Ross Barney Architects present their completed park project in Rogers, Arkansas: the Railyard Park. The architects have worked with the City of Rogers and the Walton Family Foundation (WalMart) over the past several years to reimagine and redesign the historic downtown area. Through the use of community engagement, the architects have involved community members in the design process through both physical and digital methods.
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With a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, the City of Rogers, Arkansas has embarked on a project to design a new downtown park that will enhance economic development, spur placemaking, and improve connectivity. Situated on the east boundary of Rogers’ historic downtown district, the new park has the potential to capitalize on recent public space investments and help to make downtown Rogers a regional destination.
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Community engagement
The project utilized a robust community outreach effort, which has helped build a sense of ownership and pride from city staff and the residents. Through a digital survey that collected over 1,000 responses and inperson charrettes the design team has helped define the park’s desired outcomes and objectives through the words of the community. This shared vision has resulted in five emerging priorities: Inviting, Memorable, Challenging, Beautiful, and Authentic.
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Railyard Park along the railroad
Rogers, as a city, has been defined both economically and physically by the railroad. The first plat of survey, completed in 1881, uses the rail to create a strong dividing line. The park’s design ignores the rail as a barrier and stitches the east and west together. The result is a series of plazas that can transform throughout the day, week, month, and year. These versatile and flexible spaces create a new and distinct rhythm that extends beyond the park into adjacent streets.
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Between the ribbons, which are formed by the adjacent city context, a “room” is created. These densely vegetated and programmed spaces help create unique experiences throughout the park and further frame this piece of downtown as the new center instead of the edge.
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Project Team:
Ross Barney Architects, Chicago, IL – Architecture and Landscape Architecture
CEI Engineering Associates, Bentonville, AR – Civil Engineering and Land Surveying
Goodfriend Magruder Structure, Chicago, IL – Structural Engineering
HP Engineering, Rogers, AR – MEP Engineering
Schuler Shook, Chicago, IL – Lighting Design
SPAN (formerly Thirst) Chicago, IL – Branding and Environmental Graphics
AFJH Architects, Fayetteville, AR – Associate Architect
Crowne Group, Fayetteville, AR – AV Consultant
Nabholz Construction, Rogers, AR -Contractor/Construction Manager
All pictures and text © by City of Rogers Department of Community Development
Bees are humming and butterflies are flying between the green sea of leaves, vegetables and flowers. It is hard to believe we are in one of Europe’s densest cities – in Barcelona.
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Only 18 months ago this thriving community garden Hort de la Font Trobada was abandoned wasteland. Now 90 families and 11 entities cultivate their plots with an estimated 200 people sharing and enjoying the gardens. ‘Do you want some tomatoes? We have seedlings from Galicia!’ someone shouts while filling the watering can at the Font Trobada, one of the local fountains which gives the garden its name.
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Nestled between the suburb of Poble Sec and Montjuïc mountain, the area with its natural fountains was used as agricultural land since the 15th century, and later became a popular spot for weekend excursions. Much of the 20th century the mountain was covered by barracas – informal settlements – until major development set in for the Olympic games. The gardens and fountains disappeared until the city council granted a petition for a self-managed community garden and recovered the Font Trobada before handing the land to the community association.
The agricultural practices in the community garden are strictly ecologic and based on the Parades en Crestall method from Mallorca, an efficient method to cultivate small plots of land in hot climate areas in which constant moisture is achieved through a thin layer of humus topsoil and foliage density.
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Next to food production and ecology, the community garden has a strong social and pedagogical focus. Members of La Rimaieta and El Petit Molinet, two self-organised family childcare centers active in the garden, explain how important it is for children and adults to get their hands dirty, connect with the community through collaboration, share food and experiences, create knowledge and learn about the growing process. This is how through collective effort, a green oasis has emerged to escape the city life and be amongst butterflies and bees.
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The American Institute of Architecture announced the winner of the Look Up Film Challenge last week. Now it is time for the public opinion! The videos of all 13 finalists are in the second phase of the Challenge: The Public’s Choice Award.
The teams had 16 days to produce a short film about how architecture enriches life and the sense of community in a city. The Look Up Film Challenge takes a closer look on architecture and how people relate to their surroundings. The finalists came from all over the USA, from Honolulu to Boston. The prize: 3.000 US-Dollars, a trip to Austin, Texas, and Film Festival Badges for the SXSW Film Festival in 2016.
They were also invited to the Chicago Architecture Biennial, that opened last weekend and started the next phase of the Challenge: Now it is up to the public to vote for their favorite out of the 13 teams. Voting ends November 2nd!
Find the videos here:
https://vimeo.com/140461929
https://vimeo.com/album/3592192/video/140461317
https://vimeo.com/album/3592192/video/140461318
https://vimeo.com/album/3592192/video/140461319
https://vimeo.com/album/3592192/video/140461320
https://vimeo.com/album/3592192/video/140461321
https://vimeo.com/album/3592192/video/140461322
https://vimeo.com/album/3592192/video/140461323
https://vimeo.com/album/3592192/video/140461325
https://vimeo.com/album/3592192/video/140461926
https://vimeo.com/album/3592192/video/140461927
https://vimeo.com/album/3592192/video/140461928
Vote here
Winners of the Look Up Film Challenge
First Place: My City Listens – Soha Momeni, Andrew Jeric
Second Place: The RED Office – Jeff Durkin, Dragan Radoicic
Third Place: Mixed Plate Hawaii – Kaoru Lovett, Graham Hart, Ronald Ribao
