Pragmatic Visions

Episode 25 Pt. 2: Discovering Ballantyne Reimagined

When repositioning a suburban office park and expansive golf course into an urban mixed-use development, there are a few things you must consider. How will the infrastructure support the long-term growth of the community? How will the roadways and open spaces connect to commercial experiences? LandDesign’s multidisciplinary team is working with Northwood Office to answer these questions for Ballantyne Reimagined. On this episode of Pragmatic Visions, we sat down with members of our design team, Adam McGuire, Lori Milam, and Matt Weschler, to understand how the inspiring vision for Ballantyne Reimagined will be implemented. Listen to Discovering Ballantyne Reimagined Part 1 to learn more about the bold vision for this project.

Episode 25 Pt. 1: Discovering Ballantyne Reimagined

Ballantyne is a nationally recognized community that has catalyzed growth in South Charlotte. Today, Ballantyne is undergoing an exciting transformation to reposition its 535-acre corporate park and golf course into an urban, mixed-use destination. For the next two episodes of Pragmatic Visions, we will discuss the journey we have embarked on with Northwood Office to implement their bold vision for Ballantyne Reimagined. On this episode, we sat down with LandDesign’s Dale Stewart, who was part of the initial planning of the community in the 90s, and current members of the project team, Rhett Crocker and Nate Doolittle to discuss the early planning efforts that set the stage for the development occurring today and the long-term plans for Ballantyne Reimagined.

Episode 24: Measuring the Impact of a Landscape

How do we measure the positive impact of the places we create? LandDesign’s Allison Peckett and Stephanie Roa were inspired to answer this very question and for the last several years have been digging into data and metrics as measures for project performance. In 2020, the duo took their research to the next level by partnering with the Landscape Architecture Foundation for Case Study Investigation Program that brings together leading design firms, academia, and funding to analyze landscape performance. Over the last year, Allison and Stephanie worked with George Mason University to quantify the social, environmental, and economic impact of the Potomac Science Center. On this episode of Pragmatic Visions, we sat down with Allison and LAF’s Megan Barnes to discuss key findings from the study, valuable lessons learned, and the importance of performance metrics in guiding the future of design. Read the full Potomac Science Center Landscape Performance case study, here: https://www.landscapeperformance.org/case-study-briefs/potomac-science-center

Episode 23: Planning for the Future

The land planning phase of a project can often work like a jigsaw puzzle. The big picture vision is there, but the process of assembling the pieces, entitlements and rezoning, can be nuanced and complex. Pairing engineering with zoning and entitlements are two integral parts of the land planning puzzle, and for LandDesign that's Director of Engineering, Jim Scanlon, and Land Use Attorney, Tony Calabrese. Together, they combine their jurisdictional knowledge and expertise in infrastructure planning and real estate development to bring a project vision to life. On this episode of Pragmatic Visions, we sit down with Jim and Tony to discuss the value of combining their unique perspectives to maximize a client’s assets, make informed decisions, and deliver some of the most ambitious and exciting real estate projects in the Northern Virginia region.

Episode 20: MatterLab Conversations - Illustrating the Value of the Profession

Traditionally, children are not introduced to concepts like landscape architecture until later on in their academic journey, if at all. Xiao Cui recognized the opportunity to leverage MatterLab as a way to combine her passion for the profession and natural talent for hand drawing to illustrate the value of landscape architecture to young children through an unlikely medium, a children’s book. Throughout the pages of her book, Xiao tells the story of Emma Lake, a young girl who loves parks and desires to be part of creating them, to communicate the role of landscape architecture in shaping the world around us. We sat down with Xiao to discuss her process for illustrating an entire children’s book and future plans for publishing Emma Lake’s story.