News
Rhodeside & Harwell Selected for Studies at Arches, Muir Woods National Parks
February 2012
Rhodeside & Harwell has been selected to provide site design and transportation planning assessment services for two heavily visited national parks in Utah and California. The National Park Service (NPS) selected the firm, along with prime consultant The Louis Berger Group, Inc., and Nelson\Nygaard, to study ways to enhance visitor experiences at Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, and Muir Woods National Park in Marin County, Calif. Read more about our latest NPS work here.Alexandria Waterfront Report Released
December 2011
The
Alexandria Waterfront Plan Work Group released its report this month following a six-month study effort to explore redevelopment along a three-mile stretch of the city's historic waterfront. The seven-member committee, appointed by Mayor William Euille, focused on public realm design, development characteristics, traffic, and parking. The work group supported recommendations to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and emphasize the arts, culture, and history.
Rhodeside & Harwell Director Elliot Rhodeside, FASLA, served as a member of the work group, which also examined issues for eminent domain, zoning, and changes in density. Rhodeside, quoted recently in
The Washington Post and the
Alexandria Times, has stated that the group reached consensus on much of the plan and believes it is time for the city to move forward.
Alexandria Police Headquarters Opens
November 2011
The City of Alexandria celebrated the opening of its new, LEED®-certified police headquarters on November 9. The four-story facility, which now houses nearly 500 police employees and staff members from the city’s Department of Emergency Communications, has enabled the city to consolidate operations from three different buildings on a new six-acre site on Wheeler Avenue. In addition to the 124,000-square-foot building, the project included construction of a 550-car parking structure. Rhodeside & Harwell worked with the team of HDR and Dewberry on the project, which has contributed to the revitalization of an underutilized neighborhood. Highlights of the landscape architecture include a public entrance plaza with security features, creative stormwater management concepts, native plantings, local hardscape materials, and architectural stone seat walls.
DC War Memorial Reopens
November 2011
The National Park Service has reopened the DC War Memorial following an extensive renovation of the circa-1931 structure and site. Located in a secluded grove near the Lincoln Reflecting Pool on the National Mall, the memorial honors the 499 city residents who died in World War I. The comprehensive design-build effort, completed by the team of Forrester Construction, Oehrlein & Associates, and Rhodeside & Harwell, restored the classical dome structure and its landscaped setting. The project involved extensive research regarding historial design elements for the site. The new landscaping includes native trees and lawn areas, as well as the replacement of walkways with bluestone paving designed to replicate the original paving patterns. Learn more about the DC War Memorial through
WAMU's special program.
OBO Announces EPIC Initiative for U.S. Embassies
October 2011
The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Overseas Building Operations has announced its new Embassy Perimeter Improvement Concepts (EPIC) initiative, addressing perimeter design for diplomatic facilities overseas. Rhodeside & Harwell, working with Davis Brody Bond Aedas and Weidlinger Associates, assessed the perimeter designs of four existing embassy compounds and developed alternate approaches that meet security requirements while presenting a welcoming image of the U.S. abroad. Read more from the State Department
here.
Plan & Place Issue #2
October 2011
Read the latest Plan & Place newsletter for an overview of Rhodeside & Harwell's portfolio of U.S. embassy projects overseas, and a special 25th anniversary interview with Deana Rhodeside.
RHI Presents at Rail-Volution
October 2011
Meredith Judy, AICP, LEED AP, recently participated in a panel discussion at the 2011 Rail-Volution conference in Washington, D.C. The panel, entitled "Livable Communities + Commuter Rail: Can We Have Both?" explored the challenges and opportunities in leveraging commuter rail to build livable communities. Meredith is a senior planner with Rhodeside & Harwell and was a senior member of the team addressing land use along the Amtrak passenger rail corridor in Virginia.
New U.S. Embassy in Malta Opens
September 2011
The new U.S. Embassy in Valletta, Malta, has recently opened, showcasing sustainable concepts, archeological and cultural research, and the use of locally quarried Maltese limestone. Working with Karn Charuhas Chapman & Twohey Architects (KCCT), Rhodeside & Harwell designed the landscape for the eight-building compound, which was recently featured in
Stone World magazine. The project involved preservation and interpretation of historic artifacts dating to the Byzantine era and now on display in a central courtyard.
Elliot Rhodeside Presents at Transportation/Land Use Connections Program
September 2011
Elliot Rhodeside, FASLA, recently presented at the Transportation/Land Use Connections (TLC) Regional Peer Exchange Network Forum in Washington, D.C. Rhodeside addressed the city's Connecticut Avenue Van Ness-UDC Commercial Corridor Enhancement Study, which is exploring a new vision for the Connecticut Avenue corridor with an emphasis on Low-Impact Development and enhanced stormwater management, an improved corridor identity, revitalized public spaces, and improved bicycle and pedestrian connections. The project has involved extensive community outreach, including a public design charrette.
Rhodeside & Harwell Assists Stafford County with UDAs
July 2011
Rhodeside & Harwell continues to work with Virginia communities on plans for Urban Development Areas. Stafford County is currently exploring the development of its Courthouse UDA, one of seven mixed-use UDAs identified in the county.
Read more here. The UDA technical assistance grant program is administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
Rhodeside & Harwell Presents at Virginia APA
July 2011
Three Rhodeside & Harwell professionals took part in panel presentations at the conference of the Virginia chapter of the American Planning Association in July. Dr. Deana Rhodeside participated in a discussion on "Urban Development Areas: Notes from the Field," while Meredith Judy contributed to "Statewide Planning and Programming by the Virginia Department of Rail and Transportation."
