Urban Landscape Architecture
NV5 is a provider of professional planning, design, engineering and construction management services. NV5 works with public and private clients in five different market sectors, including: Construction Quality Assurance, Program Management, Energy, Environment, and Infrastructure. Our offices are our link to the communities we serve. We take pride in helping our clients build cost-effective, sustainable projects that serve the needs of and add value to the communities in which they are located.
Infrastructure Services Offered
• Architecture
• Engineering
• Landscape Architecture
• Urban Planning & Design
Landscape Architecture and Urban Design
• Traffic & Transportation
• Construction Management
Our communities are becoming increasingly complex and urbanized. They continue to grow and change in ways that present new challenges to maintaining a healthy environment and high quality of social life. NV5 offers broad experience in the design of all types of public and private open space from parks, plazas and streetscapes to campuses, courtyards and gardens. NV5 also offers planning and design expertise in the areas of environment, transportation, structures and sustainability. To meet the challenge of creating dynamic and engaging public places, NV5 continues to expand and evolve, providing creativity, technical expertise and a fresh perspective across a variety of service areas.
Public Plazas
Public plazas: they’re not streets and they’re not exactly parks either. Public plazas are a unique form of public open space that serves a unique purpose. Like parks, they provide breathing room within a tight grid of narrow streets. But unlike parks they are typically more architectural in form and contain fewer plantings. As such, they tend to better facilitate—perhaps even encourage—direct human interaction. Plazas can be big or small. They can be filled with design elements or left open or even empty. They come in all shapes and sizes and accommodate all types of uses, from
sitting back and watching people go by to hosting rock concerts or farmers markets. While there is no single recipe for creating a successful urban plaza, there are critically important design guidelines to observe. Designers should pay close attention to how the space is used and to the types of uses the surrounding environment supports and encourages. NV5’s urban landscape architects are experts at observing existing environmental conditions and patterns of human use and translating them into designed spaces that people can enjoy.
Coney Island Boardwalk / W. 10th St. “Street-End” Plaza
NYCEDC/DPR - Brooklyn, NY
NV5 designed a gracious, new urban plaza where the street meets the historic Coney Island boardwalk. This is the primary access point for pedestrians en route to the boardwalk and beach for which Coney Island is famous. The plaza steps up 8 feet to the raised boardwalk through a series of curved steps and landings flanked by raised planters and offering a variety of seating opportunities.
Fordham-Kingsbridge Plaza (“Bryan Park”)
NYCDDC/DOT/DPR + Fordham
Road Business Improvement District - Bronx, NY
Following the completion of a streetscape master plan for Fordham Road, NV5 prepared a design to reconstruct a triangular traffic island called Bryan Park located at the intersection of Fordham Road and Kingsbridge Road. The design reclaims under utilized roadway space to double the size of the park, turning it into a spacious and lush public plaza and neighborhood gathering place.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Porous Pavers + Rain Gardens + Recycled Materials
La Plaza de las Americas
NYCDOT/DDC - New York, NY
NV5 redesigned West 175th Street between Broadway and Wadsworth Avenue, closing the street and turning it into a new public plaza that features a bosque of trees, pedestrian lighting, benches, drinking fountain, bicycle racks, decorative permeable paving, and Silva-Cel tree planting system. The centerpiece is a public art piece that is a fountain adorned with glass tile mosaics
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Porous Pavers + Silva-Cel Tree Planting System
Corona Plaza
NYCDDC/DOT/DPR -Queens, NY
NV5 designed a new urban plaza located directly adjacent to the 104th Street station on the Number 7 subway line (Roosevelt Avenue) in Queens, NY. This project will close a one block long section of street to connect the plaza with the adjacent sidewalk and the stores that front it. The proposed design defines several distinct spaces that may be used simultaneously for quiet seating, entertainment, and farmers markets. Large planters filled with trees and flowering shrubs and seat walls are combined with fixed and moveable seating, a newsstand, public toilets, a concession stand, and an information kiosk to activate the space.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Porous Pavers + Rain Gardens + Recycled Materials + Street Trees
Roberto Clemente State Park Main Entrance Plaza
NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation - Bronx, NY
Through an ongoing term agreement for multidisciplinary services, NV5 designed a beautiful new entrance plaza to Roberto Clemente State Park, located on the banks of the Harlem River. The plaza receives guests and visitors arriving by foot, train or car and directs them either into the main administration and activities building or down a new ramp and staircase to the park. The plaza features a unique paving pattern of colored concrete and decorative pavers, places to sit and both raised and at-grade planters filled with trees and flowers. The design focuses the eye on the panoramic view of the park, the river, and the bluffs of Highbridge Park in Manhattan in the distance. Shade is provided by a custom designed pergola.
