Browsing by Author "Philen, Melissa"
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- A Bunker Garden: Mindfulness-Based Landscape Design to Restore Physicians from BurnoutPhilen, Melissa (Virginia Tech, 2017-11-03)Landscape architects design healing gardens at healthcare facilities to support patients, visitors, caregivers, and staff. Many acknowledge that medical staff regularly visit healing gardens to escape work-related stress (Marcus and Sachs, 2014). Rarely, however, are healing gardens on medical campuses designed specifically to support physicians' well-being. There is a void in healing garden design theory. Reports on the prevalence of physician burnout, warn of a widespread crisis and dismal reality within the medical community (T. D. Shanafelt et al., 2015). Researchers pronounce an urgent need for evidence-based interventions, which address individual contributing factors to burnout (Christina Maslach, Jackson, and Leiter, 1986). By investigating the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, an evidence-based therapy, clinically proven to cultivate emotional healing, for physicians suffering burnout, this research reveals how a therapeutic garden could meld mindfulness-based practices with environmental theory; healing garden design precedents; and healthcare design typologies. Finally, mindfulness-based landscape design guidelines describe how a private, restorative, healing garden could help maintain physicians' well-being and rehabilitate physicians experiencing burnout due to emotional exhaustion within the workplace.
- Burnsville, NC: Streetscape and Trail Conceptual Master Plan for the Western LoopGilboy, Elizabeth; Philen, Melissa; Browning, Lara; Niland, Joe; Jones, Alexander; VanNoy, Jess (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2015-10)Burnsville, North Carolina, a lone incorporated town in Yancey County, is nestled at the foothills of the Black Mountain Range in Yancey County. It has 17 named peaks over 6,000 feet in elevation, including the highest mountain in the Eastern United States, Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 feet in elevation. Because of its proximity to the Black Mountain Range and Appalachian Trail, Burnsville has the potential to connect to these outdoor resources and host visitors as a trail town. Providing a trailhead, gateways into the town, and a walkable main street were forefront in this design process.
In conjunction with the North Carolina High Peaks Trail Association, the Community Design Assistance Center (CDAC) developed the Western Loop Trail which traverses Burnsville’s Main Street and connects historic downtown Burnsville at the town square to the Mountain Heritage High School’s Nature Trail.
This design work includes a gateway design for the entrance to the Mountain Heritage High School, a mini-park for Cherry Lane, a streetscape design for West Main Street, and a trailhead concept at the Burnsville town square. - City of Whitesburg, KY: Downtown Section of the Tanglewood Downhill Trail Conceptual Master PlanGilboy, Elizabeth; Gray, Shane; Philen, Melissa; Niland, Joe; Browning, Lara; Souza de Souza, Aline Soares (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2015-12)The City of Whitesburg is located within Letcher County, in the eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Set in Appalachia along the Pine Mountain, Whitesburg is home to many natural resources including lumber, coal, and the Jefferson National Forest, which includes the Pine Mountain Trail that ultimately connects to the Appalachian Trail. Mountainous topography and the winding Kentucky River define Whitesburg and its development.
The Tanglewood Downhill Trail is a pedestrian and cyclist trail proposed to transect through the City of Whitesburg, primarily along an abandoned railway bed. This trail connects important destinations within Whitesburg, as well as connecting Whitesburg to contextual destinations such as the Pine Mountain Trail.
Because the location and route for the Tanglewood Downhill Trail was predetermined by the City, CDAC’s association with the trail consisted of three ‘focal area’ destinations along the trail, in addition to wayfinding and welcoming signage for Whitesburg along the length of the trail. These focal areas include the Farmers Market area, East Main Street, and a Downtown Trailhead.
The Downtown Section of the Tanglewood Downhill Trail Conceptual Master Plan project aims to visualize Whitesburg as a Trail Town and achieve a cohesive downtown experience along the trail, encourage economic growth, and enhance pedestrian experiences. This project comes in the wake of many new programs and efforts, positive energy, and progressive projects. The following list exemplifies such efforts and includes the connectedness of the Tanglewood Downhill Trail, Whitesburg’s Trail Town Initiative, the Whitesburg Health Department, East Main Street and downtown revitalization, the Farmers Market, as well as a Healthy Living Initiative.
