Landscape elements work in harmony with a strong design plan and provide physical and visual connections to the adjacent urban environment. The northern edge of the piazza and courtyard frames views, leads pedestrians and provides interesting texture to the neighborhood. The townhouses and their terraces border the courtyards and provide a layered effect from the private terrace to the public courtyard. Parking is accommodated in a structure concealed behind the residential fa?????ade.

The interior courtyard features a rose garden, with the western Burnham Square townhouse levels beyond. This building has a parking garage. Winter gem boxwood and Scarlet Meidiland rose annuals add color.

The MSI Design team created a compelling urban design by integrating hidden parking into the overall plan, while offering views for each townhouse. Underground parking, either fully or partially below-grade, was chosen to allow more comprehensive use of street level and above-grade areas. The underground parking structure is enhanced with a green roof featuring sculptural landscape elements and richly textured pavement.

The high cost of underground parking, proper support for vehicles and plant life and waterproofing were all issues. The result of the design is an aesthetically pleasing front door experience for all Burnham Square units. Units located on the east edge experience stunning views of the three-acre McFerson Commons greenscape.

The area shown in the Burnham Square master plan is in Columbus, Ohio?EUR??,,????'?????<

1. Condominiums at North Bank Park
2. Six-story mixed-use office buildings
3. Parking structure
4. Eight-story residential building
5. Five-story mixed-use office building
6. Future residential
7. McFerson Commons
8. North Bank Park
9. Parking structure below
10. Future plaza

Photo: MSI Design

Historic hardscapes from Columbus?EUR??,,????'?????<

The recycled bricks and cobblestones are incorporated with new concrete cobble hardscape materials to create rich textural accents in the square?EUR??,,????'?????<

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Hardscape materials from Columbus?EUR??,,????'?????<

The Arena District, an area once dominated by a grim penitentiary, has emerged a successful 90-acre reclamation of a forgotten corner of downtown Columbus. The initial plan for the district, completed by MSI Design in 1997, called for a true mix of office, retail, entertainment, public parkland and residential development. Burnham Square welcomed its first residents in early 2006.

This is the view looking northeast from the rose garden across the internal courtyard. The courtyard measures 275 feet x 150 feet.

Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. reported all townhouses were sold by September 2007 with the final unit selling for $500,000. Future plans for Burnham Square call for more residences to its south, now occupied by parking lots.

Encouraged by the successful Burnham Square project, the 20-story condos at North Bank were erected. To date, private investment within the Arena District has pushed beyond 500 million dollars in its 10-year history. Aggressive development continues in the district and will welcome the opening of the Columbus Clippers AAA baseball stadium in 2009.

Sculptural landscape elements and richly textured pavement compose the plaza, green, and auto lanes, which partially rests above an underground parking structure and tunnel. Historic hardscapes from Columbus?EUR??,,????'?????<

MSI?EUR??,,????'?????<

About MSI

MSI has offices in Columbus, Orlando and Pasadena, Calif. The firm is known for its expertise and creativity in planning, urban design, landscape architecture and entertainment design. The firm has garnered more than 70 awards in its 18-year history for outstanding achievements in design and planning, including the 2008 Award of Excellence in Design from the American Society of Landscape Architects for its design of the James Clarkson Environmental Discovery Center. Some of the firm?EUR??,,????'?????<