Reconstruction of Hugh Grant Circle & Virginia Park
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation - New York, NY
HGC is a large circular traffic island surrounding the elevated Number 6 train Parkchester Station (one of the most heavily used train stations in the City) and Virginia Park, located directly across the street, is a passive park with trees, lawns and seating that hosts a weekend farmers market. Pedestrians stream back and forth between the two spaces to make inter-modal connections between express buses that stop at Virginia Park and the subway station in the middle of HGC. The redesign guides pedestrians along a unique flowing paving pattern. Virginia Park has been reconfigured to include a large plaza for events. The entire project is complicated by the presence of the number 6 train passing over head, the Cross Bronx Expressway passing underneath, and the need to preserve many large healthy mature canopy trees on both sites.
140 Broadway Plaza Reconstruction
JLL
Property Management - New York, NY
NV5 was selected by the building’s new owners and their representatives through a juried competitive process to redesign the historic ‘red-cube’ plaza surrounding this iconic lower Manhattan office building located at 140 Broadway. The plaza is built on the roof of the building basement below. Failure of the existing pavement and waterproofing prompted a complete reconstruction of the plaza. The new owners took the opportunity to refresh the look and feel of the plaza and integrate new public amenities in keeping with the plaza’s historic designation as well as its classification as a Privately Owned Public Space (POPS), the design of which is regulated by both the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) and City Planning Commission (DCP).
Streetscapes
Streets just might be a city’s most important form of public open space since they comprise the majority of urban land not covered by buildings. City streets are much more than conduits for traffic; they are the places where much of our daily lives happen. Along with public parks and plazas, sidewalks are where people from all walks of life rub elbows and mingle as equals. Everyone walks, so we use and share sidewalks with other people. NV5’s urban landscape architects are experts at designing streets and streetscapes that
meet the needs of all users. NV5 is skilled at designing city streets and streetscapes that welcome exploration, commerce, and encourage people to pause and take in their surroundings, delighting in what they might discover. Our landscape architects imbue streets with character and identity.
Stone Street Reconstruction
NYCDDC/DOT + Alliance for Downtown
New York - New York, NY
NV5 performed total design services for the reconstruction of Stone Street and Mill Lane from Coenties Slip to Hanover Square. Design improvements included sidewalks, stone curbs, roadway and historic lighting and signs, and movable tables and chairs.
Design of the Spring Garden Street Connector
Delaware River Waterfront Corp.Philadelphia, PA
NV5 designed streetscape improvements to Spring Garden Street between Columbus Boulevard/Delaware Ave and 2nd Street. Spring Garden is an important connector street to the revitalizing waterfront. The project widened sidewalks and introduced street trees, decorative pavement materials, benches, decorative lighting elements with flags and banners, and attractive and wayfinding signs. Decorative architectural lighting was also installed under the highway overpass, where there is a SEPTA Transit Station entrance.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Porous Pavers + High Albedo Pavement + Continuous Street Tree Trenches
Spring Garden Street SEPTA Station Public Art & Lighting
Delaware River Waterfront Corp.Philadelphia, PA
As part of the Spring Garden Street Connector project, NV5 designed an exciting, new artistic and architectural lighting installation that has transformed the long, dark, and dreary tunnel under I-95 through which the street passes. At the center of the space is an important SEPTA station entrance. NV5 developed the design concept and coordinated the work of lighting and graphic designers and engineers to see it executed. Completed in 2016, the dynamic new computer controlled lighting design not only more safely welcomes SEPTA station users, but also encourages pedestrians and bicyclists to travel through the tunnel and explore the neighborhoods on the opposite side, overcoming the barrier that is the highway.
