Community Research

Civic Center Development

Civic Center Designs by JGM

"Each Civic Center plays a significant role in the life of their respective communities. JGM treats each center as an opportunity to create a landmark to serve and reflect their community." (www.jgm-inc.com)

JGM Landscape Architects out of Bellevue,WA has worked exclusively in the Pacific Northwest have worked on such city halls as Tukwila City Hall, Bellingham City Hall, Lynnwood Civic Center, etc. Many of JGM's projects have been in campus settings to better serve their communities, optimize community investment, maximize personnel utilization and minimize environmental impacts.

Figure 1 is a rendering of the new "Civic Plaza"in downtown Seattle. Although the scale is different the principles of this project could be applied to the proposed Sandpoint civic center project to achieve the best design possible. The plaza shown in Figure 1 is used as a front door to the city hall, which is able to accommodate large crowds, such as community gatherings and celebrations, as well as provide spaces for intimate gatherings.

Some of the design principles articulated in the Seattle project include:

1) Creating a Civic Plaza that is primarily about public life in Seattle

2) Assuring ease of movement throughout the site for all citizens

3) Providing and sustaining an active public space for a diversity of activities

4) Capturing the uniqueness of the area and celebrating the forms and characteristics of Seattle

Figure 1:

Figure 2:

Figure 3:

Figure 4:

Lubbock Civic Center

Lubbock, Texas

The Lubbock Memorial Civic Center stands as a monument to the perseverance and resilience of the people of West Texas. Built on the site of the 1970 tornado, this 300,000 square foot facility is flexible enough to accommodate large events or small specialized gatherings. The structural layout and architectural design of the facility combine beauty and versatility making it a convenient and impressive accommodation for a meeting, trade show, concert or convention (the convention area is the peach color on the plan view).

Located in downtown Lubbock, the facility has 1500 on-site free parking spaces. The central location of the Civic Center provides easy access to hotels, the Depot District, a variety of restaurants, shopping, Texas Tech University and Lubbock International Airport.
The Grand Stairway (Figure 1) leads to the scenic outdoor plaza (Figure 2) which has become the focal point of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. Complete with waterfalls, fountains, bridges and ornamental landscaping, the plaza is a relaxing environment and is used for parties, weddings and receptions. The plaza is indicated in pink on the plan view (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Plan View (http://.lmcc.ci.lubbock.tx.us/ccdw.htm)

Figure 1: Grand Stairway

Figure 2:

Civic Plaza Design

Seattle, WA recently commissioned a revitalization of civic buildings with the incorporation of public spaces. This project was headed by landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson and the firms Gustafson Partners Ltd. and Swift & Company Landscape Architects LLC. These drawings were presented to the Seattle Design Commission and City Council by the design team on August 14, 2000. The plan was approved August 19, 2000. The project was begun in 1998, and construction began on April 4, 2001. The project is not yet finished.

Civic Center Open Space Site Plan

The Civic Center, at City Hall

Works Cited:

1. Blood, Bruce, content manager. "Civic Center." City of Seattle. Rona Zevin, director. April 15, 2002. Sept. 3, 2002 www.cityofseattle.net/civiccenter/default.htm

Public Safety Building Block Concept Plan

Model of City Hall

City Hall Schematic Site Plan

Town Center

Serene Place

Broadstairs, England

The streets of Broadstairs in England are very traditional area for fishing, sailing, and many other dining and community activities. It is located in an area with seven large bays for excellent access and regress. These areas at times congested but have been improved upon to give the residential and commercial areas a better flow of traffic and tourists. The planning for this area had to be reconstructed over the centuries to make Broadstairs more

adaptable as the city grew and more tourists were coming in for large events and festivities.

The expanding and widening of streets have to be well planned out so that the original setting of the town is not destroyed.

Serene Place, a small cul-de-sac at the bottom of High Street, is another example of old Broadstairs. While their function has changed, the streets and buildings still retain all their character and charm.

