were many. Accessibility and visibility from the street were paramount, as were the need to emphasize harbor views and provide a greener, more welcoming environment. The public space serves a variety of activities, providing quiet places to enjoy the view, comfortable seating and grassy areas to eat lunch, and program spaces for outdoor performances and organized events.

Now, twenty years after completion, The Elevated Acre is a vital public space, and even though this park is two floors above street level, it is no longer disconnected from the city and its origins.

6. SANTA FE RAILYARD PARK, NEW MEXICO

Santa Fe is known for its adobe architecture and multi-cultural history reaching back several centuries. From the 19th century, it was also a railroad town, a less well-known chapter that left a significant imprint on the urban fabric. The Railyard Park is part of the redevelopment of the historic railyard district near the downtown core. Santa Fe residents are outspoken and active in community planning. The project results from a many-years-long local effort and public engagement process to develop the former railyards for public benefit with an emphasis on access, equity and environmental renewal.

One of the principal stories of the site is water and how shared use of water builds community connection. In New Mexico, people have historically made landscapes by first finding the water and then stewarding this precious resource. This tradition is preserved and still active along the fourhundred-year-old Acequia Madre, a traditional irrigation ditch with Moorish origins by way of Spanish settlement. These surviving irrigation systems, including a remnant that crosses the park site, are among America’s oldest designed landscapes in continuous use.

The legacy of the railyard is another principal story of the site with linear alignments giving structure to the park and providing connections to adjoining neighborhoods.

Throughout the park, water is captured from neighboring roof areas, stored and used as a visible element in the park design. An iconic water tank in the new plaza is the central water storage component for harvested water. Beneath it, a drip fountain recalls the watershed of the Santa Fe River and this harvested water supports xeric plantings, native grasses, and garden environments.

The most visible features in the park—an arroyo, a series of ramada structures, a children’s play environment, rail gardens, and cottonwood bosque—all provide needed community social spaces for people of different ages and backgrounds.

7. THE MEATPACKING DISTRICT, MANHATTAN

Over the past two decades, the Meatpacking District has undergone a dramatic shift from a historic working district to a destination area and cultural hub. As a result of this growth, there have been issues related traffic volume, pedestrian safety, noise, and community relations. In response to these concerns, the NYCDOT Plaza Program sought to provide plazas as public amenities, which mitigate the traffic flow and increase pedestrian safety.

Addressing the district as a “Complete Street”with diverse uses was a major impetus for the reconstruction effort. Two traffic lanes were eliminated from vehicular use and wide interconnected pedestrian plazas were created to provide a generous and continuous pedestrian environment.

The design approach was first tested out with temporary pedestrian plazas and traffic calming improvements. Following the success of these measures the team worked on the permanent reconstruction of 9th Avenue.

The area is a landmarked historic district and all improvements were subject to active community and Landmarks Commission involvement to ensure that all aspects of the streetscape and plaza design, furnishings, and planter and street tree plantings fit into the historic and iconic context of the district.

The design team also led the charge to ensure that the industrial heritage of the West Side remained intact as the neighborhood received a facelift and new amenities, which included meadow and herbaceous plantings. The portable planters can be reconfigured as needed for program flexibility.

The pedestrian plazas and roadways are paved with cobblestones, some preserved from the original streets. The pedestrian furnishings feature distinctive cafe tables, white chairs and striking red umbrellas.

PROJECT DATA COWLES COMMONS Des Moines, Iowa A $12 million redevelopment to revitalize Des Moines’ 2.5-acre historic square. The new Cowles Commons is a flexible use space designed to support a range of downtown programs and activities ranging from daily use to outdoor markets, concerts, performing arts productions, special events and downtown civic space celebrations and other events able to accommodate more than 3,000 people. The project began in 2008 with a multi-day downtown charrette in an adjacent storefront space with informal meetings with stakeholders and community leaders. Out of that meeting came a set of principles and goals for the site’s redevelopment which would guide the design efforts. During design there were other public forums, listening meetings and outreach to ensure a socially engages and responsive design. Cowles Commons replaced the previous Nollen Plaza, which was built back in the 1970s on one city block in the heart of downtown Des Moines. The only items to remain from the original Nollen Plaza were seven red oak trees and the Crusoe Umbrella Sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The design juxtaposes two alignments to organize the space. One alignment is the downtown grid aligned with the river and the other the greater city grid based on the Jefferson national survey. A boldly striped plaza of red brick and stone aligns with the diagonal alignment and a new interactive fountain are the centerpiece of the design. Framing both sides of the plaza are ovoidshaped gardens planted with native Oak and Hickory and prairie grasses and wildflowers. Low seat walls are inscribed with peace quotes. Artist Jim Campbell was commissioned to create a major new environmental light sculpture.

