The Cairns Plaza in Sandy, Utah's Civic Center is a vibrant public space created to complement the city's development initiatives, including the Park at City Center and the new Hale Centre Theatre. Designed by local landscape architectural and planning firm blū line designs, this one-acre plaza is the crown jewel of the Cairns District, reflecting the city's "Mountain meets Urban" theme through innovative features and natural aesthetics.
blūline designs began drafting the project in January 2016, working closely with the city of Sandy, Hale Centre Theatre, and their robust team of sub-consultants and vendors. The design intent of the plaza was to draw people into the theatre and provide comfortable, beautiful spaces outside for theatregoers and the public to enjoy before and after shows.

The Main Feature
The focal point of the plaza is a 75-foot-long cascading water wall with 10- to 14-foot-high vertical elements embodying a rugged mountain aesthetic with basalt tile flooring, 2-inch-thick false floor stone, and a distinct overhanging, linear stone at the northeast end. The wall is flanked with natural granite stone endemic to the local canyons. At the southeast end of the plaza, a similarly styled, multi-level, cascading water feature flows toward Monroe Street through the staggered, concrete-edge entry plaza. With water displays up to nine feet high, this feature adds to the plaza's vitality and draws visitors into the space.

All the natural granite boulders on site and in the water features were hand-selected from local quarries, with the quarry markings left intentionally in the bench, site, and waterfall stones. The designers felt that each marking told a story, reminding patrons of the history of the local quarries and the area's pioneer heritage as they enjoy the space. Granite stones bleed out into the naturalized landscape surrounding the wall to provide both interest and seating opportunities. A small, semicircular area at the bottom of the waterfall was created specifically for abbreviated performances announcing upcoming shows.

 
Bringing The Light
Enhanced by LED RGBACL technology that illuminates the water feature with a full spectrum of colors, the feature wall creates a dynamic, visual experience that is visible from both the upper and lower plaza areas. In the main feature's basin pool, monolithic granite slabs are lit from below by linear lights mounted to the pedestals the stones sit on. Next to the multi-level water feature, handrails for the stairs have illuminated undersides. Portions of the stone elements and the landscape - including surrounding trees - are accented by LED uplights. In addition, tree grates with smaller, 48-inch-square grates have light wells that elevate the nighttime ambiance. Electrical updates include lighting under specific trees as well as adjustments for holiday lighting.

Details
Both water features are heated for year-round enjoyment and use advanced filtration and chemical monitoring systems to remain pristine. Additionally, high rate of flow and variable-speed pumps were installed to control energy use and water flow effects. Constructing these features required significant structural adjustments, including the realignment of several key walls. Wall 2 was shifted to better interact with the granite boulders at the grand staircase, and Wall 3 was moved eastward, with a slight bump-out around the southeast water feature. To accommodate this configuration, coping was modified to include both cast-in-place and integral coping wall details for enhanced structural and aesthetic performance.
The landscape plan only adds to the vision, with natural design elements also inspired by the surrounding mountains. The plaza includes 26,209 square feet of landscaping with over 92 trees and 150 granite boulders placed among meadow grasses, aspens, and evergreens. Seating areas are also strategically arranged around planting plots filled with meadow-type landscaping and ornamental grasses such as Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora) and Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima). Areas of Bluegrass Turf (Poa pratensis) selected for seating and gathering are juxtaposed with the height and texture of the meadows. To enhance the spaciousness of the landscape, linear granite walls were narrowed to 18 inches wide and set to a 24-inch exposed height. All landscaped areas are irrigated by a smart irrigation system that maximizes coverage while minimizing waste.

The plaza's infrastructure has been designed for year-round accessibility and comfort. Its 13,900 square feet of hardscape is made from specialty concrete and pavers and equipped with two ultra-efficient, glycol-based snowmelt systems powered by two high-efficiency BTU boilers. This ensures visitor safety and accessibility during the winter. Site-wide, the linear granite seating allows flexible areas for gatherings while the hardscape design combines grey concrete with distinctive basalt bands around the southeast corner, at stair landings, and in the upper plaza to provide visual texture in these key pedestrian areas. Concrete scoring further enhances the hardscape patterns, providing continuity throughout the plaza. The space also features a state-of-the-art sound system and communication lines to City Hall for controlling and monitoring the water features.

Wrapping Up
Cairns Plaza offers an iconic, welcoming environment that celebrates the city of Sandy's natural landscape and urban energy, establishing it as a focal point and destination for residents and visitors alike. With construction completed in January 2018, this plaza is a testament to the city's commitment to innovative design and
sustainable public spaces.


TEAM LIST
Lead Designer/Landscape Architect -
blū line designs, Cory Shupe, PLA
Civil Engineer - Ensign Engineering, Quinn Elder
Architect - Beecher Walker, Lyle Beecher
Electrical Engineer -
PVE Electrical Engineering, Josh Elliot
Water Designer - Water Design, Inc., Tom Anderson
Landscape Contractor - Stratton & Bratt, Perry Bratt
General Contractor - Layton Construction, Jared Adamson