Rio Salado Community Center Arizona
Bio-Region
South mountain Village
- Designated trails - Minimal riparian vegetation - Beautiful view of the Salt River
- Riparian vegetation - Water collected pools - Evident presence of Species
- Property fenced off - Lack of maintenance - Lack of native vegetation - Desolate
N
2,000 ft
Vision:
1,000 ft
Create a sense of place and community through the development of a community center which emphasizes the revitalization of the Salt River and its historic significance while educating its users.
Goals:
- Revitalize the Salt River through the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project - Reinforce historic agricultural context - Design with LID toolkit principles which surface the way water is managed on site - Create a definitive sense of place for South Mountain Village
Plan:
N N Overbank Trail
1,000 ft
N Terrace Trail
500 ft
S Terrace Trail S Ovebank Trail Proposed Masterplan Trail System
Expanded riparian area that sustains native vegetation and water management. The many benefits of a constructed wetland include water flow control, detention, retention, filtration, infiltration, treatment, and reduced urban heat island. This system allows users to engage with the process of this landscape.
On site agriculture fields provide the community with fresh local produce. Rio Salado Community Center offers an educational center where visitors can learn about the history of agriculture in Phoenix and contribute to the harvesting of crops year round. Popular crops include Wheat, Alfalfa, Cotton, Lavender, Hay, and Lettuce.
Parking lot paved with stabilized aggregate for water filtration and to reduce water runoff. Excess runoff is caught in a bioswale which forms as a parking median. This process filters rainwater through infiltration and reduces urban heat island.
Produce orchards contribute to the community through local markets and food pantries. Users may also walk through and pick a fruit to enjoy. Popular produce include Oranges, Apples, pears, and Tangerines.
Restrooms filter and reuse greywater that runs through the site system. Blackwater is sent to the treatment plant to be cleaned and either returned to the site, sent to the river, or infiltrated.
Public park that offers open space for events like arts festivals and farmers markets. A trail system that also accommodate bikers. It is vegetated with a low-water native palette and is irrigated through a local filtration system.
Rainwater Potable Water
Water Circulation:
Greywater
Rio Salado Community Center is a full functioning water treatment system that reduces, reuses, and recycles water through various types of landscape and sustainable methods.
Produced Blackwater Water Main Greywater Main Blackwater Sewer
June - September
N
November - April
80 ft 40 ft
Ebb + Flow:
Rio Salado Community Center wetland transition system keeps water circulating so it is constantly being filtered and reused. This diagram shows the stream of water at a typical level of healthy circulation.
N 40 ft 20 ft
Low Circulation:
During the dry seasons of the year the water level will ebb lower than its typical level. Circulation will cease and algae may form. This system allows storage rainwater and greywater to be circulated through the stream and filtered through the riparian wetland.
High Circulation:
During the monsoon seasons the stream may overflow and fill the adjacent catch basins. In the event that water begins to overflow the stream and basins, the water is filtrated through a cistern which stores any excess water until the water level is restored.
LDE 461: Fall 2017 Landscape Architecture II
Student: Hunter Rand Instructor: Paul Coseo