A Slow-Growth Masterplan for
The Meadows
Client Challenge | Just outside of Buena Vista, Colorado sits 100 acres of heritage hay farm meadows, active organic farmland, cottonwood forests, high desert plains, and a mountain-fed stream. The property is unique in its proximity to town combined with rural character and dynamic natural features, including a view of Mt. Princeton peak. Our challenge was twofold: create a sustainable long- and short-term plan for the property where most of the land remains functioning in it's natural state; and design a plan that allows for sensitive hamlet-style development to occur at a variety of scales.
Team Approach | Principle worked with the developer on a multi-day, on-site design charrette that rejected a previous New Urbanist-inspired neighborhood design for the site. While on site, our team used tactical approaches to discover solutions to our design challenges: we staked out various aspects of the site in full scale in order to adjust to the natural characteristics of the particular sites—including taking the views and visual space into consideration. Principle worked quickly with the developer and his building company to create several key infrastructure design-build projects. During construction of these projects, we were on location to help mindfully site those features.
Project Impact | As part of the long term plan, Principle created a design that allows the land to sustainably function as a large-scale music festival venue. We were able to help finalize the land lease with an event production company in order to host a large-scale music festival on site, beginning with Vertex in 2016.
In addition, we successfully helped expand the organic farm on the land and create a farm plan that includes room for expansion and worker housing. Principle developed a plan to utilize water rights, including the creation of a pond and expanded irrigation system in order to help create additional fertile farm land. One of the irrigation ponds becomes an amenity during the music festival amenity, where guests can swim and paddleboard. We sited several activity centers that may become forest cottages, farm compounds, and wedding venues in order to enhance livability without compromising the natural beauty of site.
Location
The Meadows
Client
Landowner
Year
2012-2016
Team
Principle, South Main
Disciplines
Urban Design
Planning
The Meadows project helped us discover how a placemaking process and new urbanism design philosophy can be applied to preserving and enhancing a natural place, or creating a music festival. It helped us discover how aspects of urbanism can forward land stewardship.
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