Parks/Recreational Planning

Meditation Park
Huntsville, Alabama

GRC design group was asked to work with a division of Family Services Center to recreate a downtown park into a place of meditation and relaxation. Members of the Homicide Survivors Group will use the park as a memorial to their loved ones as well as volunteering to help in the construction and maintenance of the park. GRC created paths, buffer plantings, seating, water features, and other inviting elements to enhance and increase the usability of the park.

15th Street Promenade
University of Alabama in Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama

The University of Alabama in Birmingham, wanting to create a central corridor on the campus, chose to close 15th Street South. The first block selected, between 10th and 11th Avenues, includes an outdoor classroom and will serve as the southern gateway to the campus. Implemented in the design was the layout of the walk, detailing of the walk and gathering area, and other site amenities to tie to the rest of the campus.

Downtown Park
Arab, Alabama

In a continuing effort to revitalize the downtown area, the City of Arab asked GRC Design Group to create a historical downtown park for a vacant lot that would allow the citizens to reflect on the history of the city and its founder. Because of the paving surfaces that surround the lot, an effort was made in the design to create as much green space as possible to make the park more enjoyable. A statue of the founder of Arab was incorporated into the park. Large shade trees were used to provide shade to the visitors of the park and were planted to create focused views into the space centralized on the statue. Several seating areas including seatwalls and benches were provided for the visitors as well as site lighting and irrigation and landscape.

Huntsville-Madison County Senior Center
Huntsville, Alabama

The Senior Center of Huntsville asked GRC Design Group to create a new landscape plan for their overgrown “Walk in the Park” area. The criteria of the design was to open up the view of the gazebo in order to help utilize the space more by the seniors. Several pine trees were removed and a pathway was designed to provide direct access to the gazebo. Safety was also a concern for the facility. Several small shrubs were incorporated into the design in order to allow law enforcement to view into the space while driving through the parking lot and access road behind the walking trail.

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(*Work completed by staff at a previous firm.)