VTechWorks Repository :: Browsing by Author "Proctor, Nicholaus"

Browsing by Author "Proctor, Nicholaus"

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Abingdon, VA: William King Museum of Art Conceptual Campus Master Plan
Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth; Blackburn, Grayson; Waterman, Holly (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2019-08-16)
The William King Museum of Art (WKMA) sits on approximately 22 acres of land north of Main St. in Abingdon, Virginia. The William King Museum of Art is a premier visual arts facility in the region, offering outstanding fine world art, contemporary regional art, and cultural heritage exhibits that change frequently. The outdoor grounds that surround the main facility are underutilized but have great potential to become a multi-faceted public park, which will be essential as WKMA expands their programmed activities. A campus master plan would identify appropriate uses that would transform the WKMA campus into an outdoor destination for WKMA patrons and visitors to the Abingdon area. This community-driven space would encourage collaboration between many different groups in the region. Artists, performers, educators, naturalists, athletes, families, and businesses could all benefit from the renovated grounds. The proposed features would facilitate healthy living and exercise, sustainability, community engagement, creative thinking, and play. Improved grounds would provide space for athletic, educational, and public events that could bring in participants from outside the community thus boosting the local economy and tourism in this region. The grounds would also provide a beautiful space for local schools and organizations that would benefit the town and the Museum. Ultimately, renovating the grounds of the Museum would create a space in which art and nature could be in conversation with the broader community.
The Added Value of Community Engagement in Public Design for Landscape Architecture Professionals
Proctor, Nicholaus (Virginia Tech, 2017-02-09)
This thesis examines three uniquely different community engagement methods that explore the relationship between community values and the physical landscape in two Appalachian communities; Austinville, VA and St. Paul, VA. Each community engagement method is 1) introduced via literature review/case study, 2) modified from the case study to suit local conditions, and 3) analyzed for effectiveness in connecting local values and the physical landscape. I then reflected on this academic research through the lens of a three-year employment as a community development and natural asset planner with a 501(c)3 non-profit in southwest Virginia. The professional experience revealed five community systems that impacted the overall effectiveness of community engagement processes and had the potential to position communities, and their public projects, for a higher level of success. The community systems included: Capacity and Readiness, Involvement, Leadership, Communication, Frame of Reference and Community Vision. Research and professional practice together suggested that an intentional effort to understand and incorporate community values via community engagement ultimately led to more meaningful designs in the public sector.
Albany, KY: Conceptual Trail Linkage Plan
Jones, Alexander; Jones, Kevin; Henry, Nik; Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2017-10)
The Albany/Clinton County community has focused much attention on enhancing the built environment for healthy and active families over the last few years. They have benefited from enhancements and resources provided through a cooperative agreement that the University of Kentucky received with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (CDC). The agreement focuses on improving health outcomes in counties with obesity rates higher than 40 percent of the population. The initiative has provided health enhancements such as a fit trail, disc golf, new water cooling stations for their schools, etc. Additionally, Mark Fenton, a national expert in active communities, has visited the community to lead walk audits and assist in the development of a bike/pedestrian plan. It is through these public conversations that citizens have identified the need for extended walking and biking trails. The City Council, Fiscal Court, Health Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Clinton County Community Foundation, and Clinton County Health Coalition members along with other community partners worked collaboratively to provide input and feedback throughout the project. The Community Design Assistance Center at Virginia Tech worked with this Stakeholders Committee and the community to develop a conceptual trail linkage plan that links as many key sites near Mountain View Park through Albany’s downtown to Albany Manor. A conceptual design for a farmer’s market structure for the downtown site was also developed.
