| Landscape Architecture 201: An Alley Design for Perry, Iowa
For 38 Iowa State University Landscape Architecture students Perry, Iowa became the site of their first "real world" landscape design project for the fall semester of 2008. This group of students, in their first year of the ISU Professional Landscape Architecture Program, took Landscape Architecture 201 (LA 201), a course in which students learn to draw and record existing landscapes and begin to design their own landscapes. An alley in Perry, Iowa proved to be a perfect first foray into landscape design.
Why an alley design?
While the term "alley" might have some negative connotations (a place for garbage and dumpsters, or a place where shady activities might happen), it can be more neutrally defined as simply a space between two buildings. Many cities, especially those where most areas have been developed, are beginning to realize that such spaces can be used for primary urban functions. But because they are simple spaces – and small – an alley can be a good project for a beginning designer.
Project Process
To begin their project on campus, students researched recent alley redevelopment projects from across the country; including Baltimore's and Chicago's "green alley" projects (see http://greenlineblog.com/community-greens-greening-baltimores-alleys/ and http://gmcgardenclub.org/images/stories/news/greenalleyhand-book.pdf). Students also studied basic principles of spatial design, and learned about Perry's history and demographics from a presentation by the students in the Community and Regional Planning Department who were concurrently researching and working on a plan for their studio CRP 432: Community Planning Studio (This project, entitled Planning for a Multicultural Perry: Iowa’s Re-emerging Hometown, was completed in Fall 2008). Afterwards, students spent a day in Perry meeting town officials and exploring downtown. They then generated a series of ideas for the north-south running alley between 1st Ave. and 2nd Street.
Project Goals
Students were asked to provide a design for the alley. Students' designs were to:
- Express an essential quality of Perry.
- Turn the linear space into a distinct place.
- Enhance the alley’s spatial definition.
- Provide for pedestrian movement, access, and resting.
- Consider pedestrian connections to the courtyard (also a former alley) adjacent to Hotel Pattee.
- Allow existing parking and vehicular movement in surrounding alleys to continue.
- Maintain existing utilities and services (A/C units, dumpsters, garbage service, doorways, and drains).
Because these were beginning students, the designs were meant to focus on generating creative and fun ideas, rather than on technical resolution. The goal of the project was to explore alternative futures for the alley and generate a wide range of possible design ideas that could possibly be used as a starting point for town and resident discussions.
Landscape Architecture Department
Iowa State University, 146 Design, Ames, IA 50011
LA 201 Faculty: Gary Hightshoe, Heidi Hohmann, J. Timothy Keller LA 201 Students: Tyler Arndt, Ryan Ballman, Jason Bril, Stacey Brockett, Lauren Clark, Megan Corcoran, Adam Covington, Eric Doll, Alex Fales, Colby Fangman, Ryan Frey, Andrea Glawe, Adam Hageman, Caitlin Hendrickson , Jennifer Hills, Yi Hou, Sara Jensen, Jackueline Kolpek, Connor Krause, Gregory Leichty, James Lofflin, Bennch Massaquoi, Alex McKinney, Nicholas Meyer, Luke Ness, Adam Novack, Kurt Pelzer, Jessica Perreault, Tyler Prestien, Abby Rodewald, Spencer Sneller, Nicole Soderquist, Jeffrey Steen, Drew Sturm, Sai Thongsuri, John Tipton, Chris Vasquez, Shengyi Yue
Images courtesy of Susan Erickson, ISU GIS and Town Craft Faculty and Staff
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