Sustainable Land Development Today - March 2008 - (Page 20) COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT Landscape Architecture Summary The landscape architecture plan for The Crossings accomplished several goals, including developing ecological associations, reducing water consumption, utilizing recycled hardscape materials, restoring sensitive habitat areas, and creating serene pathway and garden environments that provide “shade and beauty.” Some of the landscaping innovations include extensive use of native plant materials, habitat restoration of the adjacent St. Joseph Wash, and the relocation of 15 mature oak trees on the site. planted around the center and intricate brickwork by Pacific Clay adds texture to the landscaping. The center’s spectacle of trees and botanicals complement The Crossings’ backdrop of rustic hills and arroyos. Esthetically, the landscape architecture plan melds with The Crossings’ colors, materials, and architectural elements to form the visual fabric of the retail center. NUVIS created functional and stylish activity hubs by combining natural materials with creative designs to ensure the landscaping offers beauty, shade and a sense of space. Care was also taken to provide attractive “people gathering” places within the center, which include such features as covered paseos, plazas, arbors, fountains and sitting areas. In planning The Crossings, Castle & Cooke also had some very unique ideas about creating a great retail place. They recognized the importance of landscaping to establish a visual statement and sense of place, and the need to soften the project’s edges, especially around the big-box retail outlets. It’s very important to provide continuity, yet minimize the visual impact of these large structures. “We wanted to go over the top esthetically at The Crossings,” says The center’s spectacle of trees and botanicals complement The Crossings’ Sampson. “We build backdrop of rustic hills and arroyos. and hold our projects so it’s important for us to do it right. It has definitely helped us attract tenants Landscape Architect Opinion and I think it has also enhanced our reputation.” “Today, there aren’t many retail centers in the U.S. with this level of The Crossings at Corona has proven very intelligent landscaping architecto be a very successful retail center and is ture, from both sustainable and esnearly 100 percent leased. It is the newest thetic viewpoints. For instance, about and largest retail center to open in River80 percent of The Crossings’ landside County, which has been one of the scaping is native or water-efficient nation’s fastest growing areas during the plant material, which will help keep last five years. maintenance and irrigation costs “For many tenants, The Crossings has down significantly. Addressing this the best store in their chains. There was issue is a two-fold process revolving definitely a pent-up demand for these around plant selection and water destores,” Sampson notes. “When I first mands. Now, more than ever, native met with the city, the first question was and indigenous plant species are ‘What restaurants are you going to bring meeting these integral aspirations in?’ Since there was such a need for upand are being incorporated as comscale retail, the city was, and is, very supmon elements. National and local portive of the project, which helped the programs encouraging green develentitlement and permitting process. opment are growing and reporting Nobody opposed us.” successes. National and local programs encour“As part of the Castle & Cooke aging green development are growing team, NUVIS was in the unique position to look at new and different and reporting successes. As part of the ways to develop a more sustainable Castle & Cooke team, NUVIS was in the retail center. There aren’t many retail unique position to look at new and difdevelopers and owners who are ferent ways to develop a more sustainusing these types of sustainable pracable retail center. A product of the best tices at the same level as Castle & practices in sustainability, The Crossings Cooke. However, we believe that in provides a tangible example of what the future, more commercial and regreen development within a retail envitail developers will want to go green, ronment can accomplish in terms of especially as they better understand comfort, esthetics, energy and resource and embrace the cost savings, good efficiency, and ultimately, marketing and will and other benefits associated sales success. SLDT with sustainable development. The Photos courtesy of NUVIS Landscape architecture must work together with carefully orchestrated colors, materials, and architectural elements to form the fabric of the retail center. About the author: Leslee A.Temple, FASLA, is vice president/CFO of NUVIS Crossings provides a tangible example of what green development within a retail environment can accomplish in terms of comfort, esthetics, and energy and resource efficiency.” - Leslee Temple 20 March 2008 Sustainable Land Development Today
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