Reconstruction of Battery Place
NYSDOT, NYCDOT & MTA - New York, NY
NV5 redesigned Battery Place in Lower Manhattan to remove motorcycle parking from the middle of the street, creating room for a new plaza on the north sidewalks, raised planted medians in the middle of the road, and a new bus lay-by at the south curb. The project also added more than 1/3 of an acre to historic Battery Park to the south.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Travel Lane Reduction + Widened Sidewalks + Use of Structural Soil in Continuous-Connected Tree Planting Trenches
Reconstruction of Greenwich Street
NYCEDC/DOT/DPR - New York, NY
NV5 redesigned Greenwich Street from Chambers Street to Hubert Street to reflect a change in the neighborhood’s land use from warehouse and manufacturing to loft-style residential. NV5 narrowed the roadbed from 70 to 38 feet, creating a wide pedestrian promenade on the west side of the street complete with trees, benches, and decorative paving elements. The street accommodates a new Greenmarket.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Salvage/Reuse of Existing Roadway Paving Materials + Travel Lane Reduction + Widened Sidewalks
Classic Institutions
Many well-known, well-used, beloved public open spaces are owned and maintained by private or semi-private cultural institutions such as museums, libraries, and universities. NV5 has designed many landscapes for some of the most prestigious cultural, scientific, and educational institutions. In many cases, these landscapes and the buildings that frame them, are designated historic landmarks. In the case of these iconic landscapes, NV5 takes great pride in its ability to work closely with clients and allied preservation
specialists, whose concern is the care and preservation of an important architectural and landscape architectural legacy, to document historic design precedents and carefully reconstruct or rehabilitate timeless works of art. NV5 is also skilled at designing new additions to landmark structures that are complementary in their use of materials.
Restoration of the Bronx Zoo Astor Court
Wildlife Conservation Society - Bronx, NY
Working around a canopy of mature trees, NV5 designed a restoration of the grounds of the historic Astor Court at the Bronx Zoo including redesign of the plantings, pavements, curbs and drainage and integration of new site furnishings. The plan also included restoration of the terraced Italianate garden and fountain at the zoo’s Fordham Road entrance gate and plaza.
AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION: THE NY LANDMARKS CONSERVANCY
PRESERVATION LEAGUE OF NY STATE - LUCY G. MOSES PRESERVATION AWARD
American Museum of Natural History –77th Street Entrance Plaza
New York, NY
NV5 redesigned the plaza at the American Museum of Natural History’s 77th Street entrance. The design introduces a new, large, raised circular granite planter with inset accent lighting and decorative display fountain. The materials chosen for this award-winning formal design blend seamlessly with the fullyrestored historical façade of the museum behind. Reconstruction of the surrounding plaza space also included new asphalt block paving and benches, lighting, fencing, and planting beds laid out around the perimeter of the space.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Low Flow Irrigation System + Advanced Tree Protection + Landscape Mitigation Measures + Native Plantings
New York Public Library, Humanities and Social Sciences Library - Exterior Restoration Project
New York, NY
In anticipation of the New York Public Library’s Centennial celebrations, NV5 provided landscape restoration design services to repair and reconstruct the stairs, ramps, and raised plazas, and planting beds at the three approaches leading to the Library’s main entrance on 5th Avenue.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Salvage/Reuse Existing Paving Materials + Low Flow Irrigation System
The New York Botanical GardenLeon Levy Visitor Center
Bronx, NY
Working as a subconsultant to the late architect Hugh Hardy, NV5 designed the connecting open spaces and surrounding landscape of the Leon Levy Visitor Center at the New York Botanical Garden.
The design centers around a 450-foot long central promenade paved with New York State, bluestone and lined with customdesigned steel planters, teak benches, low railings, bollard lighting. The promenade terminates at a reflecting pool with granite coping. The design also features an outdoor dining terrace and plant shop.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Permeable Paving + Native Planting + Low-Flow Irrigation + Stone Mulch Xeriscape
NY CONSTRUCTION
MAGAZINE AWARD
“A welcome entry to our greatest museum of plants ... a transcendent simplicity that’s all the more impressive.”
— Martin Filler, House & Garden
“The land[scape] instead presides over the building, breaking down pat geometries so that they frame views, respond to the terrain, and skirt existing trees.”
— Joseph Giovanni, New York Magazine
Parks and Recreation
There is a lot of pressure on public parks in urban areas these days to perform. As city’s grow and become more dense, we ask more and more of our parks. While it is acceptable, even desirable from a maintenance standpoint, to pave streetscapes and urban plazas with stone and concrete, it can be difficult to agree on what our neighborhood park should look like, what they should aspire to be, what uses they should be designed to accommodate, just how much or how little greenery they should contain. City parks are where we go to do
everything from lie in the grass and read a book to play a pick-up game of basketball. In our parks we reconnect with nature, watch concerts, and go ice skating. We use paths for riding bikes, lakes for boating and playgrounds for climbing and swinging. At NV5, working with local communities to come up with an equitable and exciting plan for our shared park and recreational resources, is a distinct pleasure and one of our most rewarding activities.
Bethpage Skate Park
Town of Oyster Bay, NY
NV5 designed a new “plaza-style” skate park for the Bethpage Community Park in Oyster Bay, NY. The new design includes: above and below grade customformed skating structures, site furnishings, walkways, entry/ticket booth, planting, irrigation, lighting and perimeter fencing.