In anticipation of Trail Town Certification, the City of Whitesburg applied for a grant from the Kentucky Division of Forestry’s (KDF) Restoring Environmental Quality (REQ) grant program for conceptual design work. With the assistance of this grant, the City of Whitesburg accepted a design proposal for the Community Design Assistance Center to assist the city with the following goals and objectives, as outlined by the city and city stakeholders:
1. To create a vision toward their desire for ‘Trail Town Certification’;
2. To plan for the downtown section of the Tanglewood Downhill Trail;
3. To plan downtown streetscape and greenspace improvements;
4. To conserve, protect, and enhance community natural resources;
5. To provide opportunities for ‘Healthy Living’ and alternative modes of transportation;
6. To visualize a downtown gateway experience;
7. To provide places where the city could showcase local arts and culture;
8. To locate an access to the Kentucky River;
9. To conceptualize signage and wayfinding design along the Downtown Section of the Tanglewood Downhill Trail
The goals and objectives, as outlined by the City of Whitesburg and city stakeholders align with CDAC’s core goals and principles of design for communities that CDAC partners with, as evidenced by CDAC’s mission statement below. The CDAC team worked closely with the Whitesburg community throughout the design process in order to provide the most appropriate design concepts for the Whitesburg community. - Dayton Greenway Conceptual Master PlanGilboy, Elizabeth; Philen, Melissa; Stroud, Patricia; Thomas, Andrea; Williams, Daphne; Alves, Elena; Zhong, Cen (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2016-06)The Town of Dayton, with a population of just over 1,500 in 2013, is one of the oldest settled communities in Rockingham County and the county's second oldest incorporated town. Formed in 1778 from Augusta County, Rockingham County is bounded on the west by the Allegheny Mountains and on the east by the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Between the natural boundaries, approximately a third of Rockingham County is protected by the Federal Government as National Forest and National Park land. The county is situated at the headwaters of the Shenandoah River and is bisected by Interstate 81.
Dayton possesses a certain small-town charm. A large portion of the land surrounding the town limits is agricultural and maintained by a combination of Mennonite groups, known as the Plain People, as well as conventional farmers. The largest employer in the county is James Madison University, located a short distance down VA State Route 42 in Harrisonburg, the county seat of Rockingham County. The fourth largest employer in the county, Cargill Meat Solutions, a poultry processing facility, is located within Dayton's town limits.
Included within the town limits are resources of significant cultural, social, and historic value. The town boasts 154 buildings and 1 significant site that contribute to the Dayton Historic District. Three community parks (College Street Pavilion, Sunset Park, and Cooks Creek Park) provide active and passive outdoor recreation opportunities.
Silver Lake, located in the county just outside of the town boundary, is a 10-acre body of water hosting a variety of plant and wildlife rests along the North River Loop of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail and Virginia Civil War Trails. The Silver Lake Mill, renovated in 2000-2001 and also in the county, functioned historically as a community facility. This mill is connected by a millrace, a stream of water used to power the mill's wheel, to Cooks Creek Park.
The Town of Dayton would like to develop a conceptual master plan for a multi-use greenway that traverses through a variety of areas in Dayton and connects various community assets throughout town, the downtown district, and Silver Lake.
It is envisioned that different segments of the greenway would each possess a distinct character. The character identified in each of the greenway's segments would take into consideration the history, context, and peculiarities within Dayton and would be reflected in the design for each segment. The following were identified as nodes and districts making up the future proposed greenway: Silver Lake, Silver Lake Mill, The Heritage Museum, Fort Harrison, the Shops at Dayton Market, Dayton Historic District, residential back alleys, downtown alleys, community parks, and residential areas.
Where feasible, the town would like the greenway to have the following: small pockets of playground equipment along the trail; landscaping where appropriate; benches; labelled trees where appropriate for educational purposes; outdoor sculptures and murals; character fencing in some areas, and way-finding signage.
One specific segment for the greenway was identified at the start of the project, which is along the Silver Lake Mill Raceway. This particular segment rests upon a piece of property owned by an Old Order Mennonite farmer who will be providing an easement to the town for the greenway use. The town contracted a local engineering firm to consider locations for this trail segment and two bridge crossings; one to a parking lot near Silver Lake Mill and the other to Cooks Creek. - London, KY : Turning London Green : Conceptual Designs for the Expansion of London's Streetscape and GreenspacesGilboy, Elizabeth; Philen, Melissa; Browning, Lara; Gray, Shane; Gresham, Carter; Souza de Souza, Aline Soares; Jones, Alexander (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2016-02)Located in Laurel County, Kentucky, the City of London is beginning to look to the future of the town and opportunities that exist for downtown improvements. The downtown area already contains several local restaurants and boutique shops, however the area is lacking in any major green space and is in need of streetscape improvements. Main Street exists as a lovely example of streetscape beautification. Urban trees, perennial shrub plantings, benches, and other pedestrian amenities line the corridor. London hopes to expand upon this aesthetic design by including the Broad Street corridor. London’s goal is to create a system of connected greenspace to promote outdoor physical activity such as walking and bicycling. Due to London’s recent designation as the Cycling Capitol of Kentucky, the city also looks to renovate and reassess its current cycling infrastructure. Directional and informational signage are also needed to unite the city under one clear aesthetic.
