2009 VA ASLA Awards

Analysis & Planning Professional - Visioning a Landscape: Planning the Future of Hoover Ridge Park

 

Merit Award 

Project:  Visioning a Landscape: Planning the Future of Hoover Ridge Park
Landscape architect / Team Leader: Dr. Patrick A. Miller, FASLA, CELA
Team: Madison County, Board of Supervisors; Hooman Koliji, Dr. Suhardi Maulan,     Joshua Gulick, Archa Malhotra, Karishma Malu, Andrea Ann Smith, Huan (Joy) Yang, Chris Calorusso

With many needs and limited resources the residents of Madison County found it difficult to reach consensus on the future of a large parcel of county land.   They turned to a landscape architect to guide them through a visioning process that consisted of a series of community charrettes and public meetings, drawing on the heritage of the region and preservation of the rural character, while meeting a diverse set of community needs.

The residents of the county had many competing needs for the site, including a future school site, athletic fields for the existing high school, recreation league sports fields (soccer, little league and soft ball), county offices, a community center, a senior center, nature study and rustic camping for boy scouts and other groups.

The hoover ridge park is located in a delightful, pastoral, rolling, rural landscape. The property epitomizes many of the landscape qualities valued by the residents of Madison County.  The vision for the site calls for preserving the rural character of the landscape, while providing a series of activity areas carefully positioned across the site and guided by the undulating and flowing hills of the surrounding landscape.

A careful analysis of the visual and natural characteristics of the site guided the plan. The future vision provides for a sequence of experiences based on the natural characteristics of the site, as well as, a range of recreational activities, both active and passive, that both conserve and enhance the essential rural character of the landscape the project demonstrates how the analytic and creative abilities and the graphic skills of landscape architects can be used to help people, not only reach consensus, but develop a regionally appropriate vision for a place - a vision that is more sustainable because it draws on the cultural and natural heritage of the area and encompasses the needs of the residents.

Jury comments about hoover ridge park included:
- Excellent example of public process and the value of design charrettes
- Project really focused on meeting all of the needs of the community
- Was able to meet desires of the public with good design