Starlight Park/Bronx River Greenway
NYSDOT (Ph 1) + NYCDDC/DPR (Ph 2) - Bronx, NY
NV5 designed, prepared contract documents and provided construction services for a new $5 million park built along the banks of a 1.5 mile long stretch of the Bronx River. Phase 1 of the project, completed in 2013 included Starlight Park, with a multi-sport synthetic turf athletic field, basketball court, playgrounds, picnic area, kayak launch, biking and walking paths, benches, fencing, drinking fountains, lighting, and signs. Phase 2 completed in 2022 included three new pedestrian/bicycle bridges, pathways connecting to the local community and landscaping. The design was coordinated with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and NYC Department of Environmental Protection for restoration of riparian habitat and river ecology.
GREENLIGHTS (NYSDOT)
NYCPDC DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARD
ACEC 2014 GOLD AWARD
Starlight Park/ Bronx River Greenway
NYSDOT (Ph 1) + NYCDDC/DPR (Ph 2)
Bronx, NY
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Recycled Materials + Site Remediation + Native Plantings + Invasive Species Removal + Rain Gardens + Wetland Restoration + Reconstructed Riparian & Upland Habitat
Rockaway Boardwalk Reconstruction
NYC Economic Development Corporation & NYC Department of Parks & Recreation Queens NY
NV5, as a sub-consultant to CH2M/Hill, was hired by the New York City Economic Development Corporation to “re-vision”, design, and prepare final contract documents and provide construction administration services for the permanent reconstruction/replacement of nearly 5 miles of boardwalk and adjacent dune landscape along Rockaway Beach. The new design, constructed entirely out of pre-cast concrete planks with decorative finishes, raises the 40 foot wide boardwalk 3 feet above the projected 100-year flood elevation. The engineers and landscape architects at NV5 designed all of the access stairs and ramps to the boardwalk from the adjacent streets and to the beach, and selected and placed all site amenities and furnishings, including lights, seating, signage, railings, fences, and showers. A primary goal of the project is
providing coastal protection and storm resiliency. NV5 led the effort to fill-in behind and stabilize an adjacent beach-side dune, newly constructed by the Army Corp of Engineers, with additional sand fill and erosion control plantings and other stabilization techniques. Total combined construction cost over five independent project phases is +/- $360M.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
High-Albedo Pavement + Recycled Materials + Porous Pavers + Solar Lighting + Green Stormwater Mgmt
2017
ACEC NEW YORK DIAMOND AWARD FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE
Roberto Clemente State Park
NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation - Bronx, NY
NV5 has designed more than $65 million worth of improvements at Roberto Clemente State Park (RCSP) over a 10-year period. Among the many assignments completed, NV5 designed a state-of-the-art water-park that included reconstruction of the main pool and diving tank and addition of a new splash pad, wading pool, shade structures, security fencing and surrounding planting beds. NV5 also rehabilitated the adjacent Activities Building to include a new ticketing/queuing area, new toilet and locker facilities, an outdoor dining terrace, accessible roof decks, and installation of a 10,000 square foot energy-saving green roof. NV5 also designed new playgrounds, new basketball court, new synthetic-turf multi-sport athletic field, a new main entrance plaza, and a new shoreline bulkhead and pedestrian esplanade.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
High Efficiency Water Controls + High Albedo Pavement + Recycled Materials + Green Roof + Native Plantings
2013 ACEC NEW YORKPLATINUM AWARD
Roberto Clemente State Park
Esplanade and Bulkhead Reconstruction
NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation - Bronx, NY
NV5, in partnership with CH2M, prepared concept through final design and contract documents for replacement of the existing bulkhead and waterfront esplanade at Roberto Clemente State Park, located on the Harlem River in the Fordham section of the Bronx. The design includes full reconstruction of the pedestrian esplanade with new greenery, lighting, and the integration of adjacent unused plaza spaces. The northern end of the project features a unique design that allows the river to inundate a portion of the park at high tide, where people can access the water.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
High-Albedo Pavement + Recycled Materials + Porous Pavers + Solar Lighting + Sustainable Stormwater Management
Philadelphia DPP/PPR Playgrounds
Philadelphia, PA
NV5 has completed various assignments for the Philadelphia Department of Public Property and Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation to provide Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, Lighting Design, Water Resources, and City and State Permits services among others. Individual assignments have included designing a new nature-themed playground carefully integrated into and among a grove of mature shade trees in historic Penn Treaty Park, renovating the sports courts and building a new adventure playground at Torresdale Park, and redesigning the Hayes Playground to incorporate a new splash pad with a built-in stormwater infiltration basin, among numerous other projects.
