Grailville Nature Preserve Gateway and Masterplan

Project Narrative

Grailville Nature Preserve Gateway and Masterplan

The Clermont Park District has acquired 10 acres of former farmland and commissioned the design team to masterplan an entrance sequence of parking, comfort station, natural play area, individual seating, large and small shelters, and a trailhead immersed within a larger prairie biome.

The existing condition is long fallow farmland with a high incidence of invasive ground covers and trees. The first step will be to remove all invasives, stabilize the few remaining specimen trees, stabilize the drainage areas and prepare for habitat restoration.

The landscape is zoned into wet zones, prairie restoration zones, pollinator gardens, wildlife zones and native grassland areas according to topography, soil type and drainage. The comfort station creates a portal / gateway into the park. A trail threads the gateway, bifurcates into a series of individual seating areas, shelters and natural play areas; with the main trunk proceeding into the future expanded park.

The Gateway building is conceived of native limestone with an undulating “prairie” roof of photovoltaic panels, native planting and skylights. The interstitial space between the roof and walls provides natural ventilation and clerestory lighting.

Individual seating is conceived as glacial erratic stones nestled within pockets of prairie.

Shelters are for individuals or small groups to be utilized as semi blinds to allow quiet immersion into the natural habitats. Shelters are covered with native plantings that trail over the roof edges and partially screen the occupants within. Shelters will have distributed, off the grid electric charging generation and wireless connectivity.

                                           

Project Details

Submission Category

Landscape Architecture & Community Planning - Planning & Analysis Projects

Date of Completion

October, 2021