Argal Park is a new City Park located in El Paso's Las Palmas neighborhood. The design converted a 23-acre desert lot, which was slated for industrial development, into a neighborhood amenity providing active and passive recreation and an extensive walking path system. Multiple walking paths run throughout the site and lead to a variety of site improvements. Much of the property will remain as native untouched desert, giving the park a very natural and El Paso feel and allowing users to experience the native terrain. A variety of other site amenities have been interwoven with this native area such as a large multi-purpose lawn, a dog park, public plazas, a covered playground, a restroom building, water fountains and many others. Pedestrian plazas with decorative colored concrete, benches, trees and trash receptacles provide a resting place for users. A half-acre dog park with divided areas for large and small dogs will draw pet owners from the surrounding area. Parents and grandparents will also be able to bring children to use the latest model of playground, swing set and open lawns. Native plants will be planted, and low impact development techniques have been implemented to take full advantage of all storm water.
Bachechi Open Space Park is one of Albuquerque’s most popular attractions, with pedestrians, bicyclists, hikers, equestrians, and nature enthusiasts all enjoying it. It’s the starting point for a 21-mile hike through the Bosque and the Rio Grande Valley State Park.
The park features a mostly native-plant urban forest, wildlife watching stations, picnic areas, and hiking trails. Roof water from the Environmental Education building is collected in above-ground cisterns and utilized to irrigate the landscape. On-site earthwork is an important part of the park’s water conservation strategy. Several moist soil and xeric depressions replicate the nearby bosque by harvesting water from surrounding surfaces. Plants thrive in this system, which also draws wildlife. To maintain precipitation on site for the vegetation, all grading is designed to collect water from hard and soft surfaces.
A wetland boardwalk, a restored historic pecan orchard, and a working arboretum are all part of the Bachechi Open Space Park. The design of this fantastic park was shaped by a lot of collaboration and public participation.
Black Arroyo Wildlife Park
Bosque Revitalization
Sites Southwest, along with the project engineers, provided the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with a study that’s changing the face of the Rio Grande in central New Mexico. The Reconnaissance Study is the initial step in a multi-phased plan to restore the river as it flows through Albuquerque. The goal is to return the river's bosque to a natural, environmentally sustainable state that will provide visitors with great scenic, recreational, and interpretive experiences.
Field work, historical studies, and Geographic Information Systems were all part of the project, which included documenting the bosque's unique history, natural and man-made elements, and historical reviews. As part of the Army Corps plan formulation process, Sites Southwest used a design charrette to collaborate with project stakeholders and others. In addition, the project required substantial community participation. The Rio Grande bosque in Albuquerque has the potential to transform flood control in a river setting that is also a popular recreational destination. Proposed reforestation techniques, paths, interpretative and passive recreational options offer a chance to reinvent the Bosque.
In the 1960s, the Hahn Arroyo Drainage Channel was originally built. It deteriorated over time, and the concrete lining deteriorated to the point of failure after severe rains. AMAFCA hired Sites Southwest to create a conceptual design for the channel's rehabilitation. AMAFCA and its consultants chose a unique approach based on environmentally friendly ideas and cutting-edge technology. The arroyo might be used for a variety of purposes, remain safe, and still act as a drainage system.
The Hahn was designed and rebuilt by Sites Southwest in collaboration with Smith Engineering. The project's main goal was to repair the drainage lining while also improving water quality. A multipurpose trail, water harvesting measures, and channel sections as open space/park lands were all part of the team's "whole systems approach." Diversion structures were built to filter contaminants from storm water before harvesting some of it and storing it in cisterns. The water irrigates the landscape, giving shade, habitat for wildlife, and aesthetic alleviation. A dog drinking station was also included, as well as wayfinding signage.
High Desert Community
Approximately 2,300 housing units are located on this 1,000-acre tract. Natural arroyos were preserved as open space corridors for stormwater recharge, wildlife, and trails as part of the development. Parks, streetscapes, and extra increased open space were all part of the phasing and implementation process. Disturbed infrastructure locations were reclaimed or replanted with native plants to generate better ecosystems. Sites Southwest's responsibilities have included contributing to the creation of the approved plant list and landscape criteria, serving on the community's design review committee, and planning landscape and irrigation for the community's numerous projects. All of the plants used in the landscaping are drought tolerant and mostly native to the area. Water collected from roads, rooftops, and other impermeable surfaces is re-used in the landscape. Residents were educated about the benefits of LID features through an interpretative signage system that was installed around the community.