NYCSCA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
TERM AGREEMENT
New York City School Construction Authority - Citywide, NY
NV5 was hired to a term agreement by the New York City School Construction Authority to provide landscape architecture design services for the reconstruction and development of existing and new play areas and recreational facilities and public schools city-wide. NV5 has designed a number of modern challenging play environments that relate to the surrounding context and include unique amenities and design features such as: platform stage-seating where classes can be taught outdoors during the warmer months, an exploratory learning garden where the students can experiment with the growth and life cycles of plants, synthetic turf athletic fields and other more conventional site improvements such as fencing, paving, curbs and walls, benches, drinking fountains.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Native Plantings + Sustainable Stormwater Management + Recycled Materials
Reconstruction of NYC Parks & Playgrounds
New York, NY
NV5 completed 26 individual assignments for the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation under a term agreement for landscape architecture design services. Typical assignments included: playgrounds, sports fields, athletic courts, urban plaza’s, streetscapes, bike paths, esplanades and reconstruction of site infrastructure. Pictured here is the John Jay Park Playground.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Native Plantings + Sustainable Stormwater Management + Recycled Materials
PROSPECT PLAYGROUND RECONSTRUCTION
PS211X SCHOOLYARD (JOP)
New York City Department of Parks & Recreation - Bronx, NY
Under a term agreement with NYC Parks, NV5 redesigned this playground in the Tremont section of the Bronx as part of the Community Parks Initiative to create a high quality, amenity-rich Public Park that serves the needs of the community and school. A number of design objectives were targeted to reach this goal, including improved ADA compliant access and circulation, reconstructed basketball courts, a new multi-purpose synthetic turf play field, a new playground and spray shower, new lighting, utilities, and site furnishings.
NV5 is fortunate to be working with several private developers that build high-quality, affordable multifamily residential buildings options in the urban environment. These developers share two things in common: 1) They place a premium on providing tenants with amenityrich, shared outdoor open spaces as part of their residential offerings and 2) They have chosen to work with NV5 to develop creative and engaging landscape architectural designs for their outdoor common areas. Specific design elements routinely integrated into
these projects include: parking areas landscaped with trees and shrubs, landscaped walkways and foundation plantings, community gardens, playgrounds, dining terraces, courtyards, roof decks and terraces, intensive and extensive green roofs, and site furnishings such as benches, pergolas, bike racks, and litter receptacles.
Multi-Family Housing La Celia Apartments
L+M Development Partners - Bronx, NY
NV5 designed a private roof terrace for residents of this low-income, multi-family housing complex. The terrace includes custom steel and wooden planters and a low-flow irrigation system. It also features fixed and movable seating and tables made from recycled materials on a raised pedestal paver system.
Castle Village Landscape
Restoration
New York, NY
NV5 redesigned the campus landscape connecting all of the outdoor common areas of this large apartment complex overlooking the Hudson River in northern Manhattan. The design includes sweeping lawns, walkways, trees, plantings, rock gardens, benches, lighting, a pergola and a playground. Landscape elements are carefully arranged to avoid obstructing panoramic views of the George Washington Bridge, Hudson River, and the cliffs of the Palisades.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Impervious Surfaces + Native Plantings + High Albedo Pavements + Low-Flow Irrigation
Myrtle Avenue Apartments
Dunn Development - Brooklyn, NY
NV5 designed the private rear courtyard of this affordable and supportive housing project to include a lushly-planted, intimate tenant garden with shade trees, flowering shrubs, both fixed and movable tables and chairs, ornamental fencing, private parking, and a playground for small children surrounded by a colorful low concrete seat wall.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Porous Paving + Native Planting
Liberty Apartments
Dunn Development - Brooklyn, NY
Located in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York, NV5 designed a rear yard for the tenants of a multi-family building, which includes a playground designed for children 5 to 12 years of age and a seating area that features decorative pavers, tables and benches, surrounded by flowering shrubs and shade trees that screen it from the private on-site parking area. The design also incorporates a secluded “secret garden” with custom wood planters and fieldstone pathways surrounded by densely planted flowering gardens.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Low-Flow Irrigation Systems + Recycled Materials + Native Plantings
