SmithGroup and Terra Kickoff Glass City Metropark’s Next Phase

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SmithGroup invited Terra to continue our conceptualization for Discovery Play components for Metropark Toledo’s most ambitious and exciting riverfront park to date, called Glass City Metropark.  The Metropark sits on the former site of the Toledo Edison Power Plant, and one of its goals is to heal the land through the re-establishment of woodland, prairie and riparian habitats.  Another major goal is to provide nearby underserved Toledo neighborhoods the opportunity to access iconic and ample recreational facilities along the Maumee River.  

SmithGroup is leading the planning and design efforts for this transformative urban recreational destination. Terra is assisting the team by designing four significant interactive components of the Metropark:  The Headwaters, Mini-Maumee, and the Pollinator Play and Adventure Play zones of the Park. 

Water plays an important role at Glass City Metropark, beginning with the Headwaters, an interactive water play area that is fed by themed rain towers.  From there, a runnel embedded with mosaic glass art carries rivulets to water steps, which feeds the Mini-Maumee installation.   The Mini-Maumee is a scaled interpretation of the Maumee River and its tributaries; all are invited to paddle about barefoot, build small dams, and cool off on a hot summer day.  Visually, the Mini-Maumee appears to spill into the Frog Pond where an elevated boardwalk invites visitors to sight the ten frog species found in and around Toledo, aka Frogtown!  The Mini-Maumee is surrounded by a recreated Black Swamp landscape that immerse visitors in a slice of Toledo’s disappearing natural heritage. Lastly, we are working with local artists and international playground designers at the Pollinator Play and Adventure Play zones of the Metropark.

Due to pandemic protocols, team planning sessions are occurring via teleconference, and as a result, our WebEx, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Team, and Zoom skills have improved greatly!  However, we do look forward to the time when we can all meet in person and share ideas while overlooking the real Maumee River and Toledo’s dynamic skyline.  

The Garden of the Five Senses Opens to the Public

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Terra began the design of this family-focused interactive woodland trail almost eight years ago, so you can imagine our excitement to have been able to join approximately 100 Garden Members in celebrating its long-awaited opening!  

Design never happens in a straight line, and because the master plan for the entire Garden had to adjust due to environmental cleanup operations, so too did the theme and purpose of the Garden of the Five Senses.  It began as one station among many along the Family Moments Trail that invited families to explore Penn’s Woods (native PA woodlands) and the forests of England, Eastern Europe and Asia.  Coined “The Root of the Matter”, its focus was the exploration of the forest floor through the eyes of a child.  Eventually, due to a change in the location of Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s main entrance, it became a sensory trail for children and their caregivers, with special attention to those families with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The opening of the Garden of the Five Senses is our first during the pandemic.  The limited number of participants wearing masks and distancing did not dampen the excitement of the day.  Terra, a Pittsburgh-based landscape architecture studio, could not have been prouder to have helped bring a family destination to our hometown that aims, through play, to connect children and their grownups to their green world.  Design team members included Margittai Architects, Iams Consulting, and CEC.

Legacy Trees Planted at Harvey S. Firestone Recreational Park

Terra, gardener, Jay Brothers, and horticultural consultant, Keith Kaiser planted ten native trees in the Great Tree Lawn as the first installation of Phase One of the Master Landscape Plan for the Park.  Located in Columbiana, Ohio, Firestone Park was a gift of Harvey and Idabelle Firestone in 1933, and the Restoration and Beautification Committee of Columbiana has been the force behind its restoration more than 85 years later.  The legacy trees were grown from hand-harvested seed collected by Tree Pittsburgh, a grassroots organization in Pittsburgh that aims to improve the health of our urban forests.  

Terra and our team, HRG, Keith Kaiser, and Iams Consulting, completed the Master Landscape Plan in November 2019, and we are in the process of preparing Phase One for bid.  With an estimated completion date of December 2020, Phase One’s construction cost is approximately $2 million. The star of the show is a 1/2-mile long Legacy Trail that invites visitors to explore multiple historic points of interest within the Park, beginning with the Hanna Family’s Homestead, the first settlement in Columbiana County in 1812 to Harvey Firestone’s Lookout, where the Columbiana native and rubber tire magnate enjoyed overseeing construction of the Park in 1935.  

Although not officially called an arboretum, it well could be.  Amongst acres of display gardens, we will be planting more than 150 trees at the Park’s historic pavilions and in the Great Tree Lawn, keeping landscape architect Alling DeForest’s vision for the Park intact for the next 85 years.

Delicieuse! Terra Savors Their Time at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s Annual Gala

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This year’s annual fundraising gala, “From Garden to French Table,” paid tribute to Chef Daniel Boulud. Hundreds of Garden supporters, including Terra’s Rob Thompson, Anna Werle and Heather Kropf (not pictured), joined in the festivities and decadent cuisine. No one went home hungry! 