Blowing Rock, NC: American Legion Site Conceptual Design
Henry, Nik; Jones, Alexander; Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2017-08)
The most used pedestrian thoroughfares in Blowing Rock are the paths that connect Broyhill Park and adjacent parks with the downtown area. There are two sets of stairs that have worn down over the years, becoming dangerous for visitors. There is not an ADA-accessible route from Broyhill Park to the American Legion building. Further, pedestrian routes are poorly marked throughout the site and along Park Avenue, resulting in pedestrians walking in the middle of the road. The existing stairs behind the American Legion building have also been negatively affected by an erosion problem. Heavy silt deposits generated by multiple sources are adversely affecting Mayview Lake, which is fed by a North Carolina Trout Headwater. The erosion issue has led to the need of dredging Mayview Lake on a more frequent basis than normal and has begun to wash out portions of the stairs. The deteriorated state of the stairs has led, in part, to the creation of informal trails in less stable areas that add additional concern about safety and excessive erosion on the site. There was a great need to explore ways that the American Legion site can serve and function as a connector between popular destinations, but in a way that is safe for citizens and visitors. Further, there was a desire that future improvements reduce the negative impacts that poorly managed runoff has imposed on wildlife inhabiting Mayview Lake. The American Legion building site also needed a tree replacement plan for aesthetic improvements, pedestrian safety, run-off reduction, and to encourage greater species diversity among Blowing Rock’s tree population.
Clinchco, VA: Town-Wide and Downtown Conceptual Master Plans
Gilboy, Elizabeth; Proctor, Nicholaus; Harrell, Sara; Harrington, Hayley (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2021-09-30)
Clinchco, Virginia is a small community of about 350 people located in the northern portion of Dickenson County in the valley of the McClure River and near the West Virginia line. It is accessed by Routes 63 and 83, which pass through the town. Clinchco is striving to move forward, “reconstructing itself” for a better future. As one of the first steps in this process, a town-wide master plan and a downtown master plan was needed. The town wants to position itself to be economically sustainable that is supported by a diverse collection of businesses and industries.
Courtland, VA: Helping Hand Cemetery Conceptual Site Master Plan
Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2021-08-31)
The Helping Hand Cemetery Club has been involved in a number of projects to date to improve the cemetery, including in part, continued maintenance, obtaining a grant through the VA Department of Historic Resources for the upkeep of the cemetery grounds, obtaining a grant through the ‘400 Years of African American History Commission” program for a program called Sharing Their Stories, which will honor those interred in Helping Hand Cemetery by connecting their lives with Courtland’s early 1900s African-American community, and planning for the 125th Anniversary celebration. The purpose of this project was to work with the Helping Hand Cemetery Club to improve the appearance and pedestrian accessibility of the historic cemetery. CDAC worked with the HHCC to create a site master plan for the cemetery that focuses on enhancing the aesthetic appearance by incorporating low-maintenance landscaping and pedestrian circulation routes. The site master plan includes the approximate location of site amenities such as benches, welcome kiosk, supplemental fencing, etc.
Dante, VA: Community Design Charrette
Clements, Terry L.; Williams, Daphne; Shi, Xiaofei; Bohannon, C. L.; Bork, Dean R.; Jacobson, Wendy R.; Johnson, Benjamin C.; Katen, Brian F.; Kim, Mintai; McGill, David; Miller, Patrick A.; Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2017-02-01)
The Virginia Tech Landscape Architecture (LAR) Program held the first Richard G. Gibbons Public Landscapes Planning and Design Vertical Charrette at the beginning of the spring semester 2017. All landscape architecture students from second through fifth year participated in the charrette as part of their required studio and senior project work. This endowed charrette was also supported with an Urban & Community Forestry grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry provided through the Community Design Assistance Center and funding from the town of Dante. The charrette addressed public landscape issues and opportunities in Dante, Virginia, a historic coal town located in far southwest Virginia. Students and faculty travelled to the historic coal and rail town to meet with Dante and Russell County representatives to learn about the town and its rich social, cultural, economic, and environmental heritage as well as its current challenges and opportunities. Student groups were tasked with identifying and investigating options for community revitalization using public open space. After a single week of intensive work, the student groups graphically and orally presented their ideas for Dante’s future.
Dante, VA: Conceptual Downtown Master Plan and Park Design
Kim, Boram; Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2017-08)
This project was part two of a two-part project for the Dante community toward developing a conceptual downtown master plan that featured public open space. For part one, in January 2017 the Virginia Tech Landscape Architecture Program, with funding support from a Virginia Department of Forestry grant and from The Richard G. Gibbons Public Landscapes Planning and Design award, held a charrette to begin generating a host of ideas for short-term and long-term actions to improve public open space located by the former trail depot for use by Dante residents and visitors. Second through fifth-year landscape architecture students participated in the charrette. The charrette addressed public landscape issues and opportunities in Dante. Students and faculty met with Dante and Russell County representatives to learn about the town and its rich social, cultural, economic, and environmental heritage as well as its current challenges and opportunities. Student groups were tasked with identifying and investigating options for community revitalization using public open space. The purpose of the second phase of work, which is summarized in this report, was to work with the community to take the best themes and ideas from the ten teams of student work and create two refined alternative conceptual designs for both the downtown area and the open space, present those for feedback, then revise into one final conceptual master plan for the downtown area, one for the open space as a park, and planting recommendations.
Dante, VA: Conceptual Redevelopment of the Arty Lee School Property
Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth; Tobias, Meredith; Roebuck, Kontessa (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2018-09)
The Arty Lee School is an important part of the Dante community’s African American history. This final concept proposes an adaptive reuse of the eastern most footprint of the original building. The design turns this historical school into a multi-use learning hub for the community and regional visitors. Entrepreneurs, college groups, and nature enthusiasts alike will have the resources to work, learn, and host events in the new Arty Lee Center.
Dante, VA: Conceptual Redevelopment of the Dante Depot
Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth; Tucker, Lisa M.; Roebuck, Kontessa; Tobias, Meredith; Piotrowski, Samantha; Smith, Victoria (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2018-07)
This project was the third community planning project organized as Dante works to revitalize its community and downtown region. This third phase of work focused on the redevelopment of the Dante Depot. Using community feedback, the CDAC team proposed to redevelop the Dante Depot into a general store with a self-serve catering kitchen provides a local destination for visitors and the Dante community. Customers can experience the welcoming, historic atmosphere of the Depot while enjoying a cup of coffee or shopping in the general store, which offers local goods and crafts from the surrounding community.
Dante, VA: Conceptual Redevelopment Plan for the Former Steam Building and Contura Properties
Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth; Tucker, Lisa M.; Bolander, Madi; Diloia, Katelynn; Rosa, Anthony (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2020-04)
The design provides an overarching vision for the former steam building and Contura properties that connects to surrounding community assets such as the historic African American church. It creates a space that welcomes creators, innovators, and educators, while still creating a space welcoming to all in the community. The site master plan also enhances parking opportunities, creates an outdoor design for the “The Plant: Collaboration Center for Innovation”, restructures the space in front of the Dante Coal Mining and Railroad Museum, and creates a new trailhead along Lower Bearwallow Road.
Dante, VA: Conceptual Residential Housing Design Guidelines and Infill Prototypes
Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth; Jones, Kevin; Pickering, Sean; Wirth, Jessica (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2020-07-06)
CDAC assisted Dante with its revitalization efforts with this portion of work focused on residential housing design guidelines and infill prototypes. As revitalization efforts continue, it is important to document the coal camp character of Dante’s historical housing style while also providing design inspiration for renovations and new construction in order to preserve Dante’s architectural uniqueness. The housing design guidelines provide recommendations for preservation, rehabilitation, and new construction in historic Dante. They place emphasis on maintaining the historic ‘coal camp’ character of the community while offering prototypical designs for new infill construction. Design suggestions will primarily focus on Bearwallow, Straight Hollow, Bunchtown Rd., and Sawmill Hollow. The housing design guidelines and prototype designs will help Dante with their redevelopment and economic revitalization efforts related to housing and rental accommodations for tourists, visitors, and those wishing to explore Dante as a possible community in which to live. This guidance will also help ensure that the character of housing stays within the style and design typical of Dante’s coal homes.
Dante, VA: Where There's A Vision, There's Opportunity
Gilboy, Elizabeth; Proctor, Nicholaus; Morici, Joe; Wallace, Lou (2019-03-19)
From coal depot to a coffee cafe, the economic future of Dante, VA is bright. Dante's creative approach to utilizing grants opportuntities has brought new life into this former coal camp, deep in the hills of southwest Virginia. Once known for its rich coal deposits, Dante (population approx. 400) now sits at the heart of the Clinch River watershed, a region teeming with biodiversity and eco-tourism potential. The Dante Community Association began in January 2017 by rapidly assembling a network of community, county, state, and collegiate partners to accelerate planning initiatives. Their efforts ultimately targeted two key brownfields, the Dante Depot/ downtown park and former Arty Lee School. Both had unfortunately become unsightly after years of neglect. Extensive efforts established a vision for the two properties that leveraged economic development trends prevalent in the region such as local foods, lodging, retail, entertainment, and continuing education/co-working. In a short two-year period the community has obtained eight grants worth $200,000 and has been recognized by the VA Department of Housing and Community Development as a member of its Main Street Affiliate program. A sample of their grants include conceptual design assistance from undergraduate students at the Community Design Assistance Center at Virginia Tech, a brownfields site assessment and redevelopment plan through the EPA, a new playground through KaBOOM!, and a grant through VA Dept. of Transportation to restore a portion of the Dante Depot.
Dungannon, VA: Town Playground Conceptual Master Plan
Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth; Jones, Alexander (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2017-08)
The Town began efforts in 2014 to revitalize its downtown and restore economic stability to its community that leverages its abundant cultural and natural assets. Several of those assets include the Clinch River, the High Knob recreation area, the Scott County Horse Park, and the Flanary archeaology site. Dungannon has since been awarded an approximately $800,000 grant through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) . This grant focuses on the downtown core, bringing various physical improvements to sidewalks, building facades, and creates a community greenspace with a farmer’s market. Virginia’s DHCD also awarded Dungannon a $100,000 Revolving Loan Fund grant that provides new entrepreneurs in the community access to local funds that kick starts their efforts or expands their services. These two grants established a strong coalition of community members that continuously look to improve their community. Despite the current momentum, there were still several physical improvement projects that lie outside the capabilities of existing funding, specifically in areas that targeted community youth. A central theme of Dungannon’s vision is to become a safer and healthier place for youth to grow up and return to live over the course of their life. There currently is limited access to youth-oriented facilities, such as playgrounds and outdoor learning. The Town of Dungannon partnered with the Dungannon Development Commission, Dungannon Intermediate School, Dungannon Youth Program Committee, and theAppalachian CAD Agency to create a new playground and environmental learning trail in Dungannon to serve the surrounding area. CDAC’s collaborative engagement process brought the community’s diverse ideas together into a conceptual design for a town playground that fosters physical exercise, provides environmental education opportunities, can be feasibly built, and maintained by the community.
Glade Spring, VA: Conceptual Hemlock Street Trailhead Design
Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2019-03-15)
In order to enhance the trail experience in Glade Spring, a new trailhead is envisioned near the corner of Hemlock Street where an old house was recently demolished. The Hemlock Street trailhead is in close proximity to several Glade Spring attractions such as Surber & Son Hardware, Town Square Center of the Arts, and the Glade Spring Farmers Market. The goal of this project was to work with the Glade Spring community to develop a conceptual design for a trailhead in downtown Glade Spring. The site is located near the bend in Hemlock Street and behind the Glade Spring Senior Center. Currently, the site is a gravel parking lot. The site will serve as the trailhead once the Salt Trail is completed into the Glade Spring Town Square. The trailhead needs improved parking, a kiosk with a map illustrating the trail and possibly the history of the trail, benches, picnic tables, restrooms, and any other improvements that would improve access and use of the Salt Trail.
Honaker, VA: Conceptual Redevelopment Plan for the Slate Building Property Final Report
Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2020-03-12)
The purpose of this project was to work with a Stakeholders Committee and the community from the Town of Honaker to create a conceptual redevelopment plan for the Slate building property located on South Railroad Avenue.
