LSG Landscape Architecture provided design and construction administration services for a new LEED Gold NC v2.0 certified County Community Center. It sits on the site of the original facility and serves the urban Columbia Pike corridor and its walkable neighborhoods.
LSG’s responsibilities included the design of a series of outdoor amenity spaces to serve the community. The major element is a large two-level plaza occupying a former parking lot facing Columbia Pike. The plaza can be reconfigured for performances, produce markets, or simply for choosing a spot to read and enjoy the weather. A fabric-covered tensile shade structure identifies the site and is situated at the plaza’s upper level. Permeable paving materials on the ground plane filter rainwater before directing it into a buried storage tank for reuse on site. Elegant LED light fixtures are suspended overhead from cables. Stainless steel trellis with climbing vines cover an outer wall of the gymnasium, a major building on the site that forms one side of the plaza. LSG also specified plantings covering the gym’s vegetated roof to reduce runoff and energy costs.
A playground on one edge of the plaza is dedicated for use by young children in the Early Childhood programs offered by the facility, as well as by the public during off hours. Brightly colored themed play equipment supports health, learning, and social inclusion of preschool age children.