The city hopes to incorporate greenspace, provide safe and comfortable walking routes, celebrate their rich culture, and infuse the streets with local public art. By doing this, London hopes to have a more vibrant, welcoming, and economically viable destination for residents and visitors alike. - Meadowbrook Center conceptual landscape master planGilboy, Elizabeth; Steika, Kim; Philen, Melissa; Poteet, Tish; Rexrode, Amanda; West, William (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2010-07)The Meadowbrook Center is a public-private partnership between the Mountain Valley Charitable Foundation (MVCF) and Montgomery County. The facility is owned by the county and leased to MVCF with the exception of the library, which is retained by the County. The 40,000 square foot facility includes Meadowbrook Community Library, Waldron Family YMCA, Meadowbrook Museum, and Carilion Community Center. Also housed within the Community Center are the Shawsville Ruritan Club Square Dance, EastMont Arts Association, EastMont Garden Club, the Boys & Girls Club of the New River Valley office, EastMont Massage Therapy, Meadowbrook Quilters, and a café. There is still room in the facility for more organizations, mostly in the office wing. Housing the additional organizations assists the MVCF with their revenue stream.
The grounds of the Community Center are used quite a bit with various activities and programming uses such as a farmer’s market, walking area, a playground, festivals, and parking for the various activities.
The Community Design Assistance Center worked with a stakeholders committee composed of representatives of the various organizations of the Meadowbrook Center to develop a conceptual site master plan to address the various needs, wants, and issues described in this report. - North Wilkesboro, N.C: West Park Medical Complex Conceptual Master PlanGilboy, Elizabeth; Philen, Melissa; Williams, Daphne; Delbridge, Lauren; Jones, Alexander (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2016-05)Established in 1991, The Health Foundation is leading a community-wide, cross-sector initiative helping to ensure that all of the nearly 70,000 Wilkes County residents grow up healthy and active. In 1996, The Health Foundation, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to improving the health and well-being of residents in Wilkes County, purchased a declining strip shopping center in North Wilkesboro that rests on 28.29 acres and converted it into a medical park; West Park Medical Complex. The shopping center had become a community eyesore, that The Health Foundation sought to improve. Conveniently located just one-quarter mile from the regional hospital, it is now home to a synergistic array of services promoting health and wellness.
The West Park Medical Complex is located west of North Wilkesboro in a bottom-land on the north bank of the Yadkin River. Programs currently housed at the complex include an Express YMCA, pre-school age public playground, outpatient rehab services, oncology services, primary care medical services, urgent care services, an imaging center, pediatrics, an adult day healthcare center complete with a therapeutic garden, and a public health dental clinic serving both adults and children. Adjacent medical offices include mental health services and obstetrics, making the park and its environs the destination of choice for medical services spanning the human life cycle and condition.
The health complex also serves as a destination for active and passive recreation. The trailhead for the Yadkin River Greenway, a pedestrian/ cycling connector between the towns of Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro is located within the West Park Medical Complex. This greenway creates connections for the community to a variety of natural and cultural interests in the region. There are also possible future connections to the town of Wilkesboro and more regionally, W. Kerr Scott Lake, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Stone Mountain State Park, and Brushy Mountains.
The Health Foundation was seeking innovative ways to make the property flourish as a place of healing. They envision the West Park Medical Complex as a model landscape that expresses healthy eating and healthy living. Open space, trails, and signage would transform the parking lot and surrounding landscape into a site that encourages healthy choices and active living programs. These amenities would be available to patients, visitors, employees, and the community’s residents. The Health Foundation further envisions a place that fosters community building and exemplifies how urban landscapes can be optimally designed to be environmentally conscious, minimize pollutant run-off, and be bird friendly.
