Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2011 - (Page 18)

DESIGNER’S NOTEBOOK PRINCIPLES USED BY FORT COLLINS, COLORADOBASED LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, HERB SCHAAL, FASLA, EDAW WHEN DESIGNING GARDEN SPACES FOR CHILDREN 1. CHILDREN’S EYE LEVEL AND REACH ARE CRITICAL. Position plants using vertical planting walls, pots and 12-24" raised beds. 2. CHILDREN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO ROAM FREELY. Guide kids movement in ways that protects plants by strategically placing raised beds, walls, pots, gates and gateways. 3. A CHILD’S WORLD IS WITHIN THEIR REACH. Include intricate detail on the ground and vertical surfaces less than 36" above grade. 4. WATER IS A MAJOR ATTRACTION BUT WEIGHT, SAFETY, COST AND MAINTENANCE ARE ALWAYS BIG ISSUES. Use minimal flows of potable water on timers that can be wasted or used to sub-irrigate plants. 5. CHILDREN LOVE TO EXPLORE LANDSCAPES AND TEST THEIR WAY-FINDING AND MOBILITY SKILLS. Create a variety of surfaces and spaces with high-and low-points using foam fillers to minimize weight on green roof decks. 6. CHILDREN GROW BY DEVELOPING ALL EIGHT INTELLIGENCES (SPATIAL, LINGUISTIC, KINESTHETIC, INTRAPERSONAL, INTERPERSONAL, LOGICAL, MUSICAL AND NATURAL SCIENCE). Evaluate the design to be sure the full spectrum of learning is available. For example, one day in the garden, Wangler asked Evan: “What do you drink on a hot summer’s day?” The horticultural therapist then gently led him past the garden’s aromatic lemonscented herbs to stimulate Evan’s imagination and sense of smell without seeing an actual glass of lemonade. Evan would rub the leaves and smell the lemon-scented herb to help him relate its’ specific scent and texture to lemonade, thereby enabling him to develop a full image of the summer drink in his mind’s eye. This type of sensory activity helped Evan reestablish his cognitive skills. Evan eventually gained his speech back and regularly comes back to the garden to sing at special events “to give something back to the other patients and staff who helped him,” says Wangler proudly. 18 LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR WINTER 2011 This horticultural garden builds upon the foundation of a traditional green roof but also incorporates elements relating to way-finding and accessibility for those in wheelchairs. What differentiates this green roof and its therapeutic outcomes are its diversity in plantings, variation in scale, dominance in plantings over hardscape, whimsical elements, water features, garden furniture and elements of surprise — the very fundamental design elements and necessary qualities for a successful horticultural therapy garden, according to the AHTA. COLLABORATIVE APPROACH Design of the Olson Family Garden was led by renowned landscape architect Herb Schaal, FASLA, who is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. Nineteen stakeholders engaged in a three-day charette to guide the design process including the design team, hospital staff (including the facility leader, director of psychology, the chaplain, support services and hospital volunteers), the major donors Bruce and Kim Olson, as well as Missouri Botanical Garden experts who conducted a thorough review of all the plants specified to ensure they would not be poisonous or have adverse affects on children. Such collaboration was, of course, by design. “An integrated team approach is imperative in creating a successful horticultural therapy garden,” says Schaal who has designed over 20 children’s gardens during his 50-year tenure as a practicing landscape architect (and looks forward to designing many more). This coopera-

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2011

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2011
Contents
The Living Architecture & Health Connection
Picnic Perfect
Green Roof Sight-Seeing
A Sacred Space
On the Roof With… Judith H. Heerwagen
A Spiritual Oasis
Therapeutic Landscapes
Active Living Walls
Lifetime Achievement Award: A Legend Remembered
Civic Award: Kelly Luckett
Research Award: Jeremy Lundholm
Fieldnotes From Greenbuild 2010
Toward Net-Zero Water Use
Learn Online
New Corporate Members
Welcome New GRPs
Cents and Sustainability

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2011