Elliot Rhodeside, FASLA, helped lead a discussion on "Practical Design Solutions for Reshaping the Urban Realm: Reclaiming Streets, Streetscapes, and Public Spaces During Lean Times." The session included analysis of a Rhodeside & Harwell project, the Connecticut Avenue/Van Ness-UDC Commercial Corridor Enhancement Study.
Rhodeside Named to Alexandria Waterfront Plan Work Group
July 2011
Elliot Rhodeside, FASLA, has been named to the Alexandria Waterfront Plan Work Group, which has been tasked with forming a consensus plan to address three miles of redevelopment along the city's waterfront. The seven-member group, which includes six citizens and one city council member, will hold several community meetings open to the public. Rhodeside was appointed by Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille.
Regional Landscapes for the 21st Century
July 2011
Faye Harwell, FASLA, presented on July 15 at the 2011 Congress of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects. Her topic, "From Canada to Kazakhstan and Malta and Back: Regional Landscapes for the 21st Century," provided Harwell an opportunity to revisit her early work in Canada and discuss Rhodeside & Harwell's recent international work in a broad range of climates and cultures. The CSLA Congress was held in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada.
Designing Secure and Sustainable U.S. Embassies
April 2011
Faye Harwell, FASLA, recently participated in a High Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition briefing on "
Secure and Sustainable U.S. Embassies," held at the Rayburn House Office Building on March 29. The panel addressed a range of design practices and operations that help reduce consumption of resources at diplomatic facilities, including embassies, while enhancing security and achieving design excellence. Lead sponsors included the AIA and ASHRAE.
Building Consensus for Reshaping Suburbs
April 2011
Deana Rhodeside, Ph.D., who has directed major community outreach initiatives for the redevelopment of Bailey's Crossroads in Northern Virginia, a Transit Vision Plan for the Hampton Roads region, and neighborhoods near six future AMTRAK commuter stations in Virginia, shared her experience in engaging the public in a presentation in early April at the American Planning Association's national conference in Boston.
The session, entitled "Building Consensus for Reshaping Suburbs," featured Dr. Rhodeside along with James P. Zook, AICP, former director of planning and zoning for Fairfax County; Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth; and Don Briggs, senior vice president of development for Federal Realty Investment Trust. The panel explored creating support for suburban growth including higher densities, mixed uses, and transit.
Lecture Series Highlights Restoration of Essex County Branch Brook Park
April 2011
A week-long lecture series detailing the historic restoration of Essex County Branch Brook Park is among the many highlights of the annual Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs April 4-17 in Newark, New Jersey. Rhodeside & Harwell's Faye Harwell, FASLA, and Brad Garner, ASLA, were key presenters in the lecture series, addressing the cultural landscape report developed for the park, the park's south division edge restoration, and the replanting of the famous Caroline Bamberger Fuld cherry tree collection.
The cherry tree collection is the most diverse in the world and is larger than the display in Washington, D.C.More than 4,300 new trees have been planted over the last few years as part of the historic park's ambitious restoration. Rhodeside & Harwell has helped plan and design many of the improvements for the 360-acre park.
This year's festival is dedicated to the people of Japan. The festival is presented by Essex County and the Branch Brook Park Alliance, with Aetna as a premier sponsor. Read more about the festival here.
Landmark Lions to be Restored at Branch Brook Park
February 2011
A highlight of the Essex County Branch Brook Park landscape since 1959, two limestone lion sculptures will be restored as part of the multi-phase Music Court and Balustrade area revitalization, near the park's lake.Rhodeside & Harwell has assisted in the ongoing restoration of the cherished park, which dates to 1895, for several years.
Lion Sculptures to be Restored
Health and Community Planning
February 2011
The
Port Towns Sector Plan, which addresses the future of four small urban communities in Maryland, demonstrates that the planning process can draw together diverse partners to advance strategies in community health. Dr. Deana Rhodeside recently led a panel presentation, "Putting Health at the Center of Community Planning Through Non-Traditional Partnerships," at the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in Charlotte, N.C. The session highlighted implementation of the health and wellness goals at the heart of the plan, prepared by Rhodeside & Harwell in collaboration with the Prince George's County Planning Department.
Virginia UDAs: Seeking Community Input
February 2011
As the lead consultant for a multidisciplinary team supporting the new Virginia Urban Development Areas (UDA) program, Rhodeside & Harwell is assisting VDOT and local communities with meeting Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) or New Urbanism pattern requirements. Services include urban design support, code revisions, economic analysis, transportation analysis, and extensive public outreach. Read about one of the latest community meetings here:
Stafford Residents Weigh in on UDAsHistoric D.C. Courthouse Wins GSA Design Award
January 2011
The renovation of the Historic D.C. Courthouse in Washington, D.C., built in 1820 as the city hall, was honored this month with a GSA Design Award. Rhodeside & Harwell served as a subconsultant to Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners on the complex project, which included reorienting the building on Judiciary Square and creating a more sustainable and accessible landscape. Design elements include distinctive new streetscapes, inviting green spaces, and an engaging courtyard atop a new underground parking garage. The restored building is now home to the District Court of Appeals.
Construction at Tidewater Community College Underway
January 2011
Construction is underway on the new Regional Health Professions Center at Tidewater Community College. The site for the 65,000-SF building features numerous sustainable measures, including biofiltration areas. Rhodeside & Harwell is working with EYP Architecture and Engineering on the project, located on the college's Virginia Beach campus.