The Environment and Natural Resources Building (ENR-2) is a 150,000 square foot, five-story, $60 million classroom and office building recently constructed on the University of Arizona campus. McGann & Associates served as Project Landscape Architects on the project’s design team as a Subconsultant to Richard + Bauer Architects.

A unique feature of the ENR-2 building is a central canyon surrounded by balconies with outdoor circulation corridors. Each of these balconies is developed with over-structure plantings that provide interest and character to the space while also contributing to micro-climate mitigation. The building also features a large-scale water harvesting, storage, and reuse system. The collected rainwater is used as the primary irrigation water source for the project. These and other features all contributed to the building’s LEED Platinum Certification.

The canyon and other exterior spaces include gathering areas for the university community. These areas have become popular and highly utilized campus spaces.

The University of Arizona Phase VI Open Space project involved the redevelopment of a four block section of urban roadway with on-street parking, to create a campus mall with adjacent spaces for gathering, outdoor study, and the staging of university events. McGann & Associates served as prime consultant for this project and provided site planning and landscape architectural services.

The project required the maintenance of bicycle and emergency vehicle traffic through the site and well as the protection of underground utilities serving nearly one million square feet of building within the University’s Health Sciences Complex. Other key design issues addressed as part of this project were stormwater management and shuttle vehicle circulation.

This design was completed for the Catalina Foothills School District in 2014. The design of the Valley View Early Learning Center Expansion project’s landscape elements will be based on the following concepts and principles.
Landscape Development:

• Preserve significant saguaro cacti and surrounding desert on the northeast corner of the site and develop a nature trail as a teaching opportunity.
• Develop plans to salvage viable saguaro and other cacti species (in concordance with AZ State Native Plant Laws) for transplant on site to enhance the natural desert surroundings of the learning center.
  • Species observed on site that can be salvaged:
    • Saguaro
    • Barrel Cactus
    • Hedgehog Cactus
    • Pincushion Cactus
    • Limber bush
• Locate cacti and plants with spines well away from pedestrian and play areas for safety.
• Salvage existing surface rock and boulders to be used in new landscape areas.
• Extend the existing irrigated landscape concepts by repeating plant species and composition.
• Evaluate existing landscape with as-built drawings to determine plants most successful and adapt landscape palette accordingly.
• Use plant materials as design elements that define space, provide scale, introduce color, and generally enhance the visual and spatial characteristics of the building’s various outdoor spaces.
• Provide irrigation design that is easy to maintain and durable.
• Supplement irrigation with rain water harvesting features.
• Integrate xeriscaping concept that groups plants according to water requirements keeping the irrigated landscape close to the building and graduating to a native plant palette that can survive on rainfall alone once established, for peripheral areas of the site.
• Design water play features so runoff is used to irrigate native vegetation.

Outdoor Playground Development:

• Develop new outdoor play areas to provide a variety of inclusive play options.
• Follow appropriate playground safety standards and guidelines for equipment and surfacing.
• Take advantage of existing topography to create a multi-tiered play area with a variety of options for movement between the areas that are both challenging and inclusive.
• Work closely with CFSD staff to select play equipment that compliments what exists and enhances the overall outdoor play experience.
• Support the needs of supervisory staff in the play area.
• Provide shade and seating for staff and students
• Integrate functional drainage elements into features that enhance the play environment.