Sharing Global Experience in Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning

Many thanks to Jeff Lee @ Lee & Associates for hosting my @GeorgetownSCS class #Placemaking in Global Travel course the week before last week at his DC Chinatown studio.

Each student from the class highlighted what interested them about a particular project or area of interest among Jeff’s projects.

SwapoodlePark project

@LArchitectWeir focused on the #SwapoodlePark project, a celebrated?park that filled a need for green space in NOMA.?“I like this project,” Chris said, “because, as explained on Jeff Lee’s website, the park's development was championed by NoMa residents who desperately needed a dog park and wanted green space.”?The park, situated on 8,000 SF of land, includes open space dedicated to dog activities and?the first Wall-holla in Washington DC.?The wall-holla is a vertical playground that saves space and gives neighborhood children a place to play as well.??The park's name is derived from a combination of the words "swamp" and "puddle"?and pays tribute to the blue-collar Irish who used to live in the area.?

Chris also explained that this project caught his attention for several reasons:

• The grass-roots organization and stakeholder input that helped make it happen.
• Its sustainable infill development of a previously vacant lot to activate a much-needed communal space
• Its ability to create a fun and captivating experience not limited by traditional codes and standards
• Its sensitivity to historical, cultural, and economic cues in the development of an equitable urban realm

Burnham Place Project

@MatthewMielke, an expert in rail transportation and environmental impact assessments was particularly interested in the proposed #BurnhamPlace Project, for which Jeff provided insight on the planning process.

He highlighted the potential transformative development over the existing railroad facility. Matt discussed the project’s ability to connect the Capital Hill, H-Street and NoMa communities which have been separated by the railroad infrastructure. The project would potentially bring 1.5 million square feet of office space, 1,300 residential units and over 100,000 square feet of retail. Matt explained the project is still undergoing Federal review and questions remain about both onsite long-term parking, along with issues regarding inclusion of a rideshare pick-up and drop off area. Jeff described the complexity of the project, specifically the H-Street Bridge reconstruction by #DDOT, but also emphasized the great opportunity to transform a large railroad track area into an active usable space.

City Center Hotel project

@zhengyang-cheng-hmmajor was interested in City Center Hotel project. The Conrad Hotel is a 2.5 million square foot, 360-room hotel in downtown DC. To provide a prominent hotel experience, ground-level landscaping was designed to include streetscapes, sidewalks, prominent plazas, and a porch at the building's entrance.?l liked this project because?

• Provides a high-quality hotel experience for customers.
• Irrigation of roadside plants by collecting and treating stormwater, follow sustainable development.
• This ensures quality hotel landscape design and helps hotels save money through reusing water design ideas.

The Apartments at City Center

@Ziying Huang, CRMA, CHIA focused on The Apartments at City Center, which is part of the development of City Center DC, one of the biggest urban development projects in the US. The apartment complex is well integrated with the community through retail, offices, and a hotel. I was impressed that Jeff Lee designed the buildings with different heights. This may reduce the total rental spaces as some buildings are lower than others. However, the design really gives each tenant a different view of living in the apartment. Some may see the garden from their apartments. As a student and professional in the hospitality industry, I have studied how hotels use designs to ensure that guests can have a comfortable and unique experience in an urban location.?

Smart City in Kochi, India

@taivan-erdene ?selected the Smart City in Kochi, India master plan in which Lee and Associates (LAI), working with an international design team, developed the detailed physical master plan for the site. This master plan emphasizes Kochi’s position as a cultural and economic gateway for the Kerala state and echoes the SmartCity vision of a sustainable IT city where energy is utilized efficiently, waste is minimized, and storm water is managed. This project envisions an efficient, ecologically-balanced, and self-sufficient model city for India. ?

Capitol Crossing

Savannah Elpers @savannah-elpers) focused on the ongoing #CapitolCrossing project in downtown Washington, DC above and adjacent to the I-395 center leg freeway. The mixed-use development project, comprising five new buildings and spanning three city blocks, aims to create an innovative, sustainable, and accessible destination for Washingtonians to work and play. The project is notable for its committed approach to sustainability that focuses its benefits on both the development itself and the surrounding Mount Vernon, Capitol Hill, and other Downtown neighborhoods. The development’s outdoor public space and streetscape are distinct features of the project. These areas are marked by comfortable landscapes, curated furnishings, permeable surfaces, and other details that support the project’s eco-vision. Still in its development phase, Capitol Crossing must consider:

• The impact of COVID-19 on the demand for office space?
• The importance of outdoor space for office tenants, restaurants, residents, and other visitors
• The significance of supporting the development’s eco district to champion an enduring sustainable impact for Capitol Crossing?
• How to market the space to attract visitors and tenants during a pandemic
• How Capitol Crossing’s public promenade can help share and restore the historical vision of Pierre L’Enfant’s 1791 master plan that was disrupted by the construction of I-395

Lee & Associates

Jeff introduced the students to DC planning beginning with the 1791 plan of Washington, DC designed by Pierre Charles L’Enfant for George Washington and then followed more than a century later by the McMillan Plan. The McMillan Plan?actually was a report comprised of several recommendations by the Senate Park Commission in 1902 to improve the design and appearance of Washington DC. As Jeff explained, both plans helped create much of present-day Washington, DC.

Jeff then introduced the class to several other projects and initiatives that have been instrumental in shaping Washington, DC, especially in helping to create a more sustainable community. The “Greening DC Streets” project by the DC Department of Transportation was particularly interesting for managing storm water and creating green infrastructure standards. ??

Jeff also presented the Kingman & Heritage Islands Restoration Project that his firm worked on over a ten-year period. In collaboration with the surrounding residents, community stakeholders, several agencies, and consultants, LAI worked on numerous projects including: The Community Master Plan Concept for Kingman and Heritage Island; A Habitat Restoration Plan; The 9/11 Memorial Grove Project; The Environmental Center Design; and the Kingman Island Restoration project.

Several other DC-based and international LAI projects were discussed, which provided lots of food for thought about Jeff’s approach to adaptive reuse, green scapes, and sustainability, an approach that has garnered multiple awards and recognition for optimal placemaking.