Workshop #3: Designing Plantings for Large Civic Buildings: Solving the Problem of Scale

November 20, 2004, the GCF of MA held its third Civic Development Workshop, “Designing plantings for Large Civic Buildings: Solving the Problem of Scale.” Tobias Wolf, Senior Associate at the Halvorson Design Associates, spoke on “Plantings with Presence,” encouraging use of large trees and swaths of uninterrupted ground covers. Ronald Lee Fleming, the Founder of the Townscape Institute, discussed the Radnor Gateway Project and a Santa Fe plaza project, emphasizing using repeated designs to create a sense of place.

Teddi Hickey presented the Brockton Garden Club’s library project, in which one circular raised planting bed balances a circular sitting area on each side of the central path to the library entrance.

Barbara Van Dyke described the Evening Garden Club of West Roxbury’s work enhancing both the library entrance with tall trees and tall colorful planters and street lamp plantings echoing its columns and the quiet reading garden behind the library, which features green in different shades and textures and has only white flowers.

The presentations were followed by a question period.

81 people participated.

A VIDEOTAPE OF THIS WORKSHOP IS AVAILABLE IN THE FEDERATION OFFICE