Agave | Breccia | Lesser Long-nosed Bat and Flowering Agave Steelism
Landscape Architecture that Helps Heal
Research has shown that our built and natural environments greatly influence our emotional and physical well-being. Natural landscapes can enhance both patients’ and staffs’ ability to deal with stress.
A Wilder Landscape considers the experience of staff and visitors arriving at the building, the views from inside offices and rooms, the potential for outdoor therapy areas, gardens and relaxation spots. Our designs include local plant material to ground the landscape to its locale, a variety of plant species that provide texture and color and which attract birds and butterflies, and passive water harvesting (using runoff from building rooftops and parking areas) to help sustain plant material.
Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc. Douglas ECE Renovations
With BWS Architects
Project experience while employed with Wheat Design Group
Location: Douglas, Arizona
Year Complete: Under construction
Client: Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc.
CCHCI’s vision of exceptional care manifests itself in the landscape of this new clinic. Natural landscapes can enhance both patients’ and staffs’ ability to deal with stress. Upon entering the parking lot, patients and staff will be immersed in a colorful and textural landscape, providing a sense of arrival and a transition from parking to the clinic. Wildlife-friendly native plant material and passive water harvesting are integrated throughout.
Contribution and Deliverables: Project Manager; Landscape and Irrigation Plans
Catalina Care Center
With Searer, Robbins & Stephens, Inc.
Project experience while employed with Wheat Design Group
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Year Complete: Not constructed (Design complete 2012)
Client: The Ensign Group
While never developed, the Client had planned for significant expansion of an existing assisted living and care facility. The landscape design addressed the main staff and patient entry, three resident courtyards (incorporating a loop path and diverse plant material to provide sensory stimulation as well as attract birds and butterflies), parking areas, and landscape borders on the site’s perimeter. Passive water harvesting was used extensively to meet the requirements of the City of Tucson’s Commercial Rainwater Harvesting Ordinance.
Contribution and Deliverables: Project Manager; Native Plant Preservation, Planting, Hardscape and Irrigation Plans
Playing off the name of the street, Vivaldi Court, where the home is located, Jennifer created a red-themed plant palette to honor the 'Red Priest' (as Vivaldi was known due to his ordination in the church and hair color).
Academy Villas, Assisted Living Home at Academy Village
Project experience while employed with Norris Design
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Year Complete: 2008
Client: The Ensign Group
A new assisted living facility within Academy Village provides residents with options for long-term care. The courtyard was designed for Alzheimer’s patients, and included sensory plantings, a loop path, raised garden beds, and multiple seating areas. Passive water harvesting was incorporated throughout the site with basins capturing roof and parking lot runoff. The project was certified LEED Gold.
Contribution and Deliverables: Designer; conceptual design, narrative, planting design, and LEED landscape calculations