HS 401, Spring 2015, Mary Yarborough Court Holliday Hall Landscape Improvements, NC State, Raleigh, NC resulted in a $1,500 value for design and $15,500 value for landscape construction
At the macro scale, the benefits of the urban forest include; 1- improvement of air and water quality, 2- reduction of heat island effect (caused by pavement without shade to be 50-90 degrees hotter than the air), 3- Reduction in stormwater runoff and pollution, 4- capture and long term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide CO2, (which helps to mitigate and/or defer global warming) 5- increase in aesthetic value, 6- provides human recovery from stress.
Urban conditions result in tree growth reduction, frequent replacement, short lifespans, and therefore higher cost of installation. Urban trees suffer from challenges including low soil volumes, compacted soils, and low organic material. Also poor drainage and air quality along with abuse by the public can limit the success of urban trees.
The ideal urban root zone volumes can range from 2,200cf with a minimum of 500cf-1,200cf (20x20x3). In addition, roots spread in the direction they find the best soil conditions. Designing ample root zones is a major part of this project. Stakeholders included primarily Tom Skolnicki, the University Landscape Architect, and the grounds team; Jeff DePinal, Dallas Brezman, Rick Hilburn, Mike Davis, Mark Devin, David Sanderson, Erin Ives the NC State University Landscape Architect.
Students designed a streetscape planting design and build the streetscape for the street adjacent to the Mary Yarborough Courtyard. They used innovation and creativity to develop construction details for the street tree plantings. A new planter and the surrounding pavement was located adjacent to the access ramp into Watauga Hall. Students also designed a planting plan in the two existing beds with the plant pallet provided by the Facilities and Operations Office.
Students create planting plans for the entire site, and created construction details for the ADA ramp, and the new street tree planter. They also create an enlarged detailed plan of the area around the proposed tree planter that will hold the new oak tree. Student’s plans included the paving pattern with band limits of the engineered soils. Students included critical detail sections of the engineered soils and the brick paving that went along with the detailed plan. Finally, the class collaborated with the grounds team to do the demolition, the preparation of the existing beds, the installation of the ADA ramp, and the proposed planter with associate paving, and plant the trees associated with the project. NC State grounds provided $5,000 materials equipment and labor.