Spotlight
on
Bartram's Garden
Project:
A Master Plan for Bartram's Garden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Client: The John Bartram Association
Master Plan for America’s Oldest Botanic Garden
Program:
Create a Master Plan for America's oldest
Botanical Garden that responds to its mission and turns this
18th century treasure into a 21st century Philadelphia jewel.
Mission:
The John Bartram Association preserves, interprets and
enhances Bartram's
Garden and its National Historic Landmark, Bartram House; and
builds awareness of Bartram legacy of botany, art, and natural
science.
Concepts/Approach:
Viridian Landscape Studio developed a new master plan for Bartram's
Garden, America's oldest botanical garden. The plan sets forth
a vision for the garden and provides a road map for achieving
that vision. It integrates new property acquisitions, preserves
and enhances the historic core and allows flexibility for future
uses and increased institutional visibility.
The
extension of a regional bike trail, the Schuylkill River Trail,
to Bartram's Garden, the development of river tourism including
new docks on the Schuylkill, and the ongoing redevelopment of
former industrial sites along the river presented opportunities
which the plan addresses and celebrates.
The
working process involved several design charrettes and many in-progress
work sessions with multiple stakeholders. John Bartram Association
representatives and the Planning Team analyzed the site and
arrived at a common understanding of the "story" of
the place -- its history, current identity, functioning, and
desired future. We also engaged garden and community members
who reviewed and shaped the plan. The resulting plan provides
new circulation and parking; sites the bicycle trail through
the property; adds a new Visitor's Center and phased building
improvements; and creates beautiful and educational landscape
features including a restored historic garden, tidal wetlands
and a display of Bartram's Pennsylvania forests.
Our
planning team included:
SMP Architects prepared a programming study and explored the
architectural elements of the site and programs uses to determine
how to best serve visitors.
Cahill
Associates, environmental and civil engineers, integrated site
infrastructure and sustainable stormwater management strategies
into the proposed site improvements plan
Bruce
E. Brooks Associates, site utilities engineers, analyzed the
overall site utilities and determined how they could be relocated
or replaced as phased improvements occur.
Status:
Fund raising for the Master Plan completed 2007
Estimate
Construction Cost: $15 million
"His garden is a perfect portraiture of
himself, here you meet wt. a row of rare plants almost covered
over wt. weeds, here with a Beautiful Shrub, even Luxuriant
Amongst Briars, and in another corner an Elegant & Lofty
tree lost in common thicket - on our way from town to his house
he carried me to several rocks & Dens where he showed me
some of his rare plants, which he had brought from the Mountains
&c. In a word he disdains to have a garden less than the
Pennsylvania & Every den is an Arbor, Every run of water,
a Canal, & every small level Spot a Parterre, where he nurses
up some of his Idol Flowers & cultivates his darling production."
-Alexander Garden to Cadwallader Colden, November 4, 1754, The
Letters and Papers of Cadwallader
Click on a Spotlight Project Below
to view project details and photos.
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 |
 |
 |
Bayada Plaza
Nursing Education Building Project |
Noisette Urban Redevelopment
Project |
Sisters, Servants of
the IHM Project |
Bartram's Garden Master
Plan |