2012 BUILDING BROOKLYN AWARD
Highbridge Terrace Bronx, NY
NV5 designed a private rooftop terrace with commanding views of Manhattan’s Highbridge Park and the High-Bridge for residents of this multi-family, low-income housing complex. The terrace includes custom steel and wooden planters with plantings and a low-flow irrigation system, fixed and movable seating and tables made from recycled materials, on a raised pedestal paver system. The surrounding hillside was regraded and planted with slopestabilizing native plantings.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Green Roofs + Native Plantings + Recycled Materials
Cook St. Apartments
Dunn Development/L+M Equities Brooklyn, NY
NV5 designed two spaces for residents of this multi-family housing project: a landscaped rear courtyard with seating, and a 9,000 square-foot intensive and extensive green roof atop the connected parking garage. The design features walkways and plaza spaces on a raised pedestal paving system, fixed and moveable seating areas, raised planters, shade structures and a playground.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Green Roofs + Native Plantings + High Albedo Pavement
Outdoor Nature Classrooms
A relatively new area for NV5, the design of Outdoor Nature Classrooms for young children is proving to be an extremely fun and rewarding exercise for our landscape architects. As landscape architects, we consider ourselves stewards of the environment, we care about it and want to see it preserved. Working primarily in an ever expanding urban environment we recognize that newer generations of young people spend less and less time in nature. We are concerned, as are those who sponsored the projects on these pages, that those children will grow into adults who enjoy no
meaningful connection with nature, adults who will not care for the natural world as carefully and with as much enthusiasm as we do. These projects are designed to provide children growing up in park-starved areas an opportunity to interact with and learn about the natural world and its materials, helping to ensure that future generations will not be fearful nor disinterested in nature. Instead, they will possess a healthy curiosity and respect for it.
Nature Explore Classroom
Círculo de la Hispanidad - Hempstead, NY
NV5 designed an outdoor nature classroom for Círculo de la Hispanidad’s Evergreen Charter School. The “classrooms” were created in two small areas within the parking lot of the schoolyard. The design allows young students to learn about science by playing and working with natural materials in a hands-on fashion.
Home Depot Garden
New York Restoration Project - New York, NY
Sponsored by the New York Restoration Project, founded by Bette Midler and funded by the Home Depot Foundation, Home Depot Garden was a 20’ x 100’ vacant city lot in East Harlem that NV5 transformed into a children’s learning garden designed in accordance with Arbor Day Foundation guidelines to qualify for a “Nature Explore Classroom Certification.”
“The community loves it. People in the neighborhood can use it as their backyard.”
Middle Country Public Library “Explorium” Centereach, NY
NV5 redesigned an existing unused outdoor garden space as an outdoor nature classroom, or Explorium, to supplement on-going youth activities and programs. The Explorium includes: water and messy materials areas, climbing and crawling, a quiet activities area, a shade structure, seating, and a small performance stage all connected by a brick-paved garden path.
“The Explorium gets kids active and moving to interact with materials outside”
— Sandy Feinberg, MCPL Director
“I think it is beautiful, there are so many nice things here.”
— Carolyn Stein, Parent
— Nik Cherov in Arbor Day magazine
Streets + Parking Lots
While the purpose of this brochure is to introduce readers to NV5’s capability in urban landscape architecture, it is important to keep in mind that we are a multi-disciplined firm that combines all engineering disciplines together with our landscape architecture capability in a seamless studio environment. All of the projects shown on the preceding pages included an engineering component designed in-house here at NV5, whether traffic, civil, structural, environmental, any combination of these. The projects on these
pages may be viewed as engineering projects or as site improvement projects. Landscape architects played important roles in each of these projects as well, from the laying-out of walkways and bikeways, to the selection of material finishes and site furnishings to the development of detailed planting plans. Additionally, NV5 Civil Engineers and Landscape Architects possess expertise in the design of Best Management Practices for ‘Green’ Stormwater Management, including rain gardens, bio-swales, porous pavements and other techniques.
