LamarJohnsonCollaborative

Design Intent

Located in one of the most beloved parks in the City of St. Louis, the Tower Grove Park East Streams project began as a stream daylighting project, but as the design process unfolded, it became much more. Careful design consideration went into every aspect of the project, from hydrology, existing tree canopy, understory planting design, nature play, and equity and inclusion.

Design Program

Restore the historic stream, bridges, and path alignments, and provide new connections to other structures. Provide an area for recognizing the original history of inhabitants of this area. Provide a nature exploration area.

Mitigate 100% of Tower Grove Park's stormwater requirements for future park development.

Site And Context Investigation

The east stream, established as part of the original park plan from 1876, once continuously flowed across the park from south to north until the stream was buried in an underground pipe network in the 191Os. The design team utilized the information gathered on the historic alignment as a guide for the layout of the new stream. The new stream closely mimics the historic alignment and works to incorporate existing conditions, including bridge crossings, pathways, mature trees, landscape, and existing infrastructure. The more than 12-acre project site has many mature trees, most notably Bald Cypress, Sweet Gum, Oaks, and Elms.

MATERIALS & INSTALLATION METHODS

Materials played an integral role in the design and construction of the East Streams restoration. A large amount of reclaimed historic park materials were integrated into the project. Granite curbs and reclaimed limestone became the Osage Village. Salvaged granite building components and stone blocks from decommissioned stormwater tunnels became spillways and bank reinforcement.

In addition to these and several other instances, new materials used on the project were carefully selected to match the historic palette of the park, while special care was taken to integrate them in ways that clearly distinguished the historic elements of the park from modern construction. Material palettes and detailing was carefully coordinated with the National Park Service to ensure the historic status of the park was respected. During construction it was imperative that the historic structures and existing trees within the park were protected. The design team consulted with History

Restoration Architects to integrate modern infrastructure with the historic bridge crossings. The contractor, park staff and design team were closely coordinated throughout the construction period to address any issues that arose during the project, such as the discovery of stone drainage tunnels that were previously undocumented.

Environmental Impact And Concerns

Environmental impact is the primary driver of the East Stream restoration. Utilizing public park space to treat over 40 acres of stormwater runoff and the tributary sewer system from the adjacent neighborhood, the project increased water quality and mitigates flooding down stream. Furthermore, the project is used an outdoor classroom to educate on the historic ecosystems of Missouri, and the impacts of natural systems on our environment. The project is being used as a demonstration to determine the impact of urban environments on native plant materials, leveraging native prairies within the region where seed was collected for the plantings as the control.

COLLABORATION WITH THE CLIENT & OTHER DESIGNERS

The Landscape Architect served as the prime consultant on the design of the East Stream Restoration, leading a dynamic team of environmental engineers, civil engineers, historical architects, cultural consultants, and artists. In addition to the design team, the National Park Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, The Osage Nation, and the St Louis Metropolitan Sewer District, joined the Tower Grove Park team as key stakeholders involved in the design and implementation process.

Special Factors

Tower Grove Park is one of seven National Historic Landmark Parks. This designation is under the purview of the National Park Service (NPS). As such, the design team collaborated with historians from NPS to maintain the integrity and historical significance of the park while achieving the modern goals set out by the stream restoration process. The unique opportunity to create resilient stormwater infrastructure independently of development but rather because it is the right thing to do, is a testament to the park and community. The integration of such an impactful project in the heart of a civic treasure in St Louis has brought resilient design, equitable design, and ecology to the forefront. Landscape Architecture has taken a large stage with this project exposing the profession to a large and diverse transect of the city and visitors to the park.

TOWER GROVE PARK EAST STREAM RESTORATION, St. Louis, Missouri

Parks, Recreation & Open Space Design -

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE