urban hydrology and landscape architecture
TRANSCRIPT
URBAN HYDROLOGY
and
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Location
Project Overview
The property owned by EBSCO Industries consists of about 6000 acres
located on a heavily-wooded hilly ridge between Shelby County Highways 41
and 43, southeast of downtown Birmingham. The land is similar in size and
disposition to the collection of residential neighborhoods laid out primarily in
the 1920s on the ridge just south of downtown, including Homewood, Forest
Park, and Mountain Brook. The organization of these successful
neighborhoods, each approximately one-half mile across, has served as a
model for the regional planning of the EBSCO property, with the exception that
additional care has been taken to avoid building on the most difficult slopes
and to preserve natural greenways through the property. First to be developed
of the 6000 acre site is an area 560 acres in size, located on the western slope
of the ridge, against Highway 41. It consists of a flatter area close to the
highway and a hillside that increases in slope as it approaches the top of the
ridge. Slopes average around five percent in the flat area, increasing to about
fifteen percent on the low hillside, and jumping to thirty percent and above on
the upper third of the property.
Master Plan
600+/- acres
Over 40% of site left in natural state
600’+/- elevation change from Town Center to top of Double Oak Mountain
80,000 s.f. commercial/lease space
650+/- dwelling units
K-5 County School
RFD Fire Station
Development Facts
Development Goals
Grade as little as possible
Retain high points (topo)- don’t build on top of ridges
Retain as many trees as possible, even to the point of excessiveness
Keep Mt Laurel in Mt Laurel
Imprint the site as little as possible
Use the natural systems of Mt Laurel where possible (drainage, topo, soils)
Become a model for future growth in the region
Development Issues
Alignment of roads to meet County standards
forced excessive grading- subdivision regs
require adherence to AASHTO Greenbook
Curbs not County standard
Drain inlets not County standard
Lighting not County standard
Utilities under paving & in common trenches
“not done”
No streams/enviro issues
Development Reality
Limited Clearing and Grading
Limited Disturbance of Existing Vegetation
Limited Compaction of Land During
Construction
Limited the Use of Sod/Lawns
Worked with the Land, Not against it
Changed the Architecture to Fit The Land
USED THE NATURAL SYSTEMS TO OUR
ADVANTAGE
Pre-construction Aerial
Phase 1 Plan
Chipper Tree Spade
Sawmill
Site Development
Site Development
Site Development
Site Development
Site Development
Site Development
Comparison of development styles
Keep the trees Put the sidewalks next to the curbs
Stake the footprint of the house before clearing
Trench the edge of the foundation before clearing
Harvest the plant materials off the site before clearing
Clear/chip debris
Once construction starts, keep people off trees!
Use chips to cushion traffic around house (keeps mud off too!)
Replant
Developing Mt Laurel