The property, which is bounded by Route 421 to the north, West Park Drive to the east, the Yadkin River to the south, and an office park to the west, also exists within a flood plain (see maps on following pages). Currently, the majority of the site’s businesses are at the perimeter of the property. A large asphalt parking lot services the buildings and provides an excess of 250 parking spaces. The Health Foundation is open to seeing how to reclaim approximately 25% of the existing parking by removing asphalt and replacing it with open space, paths, planting for the visitors’ comfort, and vegetation. - Scenery Management Study of Claytor LakeMiller, Patrick; Lui, Song; Gilboy, Elizabeth; Steika, Kim; Calorusso, Christine; Philen, Melissa; Abu Bakar, Shamsul; Chen, Zheng; Xu, Yining (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2009-05-01)This study focuses on Claytor Lake in Pulaski County, Virginia. Claytor Lake is an important water-oriented recreation destination in Southwest Virginia, as well as being home to many local residents. The scenic experience of the lake is important to both recreationists and residents (Recreation Assessment Study: Claytor Project, Ferc No. 739). This particular scenery management study helps identify and protect the scenic integrity and desirable landscape characteristics for the Claytor Lake region. It also proposes scenery management guidelines to keep this area attractive, while also accommodating appropriate development and land uses.
- South Boston, VA: First Baptist Church Learning Area and Garden Conceptual DesignGilboy, Elizabeth; Philen, Melissa; Browning, Lara; Moskaluk, Lexi; Gresham, Carter; Jones, Alexander; Li, Dan (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2015-12)Located in the Town of South Boston, Virginia, the First Baptist Church (FBC) owns a large fill lot on Main Street and is hoping to create an outdoor space which can be used by all members of the church. First Baptist Church and the First Baptist Weekday School, which is run by FBC, would like to create an outdoor learning area/garden that “weaves their community, children and adults, with new and existing educational and religious programs” says Mary Tucker Irby, director of the First Baptist Weekday School. This outdoor learning area would also expand upon the outreach services already provided by the church community and allow them to potentially grow food for the hungry, cultivate flowers for hospice patients, and provide a space for “education, play, recreation, friendly gatherings, performances, prayer, church meetings, Godly play, and gardening”. In addition to these elements, an outdoor gathering space or stage would allow outdoor services, children’s plays, weddings, and gatherings. This space would be a wonderful addition to First Baptist Church. The Community Design Assistance Center (CDAC) was contacted to work with the FBC to develop conceptual designs for the vision of the First Baptist Churchyard.
The design process began with an initial site visit to South Boston in June 2015. The CDAC team met with project stakeholders at First Baptist Church and discussed initial design visions and ideas for the churchyard. The team then walked the First Baptist Churchyard with these stakeholders, talking further about the visions and conditions of the site. The team documented existing conditions and took soil samples, which helped the team to understand the opportunities and constraints of the site. This inventory and analysis influenced the design concepts for First Baptist Churchyard. The team worked closely with a stakeholders group to better understand their vision for the site. Research was conducted regarding programs and elements that the stakeholders expressed interest in: natural and creative play, Godly Play, terraces, and gardens. After careful consideration of all the factors, a set of preliminary conceptual design alternatives was developed.
In July 2015, the CDAC team visited First Baptist Church to present the inventory and analysis of the site, research and case studies, and initial design ideas and concepts for the churchyard to the stakeholders and FBC community. During this meeting community members gave their feedback on the initial design concepts and how they wanted them changed and consolidated into a final concept. After this discussion, the design alternatives were then revised and combined into a final conceptual master plan for the First Baptist Churchyard.
The final master plans were presented at a second and final community meeting at the First Baptist Church in September 2015. - St. Paul, VA : managing stormwater in Market SquareGilboy, Elizabeth; Philen, Melissa; Stroud, Patricia; Thomas, Andrea; Williams, Daphne; Chase, Austin; Souza de Souza, Aline Soares; Stelfox, Mike; Hulshult, Amelia (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2016-09-01)The project focus is on Market Square block within St. Paul. St. Paul seeks ways to solve stormwater runoff issues by implementing design solutions closest to the source of precipitation. These conceptual designs address stormwater contaminates and volume while envisioning a pleasing downtown experience.
- Whitesburg, KY : downtown section of the Tanglewood Downhill Trail conceptual master planGilboy, Elizabeth; Philen, Melissa; Browning, Lara; Gray, Shane; Niland, Joe; Souza de Souza, Aline Soares (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2015-12-01)The Tanglewood Downhill Trail is a pedestrian and cyclist trail proposed to transect through Whitesburg, primarily along an abandoned railway bed. The trail connects important destinations within Whitesburg, as well as connecting Whitesburg to contextual destinations such as the Pine Mountain Trail.