This autumn, in addition to savoring heartening support from gala-goers, Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is excitedly watching their newest capital improvement project come to life. Construction is well underway for improvements to the visitor arrival experience, a new welcome center, and Terra’s Garden of the Five Senses, all slated to open in 2020.  

Cindy Tyler Joins the American Horticultural Society as Its Newest Board Member

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Pictured on the bench in honor of Tom and Jane Underwood: Fellow Board members: (front row left to right) Erich Veitenheimer, Laura Dowling, Holly Shimizu, Bob Murray (back row left to right) Tim Conlon, Cindy Tyler, Skipp Calvert

Cindy Tyler is the American Horticultural Society’s newest Board member, and she traveled to Alexandria for her first Board of Directors meeting in September.  This two-day session was action packed and intense, balanced perfectly with a heartwarming and magical gathering of nearly two hundred avid AHS supporters at the “Harvest of Health and Happiness” Gala at River Farm.  The Gala raised close to $200,000, and it will be a tough act to follow as we plan next year’s event.

Monticello Sculpture Gardens Celebrates SENSE-sational Blooms!

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This week, Lewis & Clark Community College and Monticello Sculpture Garden staff hosted a Garden Party, braving rain showers and rumbles of thunder. Terra’s Rob and Anna lead the design and helped with the installation of 2019’s SENSE-sational Blooms, an interactive feast for our senses of touch, sight, sound, smell and taste.   The Garden Party honored donors, volunteers, and supporters and “put-a-bow-on” another successful themed garden show.  

Each year the Monticello Sculpture Gardens curates a themed summer garden show that connects people with horticulture, art and architecture as part of the educational continuum of Lewis &Clark Community Collegein Godfrey, Illinois. SENSE-sational Blooms is the 8th such annual curated garden show designed by Terra, and by far the most visited and toured installation. Previous shows have included Bicentennial Blooms (2018), Solar Flair (2017), Gardens through the Looking Glass (2016), Garden of Eatin’ (2015), Bee-Dazzled (2014), Menagerie in Bloom (2013), and The Bold and the Beautiful(2012).  For more information visit:  https://www.lc.edu/sense-sational/

“Soil Turns” at the Garden of the Five Senses at Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens!

Following eight years of change in Gardens’ leadership, Board composition, and master plan direction, Terra at long last attended the groundbreaking for the Garden of the Five Senses, an interactive family nature connection trail that aims to forge lifelong connections between young children and their caregivers and their green world. Terra designed the Garden to welcome an intergenerational audience while also serving children with autism. The Garden of the Five Senses is scheduled to open in the spring of 2020 along with the Visitor Center project, designed by Overland Partners and Pashek|MTR.

Terra Kicks Off the Firestone Park Master Plan in Columbiana, Ohio

In mid-July, Terra’s Anna Werle and Cindy Tyler concluded three days of productive and interactive Kickoff Sessions for the Master Landscape Plan for Firestone Park in Columbiana, Ohio. Firestone Park, a gift of Harvey S. and Idabelle Firestone to the City in 1934, is a well-loved asset within the community; yet not many who use the Park understand its roots. Commissioned by Columbiana Restoration and Beautification Committee, the Master Plan will aim to amplify the Firestone legacy, beautify the Park, and organize the visitor experience. Pat Tingle and Vaughn Musser are leaders of the Committee while Keith Kaiser lends his horticultural expertise as a planning partner.

Thrive - APGA 2019

Cindy had a busy and productive week at Thrive – the annual conference held by the American Public Garden Association.  She connected with old friends, visited favorite gardens, and participated in two educational sessions.  Co-presenters Jenny Pope and Steve LaWarre joined Cindy for “Art in the Garden – Not Just Icing on the Cake”, and Cindy joined many other design professionals in a rapid fire session at Celebrate Design.  Check out our Instagram (@terra_design_studios) for our OntheRoad with Terra account of Cindy’s adventures!

Taking the Next Steps at Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Cindy Tyler and Rob Thompson of Terra Design Studios returned to Birmingham to kick off the next phase of design development, bringing the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens one step closer to defining the Gardens’ next phase of implementation and to launching their capital campaign in 2020. Terra initially met with collaborators ArchitectureWorks and Schoel Engineering to brainstorm on site, followed by a series of meetings with City Council and Birmingham Park and Recreation Board.  We rounded out our visit with the discovery of a very cool urban pollinator pocket garden and a memorable meal in this great foodie town!  

