Landscape Architect Articles

Maintaining Universal Studios Hollywood02-03-16 | Feature

Maintaining Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood

The theme park is nestled in the hillsides of Southern California. A crew of 15, including horticulture foreman Heather Williamson, performs the landscape maintenance work on the entire 400-acre park, six days a week, with shifts starting at 4 a.m., 5 a.m., and 6 a.m. The Washingtonia palm trees that line the red carpet entrance behind the iconic globe are trimmed about every three months. The crew reaches them with articulating lifts, and any palm fronds that dip below 90 degrees are removed.

Spread out over 400 acres, Universal Studios Hollywood is an amusement park that, in 2014, hosted more than 6.8 million guests. Attractions include the Jurassic Park water ride, the Despicable Me-themed ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Super Silly Fun Land,???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? and the famous Studio Tour. Last year, the park premiered its Simpsons-inspired Springfield dining area, and in April 2016, the highly anticipated Wizarding World of Harry Potter will open its gates.

These 400 acres are maintained by horticulture foreman Heather Williamson and a crew of 14 maintenance professionals. Six days a week, with shifts beginning at 4 a.m., 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., the crew walks the grounds to ensure that they look great for that day???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s guests. The newest crewmember has been part of the team for just six months, while some of the more experienced crewmembers have worked for Universal Studios for 20, 25, even 38 years. It???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s hard work, but it pays off ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? and it is clear that the team truly loves creating a beautiful environment for guests.

???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Star Hill???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? is located below the main entrance to the park, where nearly everyone driving into the parking structures will see it. The yellow, blue and white pansies (pictured) are planted in a star pattern and surrounded by birds of paradise, flax, philodendrons and ficus trees at the top of the hill. Every 10 weeks, a crew of 12 takes two days to replant the approximately 14,700 flowers on Star Hill. To keep the pattern, the star is first staked out using PVC pipe and string. The colors can then be removed, and the bare space rototilled. The team creates a sort of ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?human conveyor belt,???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? as Williamson put it, to get the new flowers from the bottom of the hill to their proper locations on the hillside. Part of the crew removes the flowers from the containers, places them back in their flats, and passes them up the hill for the remainder of the crew to plant. This conveyor belt expedites the process so the hill can be replanted in two days, using annuals such as pansies, petunias, zinnias, marigolds, or primroses.

The landscape maintenance crew covers everywhere in and around the park that a guest would see. This includes planters, trees and foliage within ride queues and within the rides themselves, and much of the landscaping visible from the Studio Tour. ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Skull Island,???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? the area themed after King Kong, is planted with Canary Island palms, queen palms, dietes lilies, and aloe.

Star Hill
Located outside the theme park on a slope by the main entrance, Star Hill is one of the focal points for visitors to the park. It is on the route to the parking structures, and is the main first impression of the landscape that most guests see.

Star Hill is made up of a combination of colorful flowers, turf, birds of paradise, flax and ficus trees. The flowers are irrigated with Rainbird???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s pop-up sprayers, and Hunter rotors cover the ficus trees. The turf is on a different valve than the flowers, and is mowed once a week. The birds of paradise, a permanent fixture, are pruned and cleaned up on an as-needed basis.

Every 10 weeks, the flowers in the star pattern are replaced ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? approximately 14,700 plants. It takes 12 people two full days to complete the replacement, using a similar pattern that has been used for years. Before any plants are removed, the pattern is staked out using PVC pipe and string. The flowers are then removed, the site rototilled, and a ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?human conveyor belt???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? replants the hillside. The replacement flowers are delivered at 5 a.m. on each of the days that the installation takes place. They are placed on tables at the bottom of Star Hill. Part of the team removes the plants from their containers and puts them back in the flats. The flats are then passed up to the crew on the hill for installation. Most recently, the flowers were blue, white and yellow pansies. Other options for the hill include petunias, zinnias, marigolds or primroses, depending on seasonal availability.

Welcome to Universal Studios
With the first crew in at 4 a.m. and the final crew leaving at 2:30 p.m., the maintenance team has a lot of ground to cover before the park opens. The grounds crew only works on the areas that park guests will see: in show areas, on the rides, in queues, and along most of the route for the Studio Tour.

