UNION LIFE - Wuhan, China
One of the rewarding aspects of being a small, landscape architecture office embedded in a large, multi-national architecture firm is the opportunity to work on projects in far-flung places that would not otherwise be accessible. Perkins Eastman, the architecture firm for which RGR Landscape is an affiliate, is a leader in the sector of senior living. Union Life, a Chinese insurance company, approached Perkins Eastman to design, not just one building, but an entire village of buildings to house the elderly of Wuhan. As there many spaces both within and in between buildings, there were many gardens to design, two of which are described here.
Office: RGR Landscape
Status: Completed
Principal-in-Charge: Geoff Roesch
Landscape Design: Sid Burke, Tanya Barth, Matt Yoder, John Merritt, Carrie Eastman, Wan-Li Fang
Site Entrance
Of the numerous design challenges we faced on this project, the biggest one was the charge to create a waterfall with tiered pools on a site that was dead flat without the need for a massive earthworks undertaking. This section suggests that expanse might compensate for a lack of dramatic vertical drop.
Section through Main Entrance and Administration building as it appeared in Schematic Design set.
Courtyard
Scheme A
This design describes a garden that is subdivided into spaces of differing degrees of social interaction. The terrace and the fountain area are the more social spaces and the smaller, private, more intimate spaces located furthest from the courtyard entry are the more solitary.
Scheme B
This design incorporates a perimeter path to create more of a strolling environment.
Longitudinal section of Courtyard Garden. This section applies to both schemes and tries to convey the rhythm of slight ups and downs in the hardscape that would add topographic interest to such a small space.
Memory Garden
Plan of garden for residents experiencing memory loss. We had to be mindful of not creating niches or corners which could confuse people.