The first thing that strikes you about Irvine is the spaciousness of its thoroughfares and the large open green areas. Irvine has 18 community parks; 35 neighborhood parks; artificial lakes; copious sporting facilities, including 41 softball and baseball infields and 125 acres of sports fields; 700 greenbelt streetscape acres and 56,500 trees.

Woodbury is Irvine?EUR??,,????'?????<Photo by Guy Nelson

Some think Irvine is too orderly and well-mannered. What I like most about the city is its 40 miles of off-street bicycle trails and its roomy, uncrowded parks.

The focal point of the Children?EUR??,,????'?????< Photo by Guy Nelson

Irvine is named after James Irvine who, with two partners, purchased 120,000 acres stretching from Newport Beach to Cleveland National Forest in 1864. These 185 sq. miles, or ranch, comprised a quarter of OC?EUR??,,????'?????<

 

The decking in the Children?EUR??,,????'?????<Photos by Guy Nelson

As urbanization moved south from Los Angeles County in the early 1960s, the company developed comprehensive master planning for the Irvine Ranch, communities with a range of housing near active job centers, schools, recreational opportunities, plenty of parks, greenbelts and open spaces. The company land has diminished, but it still holds over 44,000 acres. Today, some quarter of a million people live on The Irvine Ranch.

The ?EUR??,,????'?????<Photo by Guy Nelson

The Irvine Company?EUR??,,????'?????<

The view of the lagoon pool looking toward the Club House shows the colonnade (left) and the sound buffer of steel framed glass and doors that separate the kiddy side from the adult pool.
Photo courtesy of SWA Group

A Village Vocabulary

Woodbury is a contemporary southern California take on small town living, planned as a series of five neighborhoods (?EUR??,,????'?????<

The ?EUR??,,????'?????<Photo by Guy Nelson

This small-scaled 600-acre planned community will ultimately house over 10,000 residents. And as any villager knows, it ain?EUR??,,????'?????<

The wading pool is situated on a deck between the Children?EUR??,,????'?????< Photo courtesy of SWA Group

Adjacent to the community park and elementary school within the ?EUR??,,????'?????<

ABOVE & BELOW: The spa is next to the adult pool area, but on a raised deck. It is constructed of concrete, with tile borders inside and out. The railings are a custom shape. The barbecue patio area is just a step or two away on the deck above, and the sand volleyball court just beyond that. Giant birds-of-paradise frame the soothing waters.
Photo by Guy Nelson

Photo courtesy of SWA Group

Landscaped walks and courtyards create a cohesive framework for the park, providing connections between facilities and parking.
The pools and water features are designed with a diversity of aquatic experience in mind. The central pool, or ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Sand volleyball is popular in So. Calif., particularly at the beach. In this case, the beach has come to Woodbury.
Photo by Guy Nelson

Adjacent to the lagoon pool, a wading pool lets little persons get their toes wet, while mom and dad relax under the canopy of nearby shaded tables and chairs and observe their aquatic forays. Immediately adjacent to the wading pool is an interactive water garden, with both off-the-shelf and custom features. Special pavement has been designed to reflect the aquatic theme of this play area.

The barbecue area is on the deck above the adult pool and a buffer between the volleyball court and adult pool.
Photo by Guy Nelson

The junior Olympic swimming pool (51'x75') is the ?EUR??,,????'?????<Photo by Guy Nelson

The other pools within the recreation center were designed for different aquatic needs. An ?EUR??,,????'?????<

As you walk through the doors of the rec center, this brick inner courtyard and bubbling bronze fountain greet you. The fountain basin and coping are concrete, but the base is tiled and underwater lights are installed.
Photos by Guy Nelson

The Village Green is a peaked oval of grass (Marathon II sod, a dwarf tall fescue) circled by a concrete walk, beds of white roses and shade trees (tipu?EUR??,,????'?????<Photo by Guy Nelson

Throughout the design of the Woodbury Recreation Center, the focus was not only on providing aquatic and recreational amenities for the village, but to create a common area with a landscape where the residents can enjoy an evening stroll, take in the air, fragrant with roses and evergreens, let the dog cavort about the village green and, yes, maybe even talk to one of the neighbors also out for a walk. Think of it?EUR??,,????'?????<

The western walkway (above) is lined with Italian cypress. Walking toward the club house (below) the pathway presents white roses leading to courtyards of olive trees and date palms.
Photos by Guy Nelson

Project: Woodbury Recreation Center
Location: Irvine, California
Client: Irvine Community Development Company
Size: 9.17 acres
Landscape Architect: SWA Group, Laguna Beach, Calif. Studio
Architect: BAR Architects
Pool Designer: Aquatic Design Group
Subconsultants:

• Fuscoe Engineering ?EUR??,,????'?????<
• Persimmon Design ?EUR??,,????'?????<
• Konsortum 1 ?EUR??,,????'?????<
• D. D. Pagano ?EUR??,,????'?????<
• IBM ?EUR??,,????'?????<
• KPFF ?EUR??,,????'?????<
• Arnet Engineering ?EUR??,,????'?????<
• RGI ?EUR??,,????'?????<