The contrasting landscape from one area to another is incredible. From the jungles of Jurassic Park, turn around and walk 50 feet to see the deserts of Egypt and The Mummy. Go up some escalators and take another short walk through Springfield, past the forests of Great Britain, to admire the succulent plants in the ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Super Silly Fun Land???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? of Despicable Me.

???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?We look to promote the crew???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s skill sets,???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? Heather explained when asked about maintaining the vast array of plants in the different regions of the park. One crewmember has a particular eye for succulents, so he gets to take charge of creating the kid-friendly planters in ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Super Silly Fun Land.???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? Other crewmembers are certified arborists who specialize in tree health and safety.

The Studio Tour includes an artificially created flood that uses recycled water. Most of the time, the flood does not involve any fallen trees, but the theme park changes on a day-to-day basis. Before the park opens, the maintenance team does a walkthrough and notes anything dangerous or eyesores that need to be addressed before guests arrive ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? such as, one time, a tree that had fallen at the flood scene. ValleyCrest, one of the park???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s plant suppliers, was able to replace the tree the same day, before it detracted from a guest???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s experience.

The different themed areas of the park require different plantings to match the spaces they represent. As such, different skill sets are required to best maintain the different areas. The kid-friendly ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Super Silly Fun Land???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? area is planted with a variety of succulents ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? different colored echevenia, kalanchoe, and more ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? to keep the area colorful, whimsical, and soft. One member of the maintenance crew has a flair for succulents, so he is the primary caretaker of the plants in this area. While all of the crew knows how to maintain all of the plants within the park, they play to their strengths and take the lead in their specialty areas.

Jurassic Park is a water ride that culminates in an 84???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? drop next to a hillside cliff. The cliff is planted with giant birds of paradise, coast live oak, giant Burmese honeysuckle and more, but the nature of the ride prevents frequent maintenance of this area once the boats start running every day. Once a year, the ride is closed for two to four weeks, allowing the maintenance crew to address these plants. The water is drained, and articulating lifts are placed in the splashdown area so the team can access the cliff and the trees upon it.

Canary Island date palms stand in the plaza that separates the jungles of Jurassic Park from the Egyptian desert of The Mummy, easing the transition between the two regions. The articulating lifts are used to trim the fronds of the palms about once a year. These particular palms are susceptible to the fusarium fungus: to prevent it from spreading, precautions are taken, including disinfecting the saws before trimming from one tree to the next. To ensure healthy growth, the palms are on a palm tree-specific feeding program. The space on the trunk directly below the fronds, what is referred to as ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?the pineapple,???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? is wrapped in bird netting to keep birds from nesting in the trees and to prevent any loose pieces of tree from potentially falling off of the trees.

The new Springfield area includes a total of eight topiaries shaped like bottles of Homer Simpson???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s favorite Duff beer. These topiaries present a challenge for the crew, as the irrigation system for the ivy is inside the steel frames, making access difficult. The bodies are made of green ivy, and the arms made of variegated ivy. As a shade plant, the ivy has not grown proportionately in the California heat. UV rated artificial ivy has been placed to fill in where growth was not lush. Floral shears are used to hand trim the areas where the ivy has overgrown. The red labels are made of painted artificial turf with spaces cut out for the ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Duff???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? letters, which are welded to the steel frame of the topiary. There are backstocks of the turf and the red paint for when it eventually fades from a combination of light exposure and curious fingers.

Universal Studios is located on a steep hillside. With the imminent El Ni????????(R)???AE???(R)????o weather event, flooding and landslides are very real possibilities. An overall preparation plan for the park was created through collaboration across trades and with senior management. The landscape maintenance crew has cleaned out the culverts in the park to allow for larger quantities of water to flow faster. The hillsides have been mulched with shredded almond trees, and netting has been placed. Potential and past fail areas have been identified, and K-rails and netting have been added as a preventative measure. Photo: Heather Williamson, NBC Universal

The rugged cliffs next to the splashdown area of the Jurassic Park ride are planted with giant birds of paradise, coast live oaks, giant Burmese honeysuckle and more. The crew works on the cliffs once a year, when the water ride is closed and drained for two to four weeks. During this time, articulating lifts owned by the theme park are placed in the now-empty splashdown area of the ride so the maintenance crew can address the plants.