Figure 1: Plan

www.tibby.demon.co.uk

/Broadstairs.html

Deer Park center,

Deer Park, IL

During the late 1990's, retail development failed to keep pace with rapidly expanding affluent populations in Deer Park and other growing suburbs in northwest Chicago. Previously, residents in these areas were traveled great distances south or into downtown Chicago to do their shopping. Rather than creating a real downtown for these suburban communities a developer adopted a downtown theme for a suburban shopping center to serve the commercial needs. Poag & McEwen opened Deer Park Town Center in 2000 tos serve vehicular based shoppers.

By 2005, nearly 650,000 people with an average household income exceeding $120,000 will reside within 10 miles of Deer Park Town Center, including more than 90,000 households having incomes greater than $100,000. This will be more than 25 percent growth within the northwest Chicago suburbs since 2000. Most of the commercial development and infrastructure will be created to support the shopping mall where more than 60,000 vehicles pass each day rather than to support traditional community centers (www.deerparktowncenter.tv/).

Figure 1: Views of the entrance showing the landscape excellent access for vehicle and pedestrian crossings. www.deerparktowncenter.tv/

Civic Centers and Plazas

Principles of Landscape Design for Public Plazas:

One purpose of landscape design is to blend man's technology building into the urban context. The landscape architect must have knowledge of art elements, design principles, and spatial organization to create effective civic spaces. (Dewayne L. Ingram,02)

This publication will familiarize the citizens of Hayden with design terms and concepts.

Terms of Design:

1. Form - Planting and material arrangement in the landscape.

2. Texture - Materials that can be seen or felt (coarse, medium, or fine).

3. Scale - Size of an object according to its surroundings.

4. Unity - Effective use of Components in a design to express a main idea through consistent style. They just fit together.

5. Balance - The equality of visual stimulus.

6. Transition - Gradual change throughout the design (big, medium, small).

7. Proportion - Refers to the size of parts of a design in relation to each other, and to the design as a whole.

8. Focal Point - A visual interest point.

9. Repetition - The common use of an object or plant material to create harmony in the site.

Some of the general need and goals of civic design include:

1. Universal access.

2. Design communicating civic pride, efficiency and democratic ideals

3. Space for public events like speeches, displays and receptions

4. Space for individual use like eating and resting.

5. Space for cultural enrichment like history, art, and music.

We hope to implement these functional aspects of design into the design of the civic center plaza, and in doing so demonstrate ways that they can be used. The example, below, illustrates a case study of the Culver City Civic Center in Culver City, California, produced by Sarah Huff and Laurel Gollong.

In conclusion, our team will help the community of Hayden design a well developed plan for civic center building and plaza. With the community's help, we can fulfill the city of Hayden's needs.

The list below is the design process we will use to design the Hayden Civic Plaza and Building.

Steps in Design:

1. Develop a plot plan.

2. Conduct a site analysis.

3. Access the community's needs and desires.

4. Locate activity areas.

5. Design activity areas conceptually.

6. Receive ideas and concepts from the community through feedback.

7. Take feedback and make decisions with public's consent.

8. Develop a master plan.

9. Select material and determine placement.

10. Plant selection and placement.

11. Present master plan to community.

Figure #39-Entry Courtyard.

A Case Study In

Culver City, CA

As one can see, this design fallows the elements mentioned before, such as balance, repetition, unity, and focal points.

Figure #31-Master plan of Culver Civic Center.

The vertical and horizontal forms are created by the arrangement of plants. A transition from the street to the building is created through the use of small, medium, and large plant material. The trees provide a positive scale relationship with the building.

Figure #32-Culver City Civic Center.

This arch is a historic reference to the old civic center of 1928 and creates a threshold from the street to the plaza.

Figure #33-Archway Facing Culver Blvd.

This fountain functions as a focal point. Its sound, location and visual animation leads patrons into the plaza

Figure #34-The Fountain.

The sidewalk entry into the building is reinforced by flanking hedges. Texture of the hedge, trees and building parts that can be seen or felt create a visually unified scheme.

Figure #35-Entry into Building.

Figure #36-Entry to Fountain.

The entry into the courtyard from the north end is through a grove of trees in planters which create a sub space.

Figure #37-The Italian Cypress.

Accessibility through ramps, handrails and well designed steps is a must.

Figure #38-Universal Access.