Completion, 2016 Owner: City of Des Moines Design Team: Ken Smith Workshop, Design Landscape Architect Fluidity Design Consultants, Water Feature Jim Campbell, Sculptor RDG, Executive Landscape Architect

THE ELEVATED ACRE, 55 WATER STREET Manhattan, New York City This one-acre project renews a 1960’s-era public plaza set on a podium thirty-feet above street level. It is a result of a contested Privately Owned Public Space, created for public benefit under the 1961 New York City zoning code. The original design was a barren hard-paved space, isolated from public access and cut off from the dramatic harbor views. In the early 2000’s developers proposed to eliminate the public space in favor of constructing a trading floor for the financial community. This proposal was ardently opposed by the downtown community and was ultimately abandoned. The Municipal Art Society, a civic organization, stepped in sponsoring a design competition to transform the public space into a “vital destination that contributes to the cultural life of Lower Manhattan.” The challenges of the site were many. Accessibility and visibility for the street were paramount as were the needs to emphasize harbor views and provide a greener, more welcoming environment, which could serve a variety of public activities including quiet places to enjoy the view and having comfortable seating and grass areas to enjoy lunch, as well as providing program spaces for outdoor performances and organized events. Now twenty years after completion The Elevated Acre is a vital public space, and even though this park is elevated, it is no longer disconnected from the city and its origins. With the East River as a backdrop and a view of historic ships moored at the South Street Seaport, there’s a rediscovered sense of the ocean here and the harbor shipping that helped to build New York.

Completion, 2005 Owner: New Water Street Corp. Competition Organizer: The Municipal Art Society, NYC Design Team: Rogers Marvel, Architects Ken Smith Workshop, Landscape Architect

SANTA FE RAILYARD PARK Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe is known for its adobe architecture and multi-cultural history reaching back several centuries. But, in the 19th century, it was also a railroad town, a less well-known chapter that left a significant imprint on the urban fabric. The Railyard Park is part of the redevelopment of the historic railyards near the downtown core. Santa Fe residents are outspoken and active in community planning. The project results from a manyyears-long local effort and public engagement process to develop the former railyard district for public benefit with an emphasis on access, equity and environmental renewal. One of the principal stories of the site is one of water and how shared stewardship of water builds community connection. In New Mexico, people have historically made landscapes by first finding the water and then stewarding this precious resource. This tradition is preserved and still active along the four-hundred year old Acequia Madre (a traditional irrigation ditch with origins back to the Moorish invasion of Spain) that runs across the park site. New Mexico’s surviving irrigation systems are some of America’s oldest designed landscapes in continuous use. Throughout the park, water is captured from neighboring roof areas, stored and used as a visible element in the park design. An iconic water tank in the new plaza is the central water storage component for harvested water. Beneath it, a drip fountain recalls the watershed of the Santa Fe River and this harvested water supports xeric plantings, native grasses, and garden environments. The children’s play area teaches about water and agricultural history with a button-activated low-use water fountain that drains into nearby plantings. Many of the most visible features in the park —an arroyo, a series of ramada structures, a children’s play environment, rail gardens and cottonwood bosque—all provide community social spaces for people of different ages.

Completion, 2008 Owner: City of Santa Fe, New Mexico Client: The Trust For Public Land Design Team: Ken Smith Workshop, Landscape Architect Frederick Schwartz, Architect Mary Miss, Artist URS, Engineering

NINTH AVE / GANSEVOORT RECONSTRUCTION Manhattan, New York City Over the past two decades, the Meatpacking District has undergone a dramatic shift from a historic working district to a destination area and cultural hub. As a result of this growth, there have been related traffic volume issues, pedestrian safety, noise, and community relations. In response to these concerns, the NYCDOT Plaza Program sought to provide plazas as public amenities, which mitigate the traffic flow and increase pedestrian safety. Following the success of the temporary plaza and street calming measures the team worked on the permanent reconstruction of 9th Avenue. The streetscape and plaza design, furnishings, and planter and street tree planting improvements fit into the historic and iconic context of the district. The design team ensured that the necessary infrastructure and cosmetic upgrades being made to the neighborhood were done so while maintaining the Meatpacking District’s iconic streetscape. The improvements resulted in the laying of 255,800 cobblestones; 980 square feet of granite slabs to create accessible crosswalks; 3,210 linear feet of granite curb; 555 cubic yards of concrete sidewalk. The plazas and roadways are paved with cobblestone, some preserved from the original streets. The plazas feature distinct cafe tables, white chairs and striking red umbrellas. The design team also led the charge to ensure that the industrial heritage of the West Side remained intact as the neighborhood received a facelift, which included planting trees and herbaceous plantings. Completion, 2019 Owner: City of New York Department of Design and Construction and Department of transportation Design Team: URS, Civil Engineer Ken Smith Workshop, Landscape Architect Marvel Architects, Architecture

the challenge on large projects is advancing social equity and environmental programs to address contemporary issues