Brooklyn Navy Yard Infrastructure Improvements
Brooklyn, NY
NV5 designed a $30 million upgrade of site infrastructure including new utilities, roadways, parking lots, walkways, seating areas and arrivals sequence at major entrances.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Solar Powered Street Lighting + Rain Gardens + Bioswales + Porous Pavers + Native Plantings
NCCC “Green” Parking Lot Reconstruction
Nassau County Community CollegeHempstead, NY
NV5 completed planning, design and construction support services for the reconstruction of a 20-acre parking facility for Nassau County Community College. The project created 1,400 parking stalls and connecting roadways, pedestrian pathways, and open space. An extensive network of 3,600 linear feet of bioretention swales collects runoff from impermeable areas through a medium consisting of a custom bioretention soil mix on top of washed gravel, which removes pollutants. Overflow is collected within linear underdrain systems and piped into shallow infiltration basins. These basins are bisected by pedestrian walkways
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Rain Gardens + Bioswales + Native Plant Material + High Albedo Pavement + Recycled Locally-Sourced Materials + Free-Flowing Modern Roundabout + LED Lighting
County Road 58 Roundabout
Suffolk County, NY
With ever-increasing commercial development making traffic delays worse each year, Suffolk County sought to widen one of the busiest roads on the East End of Long Island, County Road 58, from 3 to 5 lanes. However, early analyses projected costs that could exceed $40 million, with 2 years of additional time needed for the condemnation process. NV5 crafted a plan that centered on the development of a 2-lane roundabout at the corridor’s most congested intersection (at CR 58 and CR 73) and successfully designed a narrowed roadway section within a constrained right-of-way. As a result, $32 million was shaved off the projected price tag. Construction was completed in less than 10 months, on time and on budget.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Free-Flowing Modern 2-Lane Roundabout Improves Traffic Operations and Reduces Air Pollution
Pedestrian & Bicycle
People are increasingly discovering the health and cost benefits, and sheer pleasure of commuting and moving around on foot and by bicycle. At NV5, we believe in promoting alternative forms of transportation including walking, bicycling, and mass transit—not just in big cities, but also in small cities, towns, villages, and suburban communities. A focus of NV5’s planning and design work— and an area of expertise for which we enjoy a national reputation for excellence—is the planning and design of non-motorized transportation infrastructure projects. This
includes creating high-quality pedestrian environments, designing traffic calming and safety features, developing local and regional bicycle route networks, designing onand off-road multi-use recreational and commuter trails, and planning downtown futures based on a transit-oriented development (TOD) framework.
New York City Bikeshare System
NYCDOT - New York, NY
New York City Bikeshare, LLC was selected by NYCDOT to implement a Bikeshare system on the streets of New York. NYC Bikeshare, LLC turned to NV5 as their local partner to assist with planning and designing the system and preparation of detailed site plans for individual station locations.
New York City Pedestrian Wayfinding System
NYCDOT - New York, NY
NV5 is managing partner of a new international joint venture, PentaCityGroup JV (PCG), which developed a standardized citywide pedestrian wayfinding information system and is implementing it across four pilot neighborhoods in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. The system is designed to allow users to create a mental map of where they are in space and allow them to chart a navigable route to their destination. This system will extend throughout the city, providing consistent information and graphic language for visitors and locals alike.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Locally-Fabricated
Manhattan Waterfront
Greenway Wayfinding Signage Kiosks
NYCDPR - New York, NY
Following NV5’s successful completion of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway design, which resulted in new pathways and blazed a 32-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail around the perimeter of Manhattan Island, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYCDPR) turned to NV5 again to design a typical two-sided kiosk and map of stainless steel with frame and granite base. The kiosk was installed at 15 key access points along the greenway.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Locally-Fabricated, Soy-Based Inks
DELAWARE RIVER TRAIL
Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) & Philadelphia Streets
Department - Philadelphia, PA
NV5 was the Prime Design Consultant hired by DRWC in 2011 to provide a comprehensive Master Plan and Feasibility Study for a continuous off-road multi-use ‘Greenway’ trail paralleling the Delaware River
shoreline in Center City (downtown) Philadelphia. NV5 went on to design the trail nearing completion in 2022 at a total estimated cost of more than $30 Million. Northern and Southern portions of the trail are directly adjacent to the shore and afford water access. The section in the middle is a shared-use side-path that runs along the east side of Columbus Boulevard and Delaware Avenue. NV5 worked with local communities, the Philadelphia Arts Commission, the Philadelphia Landmarks Preservation Commission, Philadelphia Streets Department, Pennsylvania DOT and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
The first section of the DRT to be built ran along Delaware Avenue and Penn Street from Spring Garden Street to the Sugar House Casino. It established the design vocabulary for the rest of the project. It included the creation of a generously sized new Urban Plaza at the intersection of Delaware Avenue and Penn Street by closing a free-right-turn slip lane. Where the width
of the ROW allows, the Trail separates bicyclists and pedestrians with linear rain gardens to mitigate storm water. The entire corridor streetscape is improved with trees, plantings, benches, litter receptacles, bicycle racks, solar powered lighting and wayfinding. Off-road sections of the trail along the waterfront and through Penn treaty Park are more pastoral and bucolic with timber and wire fences, rustic furnishings, native riparian plantings and trees, and plenty of opportunities to get off the path, and touch the water.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Alternative Transportation + High Albedo Pavement + Rain Gardens + Solar Lighting
2019
ACEC GOLD AWARD FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE
Brooklyn Waterfront
Greenway Master Plan and Preliminary Design
NYCDOT - Brooklyn, NY
NV5 planned the route of, and prepared preliminary engineering design plans for, a continuous 14-mile mostly on-street, non-motorized greenway trail along Brooklyn’s East River and New York Harbor waterfront. The route integrates a physically separated bicycle path into existing street networks through the application of progressive “complete streets,” “green streets,” and sustainable stormwater management practices.
