Logan Simpson’s landscape architecture design professionals believe that best results are achieved when the entire project team collaborates. As the prime design consultant for the City of Avondale, Logan Simpson worked closely with the city and residents. We identified and responded to the city’s and residents’ goals for enhancement of the 75-acre Friendship Park. With a construction budget of $2.5 million, Logan Simpson prepared the design through bid/construction document services. Site improvements included new entry access and additional parking improvements with wayfinding signage, one new restroom facility and renovations to existing restroom facilities, athletic field lighting and fencing, picnic and BBQ areas with shade structures, and overall new site furnishings, landscape, and irrigation. To maximize children’s experiences and celebrate play, our landscape architecture team incorporated  a multicolored, flow-through splash pad with 16 spray toys. The splash pad is protected by a large shade sail. As directed by the City, Logan Simpson collaborated with local high school students to theme the entire splash pad and to enhance the splash pad’s entry with LithoMosaic tiles. In 2016, the National Public Works Association awarded Friendship Park its prestigious National Public Works Project of the Year Award in the Structures Less than $5 Million category. For more information on Friendship Park, visit the City of Avondale’s website or read this Arizona Central article that describes some of the park’s new features.

Logan Simpson provided landscape architecture design services on this $5 million park, in Surprise, Arizona, which won the 2016 Public Works Association’s National Public Works Project of the Year Award in the Structures Less Than $5 Million category. The park is being developed in three phases. In Phase I, Logan Simpson provided conceptual alternatives analysis and design development, culminating in delivery of  30 percent schematic plans for the park’s three phases.  Phase I included access and parking improvements, a new picnic area and dog park, and fencing, lighting, and irrigation improvements to athletic fields. In Phase II, Logan Simpson provided landscape architecture services as a member of a design-build team. It was important to the City that Phase II foster a physical climate that engaged the needs of its residents. Amenities include a skate park, a splash pad, playgrounds, a basketball court, softball fields, shade structures with tables and BBQ grills, open multipurpose lawn areas, a restroom building, and a dog park. In addition to serving the needs of local neighborhood residents, Surprise Farms Community Park will provide a venue for revenue-generating community events such as soccer tournaments, movies, concerts, and fairs. For more information on Surprise Farms Community Park, visit the City of Surprise website.

Designed with the twin goals of sustainability and preservation in mind, the 58-acre Desert Arroyo Park showcases its native desert upland and mountain surroundings through sensitive landscape architecture. The park’s careful landscape architecture design and site programming respect the natural setting, creating a dynamic relationship between the park’s natural and built elements.

Four educational nodes focus on Sonoran Desert bugs, birds, mammals, and reptiles.  A fifth node provides a large gathering area and nature-themed play structure. WiFi access and an outdoor classroom encourage learning and exploration.

Located next to an elementary school, Desert Arroyo was developed with student input. Members of a student focus group had a chance to be landscape architecture designers. Each student designed their own playground and presented it to the Logan Simpson Design team. Students walked the park site with designers to get a sense of how their designs might look in place. They even had their handprints set in concrete during construction. As a result of this involvement, students developed a strong sense of pride in the park. The City of Mesa’s commitment to sustainability and preservation guided the Desert Arroyo Park’s development. The landscape architecture design dedicates 70 percent of the site to preserving the natural landscape. Logan Simpson’s landscape architecture design team performed extensive site analyses at the Desert Arroyo Park site to catalogue specimen plant life, areas of high animal concentration, and locations that offered the greatest opportunities for learning. Trails optimized views and allowed existing saguaro and barrel cacti and desert trees to be left in place. Natural washes that collect rainfall and provide wildlife corridors were preserved and enhanced.

Green infrastructure techniques were used to support natural vegetation and habitats. One of these techniques, low-impact development (LID), helps manage stormwater on site—helping make precious rainwater available to the park’s plants and animals. LID also helps reduce pollutants that would otherwise go into the city’s stormwater system. The project won the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association Outstanding Facility Award for Populations over 100,000; the Arizona Forward Crescordia Award for environmental excellence; and the American Society for Landscape Architecture Award of Excellence.
City of Mesa resources to help visitors enjoy the park include a Children’s Discovery Guide, a Flora Discovery Guide , and a Fauna Discovery Guide. More information is available on the City of Mesa’s website.