WORK
JOINT PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING CAMPUS
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The Joint Public Safety Training Campus is for City of Chicago First Responders. This phase of the multi-phase campus includes a public plaza, a Boys & Girls Club and community center (designed by others) and two restaurant outlots with a shared dining plaza. Beautification enhancements include at-grade planters with integrated benches, bike racks, poured concrete cube seats, outdoor dining under an allee of trees and lighting. The public plaza also incorporates a public art component. The plaza integrates three separate art sculptures consisting of portals and doors softened by adjacent landscaping. Access through each portal is defined by specialty, modular concrete jointing. Hardy ornamental grasses were added at the base of each sculpture to provide a climbing deterrent without blocking the colorful, eye-catching artwork.
WOOD HILL CROSSINGS EAST
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This multi-tenant industrial speculative office and warehouse building has a footprint of 84,000 SF on over 7 acres of land. Certified LEED Silver, the building’s green elements are translated onto the
site in the form of native plants and a stormwater detention pond seeded with a wetland seed mix that will tolerate highly fluctuating water levels. While no existing trees are retained on site due to the large building and service road footprint and heavy grading activities, an in-depth tree survey was performed and replacement plants provided according to the Village of Woodridge’s landscape code. To soften the expansive building facade, the design incorporates a repeating pattern of columnar hornbeam trees in between the windows. An undulating ribbon of shrubs weaves through the trees. Perennial plantings with blooms throughout the seasons round out the design.
RIVER NORTH OFFICE
This cutting edge e-commerce company recently moved into 4 floors of a River North office building. Their interior architect provided a light, airy work environment highlighted by bold colors and dazzling textures and patterns. All that was missing was a complementary interior landscape. Designed by Juli Ordower Landscape Architecture and installed by On the Ledge Landscaping, the interior landscape design includes over 122 containers containing more than 175 plants. The containers were strategically chosen and are located in common areas, conference rooms and offices based on their size and shape. Custom colors are utilized to match the existing décor. This project received a first place design award from the international design contest sponsored by I-Plants and Urban Horticulture Magazines.
"I didn't realize how much the space needed plants until I saw these."
-Office Employee
SOKA GAKKAI BUDDHIST CENTER
The Soka Gakkai Buddhist Center is situated in a serene landscape environment in the South Loop Neighborhood. The staff was looking to make a small improvement in their parking lot that would make a big impact on their visitors. The existing parking island directly in front of the main entrance consisted of a dying evergreen hedge. After the landscape improvements, the first impression walking up to the building is now a colorful display of flowers and evergreens.
GOVERNORS STATE UNIVERSITY
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Governors State University is undergoing major changes with their conversion to a four year university in fall of 2014. In 2013, the Facilities Department spearheaded a design project to upgrade their main quad courtyard. Programmatically, the University wanted to create a patio area with seating and landscape, provide hardscape connections to the walking path around the lake and maintain the sweeping views out towards the water. Three concepts were provided to address these elements. Scheme A provides a more formal solution with a symmetrical patio space on either side of the main entry doors with planting in between; Scheme B is a play on the school logo with a triangular path network surrounded by a circular planting area; Scheme C maximizes the views to the lake with a central plaza area. Scheme A2 is the final plan based on Scheme A while opening up the path system to the water. Construction is pending.
RETAIL STORE WHEATON
The landscape plan for this retail store in Wheaton provides a pleasing, lush entry off of busy Roosevelt Road into the Retail Center. The landscape design meets all city requirements in addition to providing high visibility for the store’s signage. The plant palette provides year round interest with low maintenance, hardy trees, shrubs and perennials.
ENTRY LANDSCAPE AT STAY. A MODERN DOG HOTEL
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The design of this linear side garden leading up to the entrance of this premier dog kennel in the Old Irving Park neighborhood is a true mingling of high aesthetic design with practical functionality. The owner did not want to compromise on the design of the garden but he had to contend with the reality of a dog friendly landscape. The end result is a modern, sleek design consisting of alternating bands of colored mulch and decorative stone punctuated by columnar pear trees.
Photography by Robert R Gigliotti Photography.