Landscape Architect Articles

Fresh Looks for an Old Fountain06-01-04 | News

Fresh Looks
for an Old Fountain

By Gabriel Lefrancois, regional editor

The restoration of Purdue?EUR??,,????'???s Loeb Fountain included the addition of 24 bollards and eliminating the fountain reservoir in lieu of a central, hollow-granite cup that drains beneath the new imprinted concrete. English ivy is the ground cover in the raised planters behind the fountain.

Once the turning point in the spine of the Purdue campus in the early 1960s, Loeb Fountain sat in storage for five years, surrendering its status as the university?EUR??,,????'???s iconic focal point. To the people at Purdue University, the fountain was much too important to let go. Now, with the help of some great teamwork, Loeb Fountain takes back the beauty it once offered.

Originally situated in front of Hovde Hall, Loeb Fountain was moved in 1988 so a renovation could take place on the campus mall. During that time another building, located at the East end of the mall, was erected, forming a quadrangle and enclosing the fountain so people could no longer view it from the street. The Office of University Architects wanted a much bigger and taller fountain in a more prominent location, so they decided to move the fountain and give it new life.

?EUR??,,????'??In its old location, the fountain didn?EUR??,,????'???t have the ?EUR??,,????'??oomph?EUR??,,????'??? that we wanted it to have,?EUR??,,????'?? says John Collier, senior landscape architect at Purdue. ?EUR??,,????'??In 1994 we brought it back and used it as the center piece of the Founders Park Project designed by Sasaki & Associates, whom later helped in the revision of the fountain.?EUR??,,????'??

Surrounded by limestone-capped bollards, the newly renovated Loeb Fountain retains its historical look of granite, complementing its background.

After nearly seven years, Loeb Fountain was in need of a makeover. In 2003, after surviving a transplant and years of punishment from constant water runoff, Loeb Fountain regained the integrity and aesthetic qualities it once provided for the people at Purdue more than 30 years ago.

Out with the Old and in with the New

Problems with the old design, carried over from the 1994 move, still plagued Loeb Fountain. For the landscape architects at Purdue and Sasaki & Associates, overcoming these problems presented a new challenge to an old guard.

Striving to maintain its historical look of granite and affirm the beauty of the water?EUR??,,????'???s movement, Sasaki & Associates and the landscape architects at Purdue decided to eliminate the fountains reservoir and maintain the center ?EUR??,,????'??cup,?EUR??,,????'?? one large piece of solid, rainbow granite hollowed in the center for drainage pipes. Around the perimeter, bollards with limestone caps were added to throw the remaining water back into the center of the cup.

According to Collier, previous issues with the detailing and granite sets used as a surface material, allowed water to seep through the mortar and joints, crushing the perimeter trench drain. With the modification in 2003, the problems of the past were resolved in some rather clever ways.

Imprinted concrete was used to emulate the look and texture of granite, while withstanding the corrosive action of water cascading and bubbling across the surface continuously. L.M. Scofield created custom imprinting tools for the fountains interior design.

?EUR??,,????'??We put in a drainage system underneath the stamped concrete so any water that might get through the joints would drain to the perimeter and not allow pressure on the outside,?EUR??,,????'?? says Collier. ?EUR??,,????'??These are some of the things that will make this fountain last.?EUR??,,????'??

What Made it Work

In sticking with tradition and adding new, more durable materials, Purdue landscape architects, in conjunction with ARSEE Engineering Consultants from Indianapolis, Indiana, decided on colored, imprinted concrete to emulate the look and texture of granite, while being able to withstand the action of water that cascades and bubbles across the surface continuously.

Poured-in-place concrete was specified for its durability and economy, while L.M. Scofield Company created custom imprinting tools for the fountains interior design. Spokes of concrete running between six imprinted sections can be seen fanning from the fountain?EUR??,,????'???s center.

Staying true to the old fountain, Collier says that they tried to mimic the color of the granite that was in use prior to the renovation. ?EUR??,,????'??We met with the contractor on a couple of occasions and we had in mind what we thought would work based on our conversations with Scofield,?EUR??,,????'?? says Collier. ?EUR??,,????'??We wound up coloring the concrete and then throwing shake on it as well.?EUR??,,????'??

L.M. Scofield Company used their patented Chromix admixture for color-conditioned concrete, in tawny pink, accented with deep charcoal and antique rose Lithocrome color hardener for use as the base for imprinting. Scofield Company asserts that although concrete color-conditioned with the admixture can be imprinted, using the color hardener is preferred, as the finishing paste creates sharper patterns and its harder surface provides greater wear resistance.