Landscape Architects to Conduct “Design AmBUSH” in Downtown Hartford on August 17

Aug. 10, 2011 - PRLog -- On Wednesday, August 17, a team of landscape architects from around the state will descend upon downtown Hartford’s Bushnell Plaza during the lunch hour to conduct a “Design AmBUSH on Main Street.” Using easel-pad sketches and inputs from passers-by, the designers will explore new options for this under-realized urban space, demonstrating how landscape architects approach design challenges, think about community spaces, and create places that enhance “active living.”

About the site: Bushnell Plaza is a highly central urban open space in the heart of Connecticut's capital city. It runs along Main Street between the Wadsworth Atheneum (the nation's oldest public art museum) and historic Bushnell Park (designed by Jacob Weidenmann), and is on the opposite corner across from Hartford’s iconic Traveler’s Tower. Built in 1969 as a part of IM Pei's design for a residential tower complex, the original plan called for two towers, but only one was built. The resulting plaza space was never fully finished or resolved, leaving a desolate concrete roof deck plaza over a lower commercial and subterranean parking structure. City planners and the property owners association have long desired to transform the space into an asset that will provide amenities for both the tower residents and pedestrians, as well as potentially generate revenue to support its development.

“This event will help demonstrate how landscape architects design ‘living streets’ and create urban spaces that become destinations for pedestrians in cities,” says Kristin Schwab, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Connecticut, and one of the coordinators of the event. “Green infrastructure can be brought to Bushnell Plaza in a number of ways; it will be interesting to see the variety of streetscapes that result from this charrette.”

Landscape architects who will participate in the Design AmBUSH — all members of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects — include professionals from: Towers|Golde, LLC (New Haven), the University of Connecticut (Storrs), Keith Simpson Associates (New Canaan), Aris Land Studio (Bridgeport), Diversified Technology Consultants (Hamden), Fitzgerald & Halliday (Hartford), Richter & Cegan (Avon), Talcott and Associates (Old Lyme), LADA, P.C. (Simsbury) and others.

People are urged to stop by to lend their ideas about Bushnell Plaza and downtown Hartford, or to simply watch landscape architects “do” urban design.

At the conclusion of the event (running from approximately 11:30 a.m to 1:15 p.m), the landscape architects’ sketches and notes will be presented to the Bushnell Plaza property owners association.

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About ASLA: “Green since 1899,” ASLA is the national professional association for landscape architects, representing more than 15,000 members in 48 professional chapters. The Connecticut Chapter is comprised of 275 members across the state. ASLA and its local chapters promote the profession of landscape architecture and advance its practice through advocacy, education, communication and fellowship.

Landscape architecture is a comprehensive discipline of land analysis, planning, design, management, preservation and rehabilitation. Landscape architects protect public health, safety and welfare through environmentally conscious planning and design. Like architects and engineers, landscape architects are licensed in the state of Connecticut.

Learn more about landscape architecture online at http://www.asla.org. To learn more about the Connecticut Chapter of ASLA, see http://www.ctasla.org.