Luray, VA: Andrew Jackson School Memorial Park Conceptual Site Master Plan
Gilboy, Elizabeth; Harrington, Hayley; Harrell, Sara; Proctor, Nicholaus (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2021-11-08)
The West Luray Recreation Center is a former Rosenwald school that has been converted into a community-based recreation center. The community center is privately owned and operated in partnership with Living Legacy, a local nonprofit. The West Luray Recreation Center provides a positive activity and learning environment for underserved youth in nearby neighborhoods, Luray, and Page County. Some of what the center provides include an after-school tutoring program, mentoring, meals, and space for indoor activities and socializing. Living Legacy wanted to develop a conceptual site master plan for the property behind the West Luray Recreation Center building in order to expand its potential for offering youth-oriented recreational and community-based agriculture learning opportunities. This design effort included the land immediately around the building as well as behind the building and down the slope to create a park as the first outdoor recreation space in the west end of Luray: Andrew Jackson School Memorial Park. The purpose of this project was to work with the property owner Mr. King, Living Legacy, and the local community to create a conceptual site master plan for Andrew Jackson School Memorial Park.
Luray, VA: Conceptual Plan for the Page County Community Space
Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2020-12-10)
Page County has a 10-acre undeveloped parcel located in the Town of Luray limits. This gateway parcel has frontage off of HWY 211 going east toward Shenandoah National Park and Route 340 South into the Luray’s Main Street downtown district. This highly visible parcel has potential to address several community-based initiatives, such as increased access to public open space, fresh and healthy food, and opportunities for outdoor exercise and better pedestrian connectivity. Nearby assets that this parcel can connect to in Luray are some of Virginia’s most popular attractions, including the Luray Caverns and the Shenandoah National Park in addition to the well-known and highly successful Luray Hawksbill Greenway.
Marion, VA: Abijah Thomas House Conceptual Site Master Plan
Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth; Allen, Kristen; Tolstikhin, Anastasia (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2018-07)
The goal of this project was to develop a conceptual site master plan for the Abijah Thomas house (herein referred to as the Octagon House), including it’s current grounds, and surrounding properties (to be purchased in the future) and to depict the Octagon House Foundation’s vision for a historical, educational, and cultural attraction. Further, CDAC explored opportunities to link the Octagon House to regional trail networks such as the Appalachian Trail and the Gorge Trail. The current property is about 1 acre in size and is located at the corner of Thomas Bridge Rd and VA 657 Octagon House Rd. Several adjacent and nearby properties were included in the planning for their vision of the Octagon House. At the request of the Octagon House Foundation, one adjacent property located at the rear of the property (Richardson Property), two properties just behind the adjacent property (another Richardson property and then an Evans property), and the two properties across the street were included when creating the conceptual site master plan. The Thomas Cemetery was also included. This public cemetery, is located within walking distance down the street from the Abijah Thomas house and contains the Thomas family graves. The Community Design Assistance Center worked with a stakeholders group from the Octagon House Foundation to develop ideas for the conceptual site master plan. The site master plan was developed with the aim of potentially obtaining nearby site(s), but phased so that additional site(s) would not be needed to function in the near-term. The conceptual master plan can be helpful to the Octagon House Foundation, Inc. with fundraising as it will portray a visual depiction of their vision for the future.
Marion, VA: Hungry Mother Lutheran Retreat Center Conceptual Expansion Master Plan
Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth; Allen, Kristen; Roebuck, Kontessa (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2018-08-14)
Originally opened in 1957, the HMLRC has been most notably known for its incredibly scenic property and as a rustic youth camp offered every summer. The HMLRC has operated as such primarily unchanged since its opening. The HMLRC has, however, expanded is program structure in recent years to embrace new partnerships. Some of those new partnerships are with the local probation office, Department of Social Services, Sprouting Hope Community Garden, the Boy Scouts of America, local healthy living initiatives, and private reservations/retreats. Further, special events such as family reunions remain a popular type of activity since the HMLRC has a more private setting when compared to the nearby Hungry Mother State Park. In order to accompany its growing list of diverse user groups and further sustain its economic and personnel stability, the HMLRC found value in establishing a strategic expansion master plan. This master plan provides overarching guidance and design principles for long-term programmatic and physical infrastructure enhancements where appropriate.

Browsing by Author "Proctor, Nicholaus"

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