Community Landscape Design
Hanson Oaks Community Green Space
Improving the quality of life for this neighborhood community.
The Hanson Oaks neighborhood is a 65 townhouse community developed in the 1970’s. It is located within a 10-minute walkshed of the New Carollton Metro, New Carrollton Amtrak stations, and the future New Carrollton Purple Line station currently under construction.
The Hanson Oaks neighborhood has three outdoor areas available for resident use: a basketball court and two lawn areas. This project focuses on the two lawn areas, which are located centrally in the neighborhood.
Currently, these lawn areas do not have furnishings, amenity structures, or organized programming. The areas combined measure just over 27,700 square feet.
Landscape Conditions
The two swatches are underutilized and disconnected. Topography is a significant factor, impacting drainage and erosion throughout the project areas. A near 40 foot grade change is observed between the overall highest and lowest points.
Through a community-engaged process, Hanson Oaks HOA and The Neighborhood Design Center developed a concept design for these areas:
Gathering Feedback
Over several months, NDC staff facilitated different engagement activities to understand community green space needs and gather design inspiration from residents.
Activities included ranking favorite precedent images with “bronze, silver, and gold medals”, and writing “love letters” and “break-up notes” on sticky notes regarding what qualities were liked and disliked. Based on this feedback, NDC presented synthesized concepts for review.
Key Takeaways
Final Design and Recommendations
The final design features a gazebo shaded by small trees to anchor the space. The gathering area extends into the community lawn. A retaining wall midway through the decending slope takes advantage of the hill to add another sitting opportunity.
A bench overlook at the site’s high points sits above the gully, providing a space to quietly admire the rolling landscape. This portion of the landscape is tied together with an aggregate walking loop lined with the existing lamp posts. The loop provides a recreational opportunity and functional infrastructure to help residents roll trashcans and other objects out of the backyard.
The beautifully canopied gully is now converted into a bioswale. Increased planting along the valley helps slow stormwater runoff into the existing BMP and its auxiliary drains that line the valley. Planting a variety of perennials, grasses, and shrubs create habitat and food for beneficial insects and birds; stabilizes the eroding slopes; and enhances the aesthetic appeal of the space.
NDC provided not only landscape plans, but a detailed plant palette and chart, furnishing options, and guidance on planting a privacy screen around utility boxes to bring this vision to life.