8. EAST RIVER WATERFRONT ESPLANADE AND PIERS, MANHATTAN

The East River Waterfront Esplanade and Piers are part of New York City’s long range plans for providing continuous public space along the entire waterfront. This project transformed a once neglected and inaccessible urban waterfront with its complex infrastructure conditions into a socially active environmental space with access to diverse and densely populated neighborhoods. The challenge was to recognize and celebrate Lower Manhattan’s unique attributes, and to support this growth of waterfront communities by creating a flexible plan for the river’s edge.

CENTRAL PARK

EAST RIVER WATERFRONT

New waterfront uses were identified, which include a continuous pedestrian esplanade, pavilions under the FDR Drive that support uses such as public toilets and cafes, and opening historic piers to the public to provide places for community recreation and maritime activities. The first portions of the project, the East River Esplanade Pilot Project and Pier 15, were completed in 2011.

The reconstruction of Pier 15 was a long-time community request for more downtown open space and waterfront access. A two-level pier was designed to provide a generous green landscape as well as programmed space tucked into the lower level.

Pier 35 was completed in 2019 and includes a prototype mussel habitat, called “Mussel Beach”, to help restore the native marine ecology.

9. CROTON RESERVOIR WATER FILTRATION PLANT, THE BRONX

The Croton Reservoir Water Filtration Plant is a large-scale infrastructure project that provides safe drinking water for New York City.

The landscape program incorporates a sustainable 9-acre green roof within an 11-acre site, which is located over the subterranean water filtration plant. The result is a landscape earthwork with nearly two miles of retaining walls that give form to a stormwater treatment system of wetland cells for water conservation and reuse.

This environmentally sensitive site in historic Van Cortland Park exemplifies the contemporary trend of multi-use infrastructure with an emphasis on public benefit and sustainability. The program implements design features for site security, a new youth-oriented golf driving range, historic park area restoration, stormwater management, habitat restoration for riparian woodlands and wet meadows, and visual enhancement.

WET MEADOWS RIPARIAN WOODLOTS SIGNIFICANT TREES

9-ACRE BELOW GRADE BLDG

The landscape for the new nine-story-deep subterranean Filtration Plant mitigates potential equity and environmental justice issues for the surrounding working-class neighborhood, historically underserved by public amenities. A condition for project approval was that the site be returned to original grade and park use, and a public youth-oriented golf driving range be provided as a recreational resource for the community.

Another major concern was the environmental impact of runoﬀ from a 9-acre impervious roof structure on the surrounding ecology. In addition, the structure’s below-grade dewatering system produces a substantial quantity of ground water that ordinarily would overload the City’s antiquated storm-sewer system. Instead a sophisticated system of bio-swales and storm water treatment cells was designed to collect and reclaim water for reuse in irrigating the golf facility and park.

Phase One construction of the 9-acre driving range green roof was completed in 2015

Phase Two construction of the wetland stormwater-treatment cells is currently under construction to be completed in 2022

10. THE ST PETE PIER, FLORIDA

An example of 21st century urban design, the St. Pete Pier is both an investment in equitable open space and a catalyst for economic development. The project replaces an aging structure with a new, dynamic public landscape, which leverages programming for a layered set of users, improved public transportation and resiliency infrastructure to energize the city’s downtown revitalization and anchor a larger district development strategy.

The Pier is also an investment in the city’s ability to recover from rising sea levels and increasingly major storm surges. The new infrastructure includes flood-resistant features and drainage capabilities to minimize flooding impacts and ensure recovery from 100-year storms and Category 4 hurricanes.

Over the course of the five-year project, the design team was actively involved, with frequent site visits and community outreach. The team immersed itself in local culture, history and environment, gaining insights that influenced the ultimate project design. The team developed strong relationships with city officials, community leaders and stakeholders over the course of the project period.

The Pier is a highly integrated work of landscape, architecture and urbanism. The project encompasses economic development, urban resilience, environmental awareness, social equity, public access and recreation. It supports, enhances and contributes to a growing diverse community and changing world.

From its conception, the new Pier was designed as a collection of open space opportunities for a diversity of experiences. The design emphasizes connectivity to the existing historic waterfront parks and the downtown community. As the focal point of the district, the 12-acre new Pier provides an armature of rich, local, and destination-based programming. It is a hub for activity, not only at the pier head, but all along its 1,380-foot length.