The plantings in each themed area are diverse and region-specific; the deserts of Egypt at The Mummy ride are mere steps away from the jungles of Jurassic Park. The transition between these two areas is eased by the placement of large Canary Island date palms. Once a year, the team uses articulating lifts to trim the fronds of these trees. This species is susceptible to the fusarium fungus, so the saws used to trim them are thoroughly disinfected before switching from one tree to the next. The space directly below the fronds, called the ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?pineapple???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? by the maintenance crew, is wrapped with bird netting. The netting both keeps birds out and prevents any loose palm tree pieces from potentially falling off the trees.

The highlight for many of the theme park???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s visitors is the world-famous Studio Tour, which has been operating since 1914. The tour itself takes an hour by tram, and goes through a variety of backlot sets made for ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? and used in ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? the movies. From the jungles where King Kong roams to the whimsical scenery of Whoville, the team handles much of the landscape visible on the tour.

Amity Island, the set for Jaws, has given Universal???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s maintenance crew a unique opportunity for an experiment. Due to the theme park environment, where guests or employees are present 24 hours a day, traditional spray pesticides cannot be used. Two safe alternatives were identified: a trunk injection and a soil or root injection. Amity Island, which houses ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Jaws Lake,???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? has two bunya bunya trees, which are currently being used for an Arborjet field demo to test which of these two treatments will be more effective. The literal side-by-side comparison has the potential to shape the future of insect treatment at the park. ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?We work toward using integrated pest management principles and practices in the park,???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? Heather said.

Outside of the studio tour, in the recently opened hamlet of Springfield, the Duff Brewery Beer Garden proudly showcases eight ivy topiaries surrounding its front gate. These topiaries, Heather explained, ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?take special care.???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? Being a shade plant, the ivy can be stressed during the hotter California months. The bodies of the topiaries were specified to be green ivy, and the arms to be variegated ivy. Where the plant growth was not lush, UV rated artificial ivy was placed to fill in the gaps in the bodies and the arms. Where the ivy grows too much, floral shears are used to trim the leaves back. The irrigation system is housed inside the steel structure, where the maintenance crew cannot easily access it. Each topiary, a beer bottle with arms and a face, has a red label made of painted 10???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? x 10???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? squares of artificial turf cut to fit the welded steel ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Duff???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? letters. Both the turf and the paint are in backstock in case an emergency replacement is needed, or for when the paint eventually wears off.

To celebrate the holiday season, nearly 3,000 poinsettias were placed throughout the park amongst the other plants, including the colorful cyclamen seen here. As part of the water-saving efforts during the record drought in California, Universal Studios Hollywood uses recycled water for the majority of the park, indicated by the use of a purple irrigation system, including spring bubbler heads (inset). While the use of reclaimed water is not necessarily visible to the public, the lack of runoff is. This is a conscious effort by the maintenance team; to eliminate runoff and improve public perception, using best practices such as watering an area three times for three minutes with an interval between cycles instead of watering for ten solid minutes.

There are several locations throughout the park with potted plants, including on the ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Star Way,???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? a series of four escalators that lead from the Upper Lot of the theme park down the hill to the Lower Lot. For the holiday season, the planters on the ground showcase some of the park???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s poinsettias, while the hanging planters contain pink trailing geraniums. All of the potted plants throughout the park, including the blooms on the Star Way, are checked daily and hand watered as needed.

Prominently located in the park, and with an opening date just around the corner, the ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Wizarding World of Harry Potter???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? is bringing new questions and new challenges for the maintenance team. Heather had a meeting with the landscape architect for the unopened area of the park the day we met with her, and could only give out very limited information. While many of the buildings were visible from within the park, the area was kept very much under wraps.

???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?With Harry Potter comes more accountability,???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? explained Heather. The only details she could divulge was that in their meeting, they discussed what maintenance the new plants will require in the future; one, two, even five years from now. ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Knowing how plants work is an advantage, and so is working with other professionals,???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? she said.

