The School and Campus Issue of Landscape Architect and Specifier News saw many firms submit their projects for feature consideration. This project was not chosen for a Feature in the issue, but we at LandscapeArchitect.com thought the project deserved to be showcased online . . .
The Divine Nine Plaza is a 0.33-acre project located on Georgia Tech's Campus in Atlanta, Georgia. It celebrates the nine historical African American fraternity and sorority organizations, dating back to 1906. These organizations have been seeking a place on campus for more than
30 years to claim as their own and now in 2023 this evidences this long sought-after goal. This space is a reflection of all the Divine Nine voices, their legacy and history, as they reclaim their rightful place on the Georgia Tech Campus.

The Divine Nine plaza was named for the nine historically black Greek letter organizations and stands as a defining symbol of the individual contributions made by these organizations to both Georgia Tech and the larger community. The space embodies the spirit of belonging to the Georgia Tech Campus and to a legacy that expands across generations.

The project sits along the Georgia Tech recently established experimental pathway running through the center of Georgia Tech. It was designed to recognize student contribution, service and leadership. The location and design of the plaza was developed to highlight the activism and advocacy, the history and tradition, as well as the culture and community that are the legacies of the Divine Nine organizations. This mission tied uniquely to the goal of
landscape resiliency and the overall approach of the Georgia Tech Campus in regards to landscape resiliency. The Georgia Tech's campus built environment is continuously developing to support and celebrate learning and research, while addressing sustainability, resiliency and
justice. In this effort the plaza was sited to preserve, enhance and coexist with the existing landscape, including the mature stand of pecan trees and other unique feature of the site.

 

After several in-person and virtual meetings with Georgia tech staff, students and alumni, a space was created embracing the history, culture and sacredness of these unique organizations.

A stage was designed on the northeast of the site to allow performances to take place, continuing the organizations rich history of performance. Nine individual plots were placed on the northwest of the site to provide nine intimate spaces where each organization can claim as their own, displaying their individual colors, crests, and story. In the middle of the nine plots is a common space for all to enjoy and come together. On the south is a flexible lawn space designed for events including tailgating, cookouts and picnics. The planting was carefully selected to be suitable to the climate and conditions of the site, as a way to enhance the urban forest aesthetic representative of Georgia Tech's Campus.

Our form making approach was to create an expressive, yet clear and contemporary design. Lead by the desires of the users the final design separates the Divine Nine plot from the amphitheater to signal that amphitheater is open to the wider campus, and the Divine Nine plots are sacred space. The design uses a circular form to organize the plots and takes advantage of the sites slope to locate the amphitheater. The amphitheater includes an 820 sq. ft. stage with terraced seating. A mural is proposed to further identify and define the edges of the space and provide further cultural impact. A local Atlanta Georgia artist will be selected to complete this mural in the second phase of the project.

The order of the plots was an important conversation and decision from the start of the project. We started by asking the question in one of our meetings. Based on the feedback provided by alumni, staff and students, we decided to start from the most visible/closest plot to the experiential path (which is the sidewalk located next to Alpha Phi Alpha). The order of the organizations plot was decided by the oldest organization chartered in Georgia Tech to the newest on the opposite end. Within each bench the signage was placed in a way that they can
be seen by people when entering the site on both ends. Visibility was incredibly important to give equal exposure to all organizations.

The location of the new planted trees provides shade and protection to the nine plots. The color of the plant material that surrounds the plots was intentionally selected to be neutral to not give focus to a particular organization and highlight the unity within the plots. The plant material behind the pecan tree grove area was given pops of color. Located behind the pecan trees is a space consisting of an open lawn to be utilized for flexible and passive activities.

This space is a reflection of all the Divine Nine voices, their legacy and history, as they reclaim their rightful place on the Georgia Tech Campus.

The Groundbreaking event was held on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

The Opening Ceremony event was held on Saturday, October 28, 2023.

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