Browsing by Author "Williams, Daphne"
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- Dante, VA: Community Design CharretteClements, 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.
- 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. - Greenbrier County, WV: Sports Complex & Park Conceptual Master PlanGilboy, Elizabeth; Jones, Alexander; Stroud, Patricia; Williams, Daphne; Zhong, Cen (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2016-10)
- 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. - Pearisburg, VA: Pearisburg Town Park Conceptual Master Plan Update and Tannery Road Site Conceptual DesignDelbridge, Lauren; Zhong, Cen; Jones, Alexander; Williams, Daphne; Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2017-05-08)The purpose of this project was to develop a conceptual master plan update for the Pearisburg Town Park that benefits families, seniors, and youth and improved the quality of life by building community pride and contributing to the tourism economy of Pearisburg. Additionally, the town sought to create the opportunity for an adult league baseball/ softball facility on a nearby undeveloped town property on Tannery Road by the New River. The town envisioned creating a recreational complex of facilities with updated features for every stage of life with a focus on updating their youth sports fields and supporting facilities. It was envisioned that the Pearisburg Town Park become a location where youth baseball and softball clubs could play, train, and host regional tournaments. The park’s open space, mature shade trees, walking trail, and bird watching would continue to offer the town and Giles County a clean, well-maintained nature park. Additionally, the town was interested in exploring the possibility of including the following elements: two youth baseball/softball fields, one adult baseball field, t-ball field, batting cages, spectator and farmer’s market shade structures, relocating concessions and restrooms, beach volleyball court, dog park, kids splash park, picnic pavilion, expanding on nature identification programs, outdoor stage, and improved parking.
- Prestonsburg, KY: Trail Town Conceptual Master PlanProctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth; Shi, Xiaofei; Williams, Daphne; Thomas, Andrea; Chase, Austin; Niland, Joe (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2017-06)The primary goal of this project was to help the City work toward their “Trail Town” certification by creating a conceptual trail master plan that connects trail networks to public spaces and provides recommendations for effective wayfinding signage.
- Russell County Fairgrounds Commercial Building Conceptual Improvements and Master Tree Planting PlanGilboy, Elizabeth; Jones, Kevin; Williams, Daphne; Dasgupta, Archi; Nautiyal, Divya; Stroud, Patricia; Thomas, Andrea (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2016-08)Russell County, with a population of around 28,300, is considered “The Heart of Southwest Virginia.” The +/- 13-acre fairground site is located in Castlewood on Donnie Dean Drive. The fairgrounds highlight the Appalachian region’s heritage with its scenic rolling mountains as a backdrop. In sharp contrast to the beautiful views, the fairground buildings are outdated and in dire need of maintenance and upgrades so that they can continue to serve the changing needs of the community. The Commercial Building of the fairgrounds acts as the central venue for indoor activities such as beauty pageants, wrestling, music, arts and crafts, commercial vendors, political rallies, Boy Scout meetings, agriculture expos, and a community meeting place. The Russell County Fair Association (RCFA) and the Community Design Assistance Center at Virginia Tech worked together to develop a conceptual design to resolve these issues by developing concepts to upgrade the Commercial Building, the adjacent landscape, and a master tree planting plan for the entire site. This work was made possible, in part, through a $6,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Program. CDAC’s proposed concept for the Commercial Building expands the capabilities of the facility which can support economic growth for the fairground and Russell County.
- 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.