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University Campus Connected Through Hardscape and Landscape05-16-22 | Feature

University Campus Connected Through Hardscape and Landscape

As the campus grew, it eventually surrounded a small residential street in the middle of the campus
by Chad Bostick, Bostick Landscape Architects

At the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Landscape Architect Chad Bostick of Bostick Landscape Architects designed all exterior spaces of Altenkirch Lawn, located at the center of the campus. Bostick was involved in the master planning of the main north and south greenways and the planting and irrigation design. To the east and the west, he worked on the design of the hardscapes from the Student Service Building (left of the circle) to Charger Village (right of the circle) and the lawn in between incorporating all of the hardscapes.
In the middle of Altenkirch Lawn is a one-acre, circular shaped gathering space. This shape was chosen because it is the central axis between Charger Village to the east with the glass windows and the Student Services Building to the west. The initial design had the circle within the seatwalls to be a large reflection pool, but budget constraints changed the look of the space. This provided an opportunity to create an interesting planting palette which reinforces the linear work of the overall plaza. The fiberglass pergolas from Structural Pergola Systems reinforce the radius around the circle and provide some respite from the sun. Each paver area is approximately 4,000 sq. ft. with the central paver area being about 900 sq. ft. The open concrete areas are approximately 7,500 sq. ft. with the rest of the circle being either planting beds or walkways. These patterns and shapes from the wall on the west side to the east side of the circle were defined by the campus architect at the time
In the middle of Altenkirch Lawn is a one-acre, circular shaped gathering space. This shape was chosen because it is the central axis between Charger Village to the east with the glass windows and the Student Services Building to the west. The initial design had the circle within the seatwalls to be a large reflection pool, but budget constraints changed the look of the space. This provided an opportunity to create an interesting planting palette which reinforces the linear work of the overall plaza. The fiberglass pergolas from Structural Pergola Systems reinforce the radius around the circle and provide some respite from the sun. Each paver area is approximately 4,000 sq. ft. with the central paver area being about 900 sq. ft. The open concrete areas are approximately 7,500 sq. ft. with the rest of the circle being either planting beds or walkways. These patterns and shapes from the wall on the west side to the east side of the circle were defined by the campus architect at the time
There are four quadrants within the dwarf yaupon hollies which define the garden. Each quadrant is separated visually by a banding of pavers which is repeated through the connecting sidewalk into the area. As you entire the space, the first quadrant is the UAH Charger space and is meant to remind visitors of the unity which occurred after the event and reinforce the school's "Charge On" motto in blue flowers matching the school's colors. The remaining three quadrants represent each professors' lives and contains a 'Lagniappe' Fringe Tree providing shade and renewed hope each spring when they bloom.
A memorial garden at the north of the central plaza was created as a space for remembrance for three professors who lost their lives in a tragic shooting that occurred on the campus. The pathway in the memorial garden is made of concrete for the durability and features Red River pavers, which at the time was the standard for the campus but has since been acquired by Belgard. These were installed to help tie in the memorial garden to the overall lawn design. The stones in the middle are interactive and can be observed and stacked from time to time, similarly to the Jewish tradition of placing stones on a graveside marker. Bostick Landscape Architects completed this portion of the project separately from the overall lawn design as a pro-bono project and worked with Horticulturalist Harvey Cotton to write the "language of flowers" for each professor from information that was provided to Bostick by the colleagues who knew them best.
The planters are made of block and veneered with brick and precast limestone caps and are planted with Indian hawthorn. The entire paths are ADA accessible and transition from the high grade at Charger Union to the central circle and then again to the south. On the north side of the circle, there are area drain inlets which catch the water in the lawn areas and a type of French drain was used in some areas where it flattens out to remove the water from the surface.
The planters are made of block and veneered with brick and precast limestone caps and are planted with Indian hawthorn. The entire paths are ADA accessible and transition from the high grade at Charger Union to the central circle and then again to the south. On the north side of the circle, there are area drain inlets which catch the water in the lawn areas and a type of French drain was used in some areas where it flattens out to remove the water from the surface.
Somewhere on the site there needed to be a location for electrical controls as well as irrigation and data controls. The campus architect selected this location, and the walls were set up to keep the building from sticking out in place. The trees that you see reinforcing the "X" shape are 'Winterking' Hawthorne which have red berries in the winter helping to provide interest when students are in session. This plaza initially intersected a road which was removed to make room for additional pedestrian space when Charger Village II was constructed, helping to make the campus safer for students. The paving on either side around the planters are the Red River Hardscape pavers and the lighter portion is typical concrete broken up with stamped concrete and stained with a dark color.
The planters are made of block and veneered with brick and precast limestone caps and are planted with Indian hawthorn. The entire paths are ADA accessible and transition from the high grade at Charger Union to the central circle and then again to the south. On the north side of the circle, there are area drain inlets which catch the water in the lawn areas and a type of French drain was used in some areas where it flattens out to remove the water from the surface.