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
Alternative Transportation + Sustainable Stormwater Management + Parking Management
WATERBURY NAUGATUCK
RIVER GREENWAY - PHASE 1
CITY OF WATERBURY - WATERBURY, CT
NNV5 was hired by the City of Waterbury to provide preliminary, semi-final and final design services as well as construction administration services for an approximately 2.1-mile pedestrian and bicycle route and build a new 7-acre passive recreational park along the east side of the Naugatuck River with canoe and kayak launch and nature trails. Work includes implementing a “road-diet” on South Main Street and reconstruction of existing shoulders to make room for a multi-use side-path on one side of the road with pedestrian and bicycle safety railings, bike racks, benches, landscaping and drainage systems. The project also includes design and construction of an 800- foot +/- long segment of boardwalk or cantilevered walkway along the riverbank.
Waterbury
Active Transportation & Economic Resurgence (WATER) - Naugatuck River Greenway
City of Waterbury, CT Department of Public Works
NV5 provided conceptual through preliminary design services in support of a 2014 TIGER grant application to fund the construction of a 2.3 mile extension of the Naugatuck River Greenway. Final design is complete for Phase 1 from the Waterbury City Line north to Eagle Street. The extension will carry the trail north along the river’s edge and connect it directly to Waterbury’s downtown core and historic train station via Freight Street and West Main Street. This section of the river is characterized by underutilized and vacant industrial lands. The trail is an urban amenity that will help catalyze revitalization of the area. The successful TIGER Grant application resulted in a $15 Million Grant to the City of Waterbury.
THE URBAN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE TEAM
JACKSON WANDRES RLA
Mr. Wandres is the Director of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design at NV5’s NYC office. He has 38 years of experience in the design and reconstruction of public and private open spaces including plazas, streetscapes, parks, and recreation facilities, downtown redevelopment initiatives, liveable streets and both on and off-road recreational and commuter greenways and trails.
SUSANNE BOYLE RLA
Ms. Boyle is the Director of Landscape Architecture at NV5’s Melville, NY office and has 25 years of experience in design and construction. Ms. Boyle’s diverse background covers sustainable site design and construction technology. Project experience includes green roof design, waterfront planning, downtown beautification, bikeway and trail design, streetscape improvement, traffic calming and pedestrian safety, as well as residential garden design.
ROSA MANNION RLA
Ms. Mannion is the Director of Landscape Architecturer at NV5’s Philadelphia office and has over 22 years of experience on a wide range of projects, including healthcare, education and corporate campuses, public parks and streetscapes, as well as private gardens. Her inclusive approach is sensitive to client and constituent needs. She has extensive experience bringing a project from concept through to construction.
CHARLES CUNION, LLA
Mr. Cunion has over 30 years of experience (21 at NV5) in site design, construction and open space planning within the field of landscape architecture. A municipal park planner early in his career, Mr. Cunion has a great understanding of the public process and grasp for the pressures and demands facing Municipal Park Managers today.
TRICIA MARTIN RLA
Ms. Martin is a Principal Landscape Architect with over 20 years of experience working on complex urban sites. Tricia has a BA in environmental studies from the University of Vermont and an MLA from the University of Oregon. She received an NYC Public Design Commission award for the American Airlines Flight 587 Memorial. Tricia is passionate about projects that embrace complex urban problems where landscape architecture is the agent for positive change.
ALEX BERRYMAN RLA
Hailing originally from New Zealand, Alex is a Principal Landscape Architect with over 28 years of experience. Alex worked on high-profile projects across the globe for some of the world’s most prestigious design firms before landing finally at NV5 more than 19 years ago.
SOCORRO ALATORRE RLA
Hailing from Mexico, Socorro is a Principal Landscape Architect with over 28 years of domestic and international experience across a broad spectrum on landscape architectural design contexts from rural residential to urban downtowns. Socorro is a strong designer with excellent attention to detail.
CORY SEAMER RLA
Hailing from the great state of Texas, Cory is a Principal Landscape Architect with over 18 years of experience on both the east and west coasts of the united states. An avid outdoorsman, Cory brings a keen sense of wild nature along with deep knowledge of industry to his designs.
