Planning & Analysis Category

West Capitol Campus Historic Landscape Preservation Master Plan - SPECIAL MENTION AWARD
Mithun

Project Description:
Preserving history and a venerable legacy, the Washington State Capitol Campus Historic Landscape Preservation Master Plan takes a leap forward to promote sustainability in an increasingly urban future. The new plan represents an extraordinary opportunity to activate the Olmsted Brothers' original vision for the Capitol Campus in ways that highlight the value of cultural landscapes and their ability to perform ecologically as a living example of the State's environmental goals. The landscape master plan provides a sustainable link between the past and the future, respecting the design principles of the original Olmsted plan, honoring characteristic features and concepts of historic design, while acknowledging the dynamic context of the Capitol Grounds.

Jury Comments:
This project represents an important dimension of our discipline, campus planning. Landscape is after all ephemeral and unpredictable. This plan imbues the original Olmsted plan with new contemporary thinking and takes advantage of the experience we have gathered over the last 100 years regarding landscape maturation or how a landscape evolves over time. The project establishes a comprehensive set of measures for landscape preservation, yet there is an acknowledgement of the need for flexibility over time, while respecting the bones of the campus. The Landscape Master Plan and Vegetation Management Plan describe opportunities for rehabilitating the historic landscape while increasing ecological performance. The rigorous intellectual analysis, strong underpinning and excellent graphics and rehabilitation opportunities makes this a compelling document that should have a long and useful life.