Designed by Minneapolis-based Hammel Green & Abrahamson, this project won a 2002 Merit Award from the Minnesota Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Circular in form and punctuated with a grid of 14 Mankato-Kasota limestone megaliths, the reflecting pond serves as the social hub of the campus. The nearby dining plaza, shaded by honeylocust trees, overlooks the pond and accommodates a variety of activities from early morning tai chi to large corporate gatherings.

Envisioned to include 1.3 million square feet of office space, this three-phase corporate campus houses Target Corp.?EUR??,,????'???s customer service, data analysis, inventory control and printing services. The company?EUR??,,????'???s goal for this campus is to ?EUR??,,????'??improve the quality of the work environment by giving employees a beautiful campus they can enjoy and appreciate in a variety of ways.?EUR??,,????'??

In 1961, Dayton’s department store identified a demand for a store that sold less expensive goods in a quick, convenient format. Target was born.

Using stone as accent and pond floor material, the pond is a study in form and texture throughout the year. One of the few ?EUR??,,????'??winter ponds?EUR??,,????'?? ever built, the pond floor is sculpted in crushed Dresser trap rock as a dry stone garden that fully reveals itself only when the pond is drained. During the winter months the carefully contoured terraces of the trap rock on the pond floor become an interesting expression of topography that captures sunlight and shadow in many different ways.

For contrast, a line of large Cold Spring granite stepping-stones forms a pier that enters the pond to engage the topography. This pier leads the eye over the water surface through the layers of stone megaliths to the other side of the pond.

?EUR??,,????'??Minnesota is blessed with challenging temperature changes . . .?EUR??,,????'???EUR??,,????'??+Gary Fishbeck

At the South Garden, a drift of crabapple trees flows across a linear pathway of crushed Cold Spring Granite, which evolves into a series of granite stepping-stones and granite benches, leading to an intimate gathering space.

A sinuous pattern on the ground, which includes illuminated limestone boulders and ornamental grasses, serves as an artful foil that traces across the linear granite elements. A drift of pines anchors the North Garden and serves as a striking counterpoint to the deciduous trees of the South Garden.

A large sculpted berm of native grasses provides edge to the space and engages the South Garden. A single 30-ton limestone boulder and a lone bur oak tree give the campus a sense of peace and privacy.

Climate Challenges

While this makes the pond an attractive feature it was not an easy thing to do. The existing soils on the site were sandy and were unable to hold any water. This required a durable pond liner that would have minimal repairs and would not disturb the megaliths.

To limit frost action and provide a durable means to retain water, HGA?EUR??,,????'???s civil engineers specified a three-layer geosynthetic liner system for the pond floor. Once graded and compacted, a geosynthetic clay liner was installed above the subgrade to act as a cushion between the flexible membrane liner and subgrade. A Bentomat ST liner by Colloid Environmental Technologies Co. was chosen. This liner contains a thin bentonite component between fabric layers. The bentonite then swells to plug leaks when hydrated with water.

?EUR??,,????'??When considering pond design in a northern climate, landscape architect know that the pond will be empty several months of the year. Subsequently, from the very beginning HGA?EUR??,,????'???s landscape architects on the Target Northern Campus stressed the importance of a pond that would be as attractive when drained, as it would be when filled with water. This objective presented the team with significant challenges. Mechanical equipment, electrical equipment, and of course the waterproofing itself, are typically visible when ponds lie empty during the winter months. These elements had to be hidden.?EUR??,,????'??

Flexible membrane liners (FMLs) have a tendancy to shrink for the lower temperatures common in Minnesota, which can lead to possible failures in the liner.

?EUR??,,????'??A flexible membrane liner was chosen in lieu of a clay liner because clay liners are susceptible to frost action, which may affect the need to maintain precise vertical alignment of the limestone megaliths,?EUR??,,????'?? Fishbeck said. ?EUR??,,????'??Clay liners tend to release soil particles into the water, which adversely affects water clarity. Clay liners are not as durable in the long-term when subjected to impact from maintenance equipment or maintenance personnel.?EUR??,,????'??

This project also demonstrated how landscape architects, contractors, engineers and architects all work together to make a unique project a success.

?EUR??,,????'??The client recognized the importance of landscape architecture,?EUR??,,????'?? Fishbeck said. ?EUR??,,????'??The client had explained to the design team that the building architecture and the landscape design were equally important.?EUR??,,????'??

• Project architect, landscape architect, and engineers: HGA
• Geosynthetic liner system: GSE Lining Technology Inc.
• Earthwork contractor: Belair Excavating
• General contractor: Ryan Companies US Inc.
• Project team: Jime Tiggelaar (HGA), liner system project engineer; Kenny Horns (HGA), project civil engineer; Rick Kosciolek (HGA), field inspector; Emanouil Spassov (HGA), landscape architect; Gary Fishbeck (HGA), project landscape architect; Robert Killian (GSE) geosynthetic project engineer.