Terra Premieres PlayLaugh&Learn at The Drexel

On the one year anniversary of the opening of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden, Terra and Board members and staff from Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens attended the premiere of PlayLaugh&Learn at the Drexel Theater in Columbus, Ohio.  It was a celebratory and emotional event, allowing those who had worked diligently to open their family garden, allowing them to pause and reflect on their monumental accomplishments.  A full length documentary that captures two and a half years of the making of Franklin Park’s family garden from inception to opening day, PlayLaugh&Learn aims to demystify the design and construction process for those considering a similar journey.  Terra very much enjoyed their collaboration with 232 Creative, who produced, directed and filmed PlayLaugh&Learn.  http://www.232creative.com/ 

Kingwood Center Gardens Breaks Ground on the Garden Gateway Project

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This is happening!  After two years of planning, fund raising and design, Kingwood Center Gardens broke ground for their exciting new Garden Gateway Project in April, 2019.  Terra’s Rob Thompson, Anna Werle and Cindy Tyler visited Mansfield to observe earthwork progress and to present final ideas for the planting plan for the Project.  A 13,000 s.f. Garden Gateway Center plays a key role in the Project, serving as the Gardens’ visitor center, event center, café, gift shop and office space for many of the staff.  Major improvements to the grounds include an enlarged green parking area, artful rainwater capture and cleanse throughout the entire Project, and a new Grand Perennial Garden, Welcome Cypress Garden, Bosque and Draffan Fountain Terrace.  Stay tuned! The grand opening is scheduled for summer of 2020.

Team Terra Presents Final Master Plan for Tucson Botanical Gardens

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Front Row: Michelle Conklin, Executive Director; Michael Bongiorno, DesignGroup; Rob Thompson, Terra Design Studios

Back Row: Matt Adamson, Vice President of Operations; Cindy Tyler, Terra Design Studios; Grant Getz; Grant Getz Design

Traveling to Tucson in early spring is never a bad idea, but it was a doubly enjoyable visit as Terra and our team - DesignGroup, Getz Design, EcoBotanic Design, and Greg Carlson Engineering - wrapped up the Master Plan with a presentation to Board, staff, and friends of Tucson Botanical Garden in April.  Visionary elements of the Master Plan include an iconic Butterfly and Orchid Conservatory and Pollinator Garden, relocated Café amidst a new culinary garden, improved visitor arrival experience, a destination family garden, and a major Event and Education Center with expanded parking.  The Garden is gearing up for a rigorous capital campaign to fund the Master Plan’s first phase, which will breathe new life into the western portion of the Garden through the addition of the Conservatory, Café and new visitor arrival and wayfinding components.   

Conservatory rendering by DesignGroup https://designgroup.us.com/

Magical Michoacan

In February, Cindy joined a small group of avid monarch fans to travel to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, which protects overwintering sites for approximately 250 million monarchs representing the entire population east of the Rockies. The tour was led by Kimberlee Bailey and Susan Meyers, who invited Cindy and five others to journey with them to tour the rich cultural and natural heritage of this World Heritage Site and to gather tagged butterflies for further research by Journey North and Monarchs Across Georgia.  It was a trip of a lifetime, not only for the magical and emotional experience, but the chance to meet so many who are fiercely passionate monarch advocates from all over the world.

Master Plan Kick-off at Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Birmingham, AL

Pictured Left: Molly, Virgil and Adam lend a hand to check future identification sign location and size at “The Point” at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens!

Pictured Right: Cindy and Rob in a charette session with the team.

Terra’s Cindy and Rob Thompson headed to Birmingham to lead a week-long workshop with stakeholders, city officials and Gardens staff to “Refresh, Engage, and Celebrate” the Gardens’ visitor experience. It was an action packed and productive week that included hours of invigorating discussion and “what if’s”, lots of doodling and noodling, and side trips to the neighboring Birmingham Zoo, Sloss Furnace, and Jones Valley Teaching Farm.

This visit is the third in as many months for Team Terra and the folks from Birmingham. In September Cindy headed south to meet with Tom Underwood, Executive Director of The Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Jane Underwood, Operations Manager, and Molly Hendry, Gardens Assessment Project Leader, to brainstorm design ideas for expanding the Gardens’ presence to its edges. During this session, “The Point”, an underutilized triangular tract of land at the southern tip of the Gardens, was identified for its tremendous potential to become a signature branding moment for thousands of daily visitors as they travel past this area. The charette agenda included testing a full-scale mockup of the identification sign’s visibility as well as developing lots of sketches on trace paper!

And more recently, in October Cindy and Rob joined Board members and Friends’ staff from the Birmingham Botanical Garden in a visit to Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, Ohio. FPC’s Executive Director, Bruce Harkey, and the Gardens' leadership team spent the morning sharing internal and administrative strategies with the group. We then explored the Conservatory and headed outside to the Children’s Garden and Community Garden Campus. The group from Birmingham came way with many inspirational ideas and excitement for the Master Plan Refresh that Terra will lead into 2019.

We look forward to returning in the New Year to help frame projects earmarked for their next capital campaign!