Transformative Landscape Design at the Barry Art Museum

WPL is proud to highlight our work as landscape architects for the Barry Art Museum, a collaboration with Saunders+Crouse Architects. This project is a striking departure from typical campus landscapes, focusing on the art of the landscape to complement the museum's architecture.

Located at the southern gateway of the ODU campus, the Barry Art Museum occupies a prominent corner that was previously a gravel parking lot. Nestled between the Ted Constant Convocation Center and its supporting parking garage, the museum now serves as an architectural icon. The Barry family's generous philanthropic contributions to the ODU Foundation enabled the creation of this unique space, which houses a portion of their extensive art collection.

The landscape design mirrors the strong architectural lines of the building, featuring sweeping forms and vibrantly colored pavers, concrete, and plants. Artistic elements radiate from a major water feature in the exterior sculpture garden, creating tiers of planting that rise from an aquatic level to form a stunning backdrop. This approach emphasizes landscape as art, integrating contemporary flair not yet seen on the ODU campus.

WPL's scope of work included designing all exterior hardscapes, rain gardens, stormwater management plantings, and the overall planting design. We also consulted on site lighting and irrigation. The result is a landscape that creates strong connections to the campus, inviting both visitors and students to engage with the space. This project exemplifies our dedication to the arts and commitment to cutting-edge landscape design.

For more information about the Barry Art Museum and its collection, visit Barry Art Museum.

More information about WPL’s portfolio can be found on our website at www.wplsite.com.