???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?I had a moment during the meeting when I turned to the landscape architect, and all I could say was ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?Can you believe we get to do this????????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE????????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? Heather???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s excitement and passion were clear as she pointed out the different plants in front of the construction walls in the park ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? lots of different varieties of ferns, deodar cedars, junipers, grasses, western redbuds and more adorn the planters in front of the construction walls. An even wider variety is promised within to create the feeling of actually being in Great Britain and to achieve the feeling of being immersed in the movie experience.

Current Events
With the California drought in full force drying out the native vegetation, and the possibility of one of the strongest El Ni????????(R)???AE???(R)????o weather events in recent history threatening to flood the area, accommodations have to be made within the theme park, as it is located high on a hill in Hollywood. The majority of Universal Studios uses recycled or reclaimed water for irrigation and other landscape maintenance needs as part of the Green is Universal campaign. The recycled water program employs the purple pipe system, meaning that the use of all recycled water must be indentified by the color purple on the irrigation componets, including pipes, valve covers, box covers and drip irrigation parts.

Even with recycled water being used for irrigation, the possibility of the perception of water runoff has to be considered and managed. During a severe drought, when residents have had to either cut back on water usage or face heavy fines, they don???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?t want to see a commercial facility wasting water, recycled or not. Instead of watering an area for ten solid minutes, they will run three watering cycles of three minutes each, with an interval between cycles. Allowing the soil that time to absorb the water reduces runoff, and improves public perception ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? even with the use of reclaimed water.

With the threat of flood and mudslides from the imminent El Ni????????(R)???AE???(R)????o, the horticulture team, led by a unified management plan along with trade professionals and other groups within the park, has to take precautions to prepare for and prevent any potential disaster that could be caused by excessive rainfall. Heather explained that there is an overall plan for the park, created through collaboration with the different park trades and with senior management. The landscape team took care of cleaning out any and all culverts located throughout the park areas to ensure that water can run through unobstructed. A few of the park???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s many hillsides were covered with almond tree mulch. Potential fail areas have been identified and K-rails added. Past fail areas have also been identified and jute netting added.

At time of writing, some rainfall attributed to El Ni????????(R)???AE???(R)????o had occurred. From October 1, 2015 to January 28, 2016, 3.82 inches of rain fell in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Reservoir near Universal Studios. The average yearly total for the Hollywood Reservoir is 17.12 inches, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, though last year???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s total rainfall for the county was only 6.08 inches.

This team has the dedication and pride necessary to maintain a 400-acre theme park, six days a week, when conditions are constantly changing. The newest team member joined about 6 months ago, while others have been part of the crew for 20, 25, even as long as 38 years for Andy Enriquez, seen here on the bottom row, far right. They put in a grand effort to create an experience for the more than 6 million guests that visit Universal Studios Hollywood each year. As Williamson said, ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?It???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s a responsibility, an honor, and a privilege to be able to provide our guests with this experience on a daily basis.???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?

Making an Experience
Heather has been in the landscape industry since 1987. After spending 16 years with Paramount Pictures, she began working at Universal Studios in 2015 and has been there for almost a year. The best part about working in the landscape of the entertainment industry, besides the field???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s depth and breadth, Heather said, is that ???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?You never know who you???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?re going to see.???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? She pointed out the stages and sets where filming is done on almost a daily basis, and where celebrities park their cars. What???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s fun about Universal Studios for her is the changing theme park atmosphere, where not only do you not know who you might see, but you never know what you might encounter on a daily basis.

For example, at one point during the studio tour, special effects and recycled water are used to create a flood. Most of the time, that flood does not involve a fallen tree, but one time, it almost did. Fortunately, the tree went down while no guests were present, and thanks to the quick work of the maintenance team and ValleyCrest, it was removed and replaced before it could detract from any guests???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? experience. The priorities for the landscape maintenance team are the guests???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? experience and safety, aesthetics, and plant health, and in this case, all three were at risk.

The pride Heather and the horticulture team take in their work was evident as she described the effort that goes in to making an experience for each guest who enters the park.

???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?It???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE?s a responsibility, an honor, and a privilege to be able to provide them this experience on a daily basis,???????(R)???AE?????(R)???AE? she said.

And we are honored to present it.