PROJECT DATA EAST RIVER WATERFRONT ESPLANADE AND PIERS Manhattan, New York City The East River Waterfront Esplanade and Piers are part of New York City’s long range plans for providing continuous public space along the entire waterfront. This particular project has transformed a once neglected and inaccessible urban waterfront with complex infrastructure conditions into a socially active environmental space that has access to the diverse and historic districts in the city’s densely populated neighborhoods. The challenge was to recognize and celebrate Lower Manhattan’s unique attributes, and to support this growth of waterfront communities by creating a flexible plan for the river’s edge. Areas of focus are finding new waterfront uses, which include improving the esplanade, providing pavilions under the FDR Drive, and opening piers to the public that will provide a place for recreation and community and maritime activities. The first portions of the project, the East River Esplanade South and Pier 15, were completed in 2011, Pier 35 was completed in 2019 and Package Four is scheduled for completion in 2022 As part of the Mayor’s Vision for the 21st Century Lower Manhattan, the City launched an extensive study of the East River Waterfront in 2004. The resulting Concept Plan articulated three primary goals – re-connecting the city to the East River, creating continuity through an otherwise broken link in the Manhattan Greenway, and activating the waterfront year-round by providing new cultural, community, commercial and recreational opportunities. Over the past fifteen years, this two-mile stretch of the East River Waterfront in Lower Manhattan is the result of this initiative with master planning and continuing with full project design and construction services for the public esplanade and open space improvements with a multi-year phased construction schedule. Completion, 2011-2022 Owner: City of New York, Economic Development Corporation Design Team: SHoP, Architects Ken Smith Workshop, Landscape Architect

CROTON RESERVOIR WATER FILTRATION PLANT Bronx, New York City Croton Water Filtration Plant is a large-scale infrastructure landscape for the new drinking water filtration plant in the Bronx. This environmentally sensitive site in Van Cortland Park exemplifies the contemporary trend of multi-use infrastructure with an emphasis on public use and sustainability with a program implementing a new golf driving range, stormwater management, and security. The design provides habitat, park restoration, visual enhancement, facilities and, above all, site security for a multi-billion dollar public works facility. Located in an environmentally sensitive site of historic Van Cortland Park, the project includes riparian woodlands and wet meadows that are to be protected. The landscape program incorporates a sustainable 9-acre green roof within an 11-acre driving range, which is located over the subterranean water filtration plant. It is also driven by security requirements while creating a natural terrain at the driving range. The result is a landscape earthwork where there is nearly two miles of site walls that constitutes a moat surrounding the site and plant. This moat is also the wetland treatment cells of the stormwater treatment system. Principal goals for the project were: 1. To minimize the discharge of site water into New York City’s combined sewer through storm water and ground water detention on site beyond that of required city regulations. 2. To minimize the use of potable water on site through the reuse of retained storm and ground water. 3. To create native ecological habitat on site. Completion, Phase One: 2015 Phase Two: 2022 Owner: City of New York City, Department of Environmental Protection Design Team: Grimshaw, Architects Ken Smith Workshop, Landscape Architect Sherwood Engineering, Civil Engineer Great Ecology, Ecologist

ST PETE PIER St Petersburg, Florida An example of 21st century urban design, the St. Pete Pier is both an investment in equitable open space and a catalyst for economic development. The project replaces an aging structure with a new, dynamic public landscape, and leverages programming for a layered set of users and improved public transportation and resiliency infrastructure to energize the city’s downtown revitalization and anchor a larger district development strategy. Not only does the Pier provide health and wellness benefits, but the weekend marketplace carves out a unique commercial corridor for the local small business community, making it vital to St. Pete’s larger place-based equity initiative for comprehensive economic development aimed at improving the financial health of the African-American community in St. Pete. The Pier is also an investment in the city’s ability to recover from rising sea levels and increasingly major storm surges. The new infrastructure includes flood resistant features and drainage capabilities to minimize flooding impacts to ensure that recovery from 100-year storms and Category 4 hurricanes is possible. The Pier is a highly integrated work of landscape, architecture and urbanism. The project encompasses economic development, urban resilience, environmental awareness, social equity, public access and recreation. It supports, enhances and contributes to a growing diverse community and changing world. From its conception, the new Pier was designed as a collection of open space opportunities and a diversity of experiences. The design emphasizes connectivity to the existing historic waterfront parks and the downtown community. As the focal point of the district, the 12-acre new Pier provides an armature of rich, local, and destinationbased programming. It is a hub for activity, not only at the pier head, but all along its 1,380-foot length. Completion, 2020 Owner: City of St Pete, Florida Design Team: Rogers Partners, Design Architects Ken Smith Workshop, Design Landscape Architect ASD/SKY, Executive Architect Booth Design Group, Executive Landscape Architect

KEN SMITH WORKSHOP