Linda Daw Hudson Park
Linda Daw Hudson Park (formerly Franklin Hills Park) is located in El Paso, Texas, on the west slope of the Franklin Mountains. This project, which is a community park, was built around an existing arroyo that is surrounded by residential areas and an El Paso public school. The community developer and landscape architects, Sites Southwest, wanted to maintain as much of the existing desert as possible while maximizing the use of the site's already disturbed regions for park spaces. Because of its orientation and location, the facility prioritizes the preservation of the natural Chihuahuan desert and the efficient use of runoff.
A playground, plaza, walking route, parking lot upgrade, and an amphitheater are among the park's amenities. The designers included options for facilities such as a playground and an amphitheater that is used as an outdoor classroom by the adjacent school within the bowl-shaped property separated by the arroyo. A walking track passes through the central plaza and playground and runs around the perimeter of the natural area. The amphitheater was created by stabilizing the steep slopes with hydro mulch seeding and tiered walls. Texas Parks & Wildlife will certify this project as a "Texas Wildscape."
Open Space Enhancements
Sites Southwest led a multi-disciplinary team to produce a distinctive design with custom elements for two storm water dam sites, Van Buren Dam and Louisiana Dam, as part of a major project executing the City of El Paso, TX Trail and Open Space initiative. Following public feedback, plazas were created with decorative permeable paving, an outdoor amphitheater, lighting, ADA access, interpretative educational signs, and health-conscious aspects such as walking pathways, bicycling trails, and an exercise trail.
The educational and fitness pathways have unique aspects that add to the interpretive nature of the place. A sculpture trail was constructed in response to public demand for a skate park, and a local artist created an exquisite skateable sculpture. All of the pathways were designed to blend in with the surrounding nature and picnic spaces. Native vegetation was preserved, and disturbed areas were replanted with lovely low-water-use plants that provide shade and beauty while also allowing these facilities to function as drainage sites. Check dams and swales, among other water harvesting techniques, were used to improve the vegetation in previously unsightly, unused space. This project required collaboration with a variety of stakeholders: neighborhoods, community groups, City departments, the City Council representative, and other entities.
Linda Daw Hudson Park
Linda Daw Hudson Park (formerly Franklin Hills Park) is located in El Paso, Texas, on the west slope of the Franklin Mountains. This project, which is a community park, was built around an existing arroyo that is surrounded by residential areas and an El Paso public school. The community developer and landscape architects, Sites Southwest, wanted to maintain as much of the existing desert as possible while maximizing the use of the site's already disturbed regions for park spaces. Because of its orientation and location, the facility prioritizes the preservation of the natural Chihuahuan desert and the efficient use of runoff.
A playground, plaza, walking route, parking lot upgrade, and an amphitheater are among the park's amenities. The designers included options for facilities such as a playground and an amphitheater that is used as an outdoor classroom by the adjacent school within the bowl-shaped property separated by the arroyo. A walking track passes through the central plaza and playground and runs around the perimeter of the natural area. The amphitheater was created by stabilizing the steep slopes with hydro mulch seeding and tiered walls. Texas Parks & Wildlife will certify this project as a "Texas Wildscape."
Rancho Desierto Bello Park
Horizon City, Texas's neighborhood park is part of a planned development. This park serves a city neighborhood that is underserved. There are no other parks nearby, therefore this park has a playground, plaza, and sand play area. A dry streambed will come to life during a downpour, providing storm water capacity for the neighboring roadways in this development, and is planted with low water usage plant material.
Working closely with the engineers, we were able to explore the park's potential to control water runoff from neighboring subdivision streets and to accommodate small to medium water flows, as well as the ability to redirect larger flows to stormwater collection areas. The use of bioswales and check dams to slow the runoff enabled for more beautiful swale plantings and a little larger and deeper pond. This larger pond will feature a huge turfed lawn that will absorb filtered stormwater runoff and serve as a gathering spot for various activities throughout the day. Off the paved trail, a substantial quantity of native vegetation will be conserved, providing walking places. On the higher plateaus, a plaza, play area, and sand area serve as a family or gathering spot for Horizon City residents from the surrounding neighborhoods.