This project was the first section of a pedestrian greenway within the central portion of the University of Alabama in Huntsville campus. The university began in 1949 and moved to its current location with the construction of the first building, Morton Hall in 1961. In 1969, the school became its own college and worked to educate a workforce to provide for the growing aerospace industry brought to Huntsville by Dr. Wernher von Braun. As the campus grew, it eventually surrounded a small residential street in the middle of the campus.

With enrollment growing at a quick pace in the late 2000s and a new dormitory called Charger Village built to the east of the residential area the campus architect at the time begin working towards transforming this street into a greenway that would transition the school from being known as a commuter school to a more traditional collegiate experience. To create the general design, the university hired Bostick Landscape Architects in 2009 to help refine the master plan and work towards a planting plan that would define the space and create a sense of place.

Bostick Landscape Architects began by laying out trees, which would set the edge for the greenway. Large 'Sangria' Nuttall Oaks were added to provide unity in the planting and a large tree which would optimize the edges and shade the walkways for students traveling between their classes. At the time, on the south end of the greenway, a street which was a thoroughfare between the loop road set the southern boundary and a plaza was created as a gathering location for students. The pavers utilized set the precedent for the new campus standard that has been used throughout the university since. Brick planters and walls with precast concrete tops were established to separate the lawn from the plaza and road. As the campus has continued to grow and the next phase of Charger Village was completed, this south road was transformed into a new section of the lawn removing the traffic from the area and allowing an opportunity to expand the pedestrian experience to a parking lot to the south. Old Town Fiberglass planters that had previously been used to create a buffer from the traffic on the old road were repurposed around the lawn space to further define the new area to the south that replaced the road.

Throughout the lawn, the sidewalks were constructed from concrete and have a stamped concrete border which was stained to provide contrast between walking areas and bike areas on both east and west sides of the lawn. At the junction of the axis between Charger Village and what is now the Student Services Building, a large gathering space was created to provide students an area to study or congregate. Fiberglass shade arbors from Structural Pergola Systems were specified to help provide shade to the tables installed around the main circle. The brick planters from the south end of campus were repeated to provide enclosure of the space and allow movement without disturbance to students that maybe using the area for a break between classes. Because aerospace engineering is a large part of the curriculum, the planting design followed suit and was designed to mimic the scene from Star Wars when R2D2 hacks into the Death Star and turns the computer.

Brick walls to the north of the central area are repeated helping to provide unity through the central lawn portion. These walls form the southern side of a memorial garden space which was set aside after a tragic shooting occurred on campus. Working with Horticulturalist Harvey Cotton, Bostick Landscape Architects designed the area into four quadrants and a language of flowers for each of the three professors that lost their lives, telling visitors about their lives. Four Fringe Trees which bloom in the spring and signifying rebirth each year are in each of the professor quadrants. The center circle provides stones which are meant to be interactive and allow visitors to stack the stones to symbolize permanence and legacy from the Jewish tradition. The last quadrant which visitors enter and leave from is planted with blue flowers which is the school's color and helped define the motto created after the event "Charge On".

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Helping to tie the lawn into existing buildings on the campus, the oaks were utilized to create smaller "rooms" and line secondary walks to put the lawn area into the larger context of the existing campus. As the lawn walkway moves to the north, the central portion is terminated visually by the Student Union building. While this building was completed by a different design team, elements from the lawn were built into this design to ensure the continuality of the walks. The Altenkirch Lawn continues through the first floor of the union giving students access directly to restaurants and a bookstore before continuing to Holmes Avenue and then across the street where Phase II of the lawn begins and takes pedestrians up to the entry of the library.

Overall, the planting palette was a mixture of trees, shrubs and perennials that provide interest and blooms throughout the school year engaging students on a daily basis. 'Winterking' Hawthorn trees were installed for winter interest, the oaks flush with red leaves before hardening off to a green and then a second flush of red leaves pop off the green in the middle of summer. 'Becky' daisy, purple coneflowers and Black Eyed Susans bloom and provide late summer/early fall colors before the ornamental grasses and trees put on their fall show.

The entire site was irrigated with water saving nozzles and heads and is controlled by a system controller helping to provide the university with 70 percent in water savings.

Currently, Phase IIIb of the greenway is under construction and will be providing pedestrian access further to the north of campus and as a part of this, is creating some additional student areas for performances, recreation and leisure areas adjacent to the library.

Phase IV of the lawn just recently finished design and will complete the pedestrian lawn to the north and end at the first building constructed in 1961, Morton Hall. This portion of the lawn will relocate the main campus road and provide a large oasis in the middle of a parking lot allowing students to safely cross from Morton Hall and the Frank Franz dormitory back to the heart of campus. This phase will have an extensive tree planting in the new island as well as into the existing parking lot helping to create shade for the expansive commuter parking lot.

PROJECT TEAM FOR PHASES I-IIIA:
Owner: University of Alabama in Huntsville
Lead: Larrell Hughes, Former Campus Architect
Landscape Architect: Bostick Landscape Architects
Civil Engineer: Johnson & Associates

PROJECT TEAM FOR PHASES IIIB-4
Owner: University of Alabama in Huntsville
Landscape Architect: Bostick Landscape Architects
Civil Engineer: Johnson & Associates
Electrical Engineer: EE Group

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