LAR 524, Summer 2016, Beginning and Beyond Development Center Entrance Renovation, Raleigh NC. Received $4,000 in donations in kind and resulted in a $2,000 value for design and $20,000 value for landscape construction.
Received 2016 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Public Service
The North Carolina State University’s summer 2015 classes in Landscape Architecture Construction, Materials, and Methods and Planting Design integrated meaningful community service with instruction and reflection that enrich their learning experience, modeled civic responsibility, and strengthen the community.
The Beginning and Beyond Child Development Center Outdoor Learning Environment, located 322 E Cabarrus St, Raleigh, NC 27601 was devastated by the tornados that passed through Raleigh in 2012. They contacted Natural Learning Initiative at NCSU for design support, and the resulting plan was underway in 2015. NCSU’s Landscape Architecture and Horticultural Science students designed and built an improved entrance area to the Outdoor Learning Environment (OLE).
The two classes collaborated during the summer session to create a space that improves learning for underserved children. The class’s goal was to re-envision this steep area so it would be safer, form a gateway, clearly mark the entrance, and make it a usable meaningful play space.
Design development meetings and workshops were held by the students with stakeholders including the children and the teachers/administrators of the Child Development Center.
After ideas were developed with the stakeholders, the students worked with Ruppert Landscaping who volunteered time and materials to build a dry creek bed, and arbor students designed to function as a gateway, a storage space for class materials, and vegetables from the garden. Bland Landscaping donated plants that were incorporated around the entire building and the Tire Guy donated material to create a play sculpture dragon made from reused tires.
This project gave a sense of place to the entrance of the play area, while also being a service-learning project for students. It exemplifies NCSU’s land-grant mission to use the learning and knowledge gained to benefit society. Not only did this project directly improve Beginning and Beyond, it introduced students to work that gives back to society.