Gresham Smith is proud to announce that the firm received awards from the Kentucky Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA Kentucky). The firm’s design for Splash! at Charles Young Park received a Merit Award for Design/Constructed Work and The Trager MicroForest at Founders Square received a Merit Award for Design/Non-constructed.
“These projects are a testimony of our firm’s commitment to using landscape architecture to thoughtfully reimagine and strengthen communities,” said Louis Johnson, PLA, ASLA, Land Planning Executive Vice President, Gresham Smith. “This is the tenth consecutive year that our projects have been recognized, and it speaks to how beautiful landscape architecture can also serve as innovative solutions for our communities. I am deeply appreciative of our clients, our collaboration partners and our highly skilled teams who made this achievement possible.”
About the projects:
Splash! at Charles Young Park provides much-needed access to water play and park amenities while connecting two regional trails and the historic East End Neighborhood to Downtown Lexington. Inspired by the Bluegrass landscape, Splash! celebrates the community’s identity and the legacy of Brigadier General Charles Young, a soldier, diplomat and civil rights leader. Splash!’s design prioritizes immersive storytelling through nature-inspired design and custom signage. Built on a foundation of community input led by the client Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the design features the new water play feature, upgrades to accessibility, the historic restroom, seating and shade. The project has been held up nationally as an exemplary public design process by Reimagining the Civic Commons.
The Trager MicroForest at Founders Square in Louisville, Ky., is being designed in collaboration with the University of Louisville’s Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute to redefine urban spaces and promote public health. With a mission to explore the linkages between urban design and its impact on human health, this project will reimagine the site with intense planting while creating an accessible, inviting and functional public space. This initiative offers a multidisciplinary research platform, measuring the project’s effects on health, biodiversity, microclimates, economic expansion and safety. This project will guide urban planners globally in integrating nature into cities. The MicroForest is more than a project; it’s a vision for a healthier, greener city, while actively involving and reshaping community perceptions.
The ASLA Kentucky Professional Design Awards serve as a platform to showcase and evaluate influential work in landscape architecture across the Commonwealth of Kentucky, highlighting industry achievements to a broad audience. The project teams proudly accepted the awards during the Kentucky Chapter of ASLA Annual Meeting 2024 in Covington, Ky. on April 11.
