Nature play isn’t just for people living in rural areas. The Nature Discovery Area & Inspire Trail in Lafayette Colorado proves it.
Behind the Design at The Park at Arapahoe Fairgrounds . . . “Snippets of beauty replace utilitarian forms.”
The grand opening of The Park at Arapahoe Fairgrounds is happening Saturday, June 25, 2016 and will be a giant celebration mimicking a mini-fair. The park is just one of the new offerings at the fairgrounds but it is chalk full of design features honoring the history and heritage of the open prairieland homestead. Here is one of the behind the design stories about the seemingly small and overlooked water control systems.
Controlling Water
Water is on of the most important assets for rancher and farmer. The ability to access it and to use it for sustenance dictates how agricultural and ranching assets are laid out. Accessing ground water by way of wells and controlling rainwater support the irrigation.
At The Park at Arapahoe Fairgrounds, water is a central feature. It is the primary character in stories of the stream, windmills, ponds, and water runoff systems.
Forebay Sedimentation Basin
The forebay sedimentation basin is designed beyond a utilitarian need to direct and dissipate the flow of water. Rather than a typical urban concrete eyesore, here the basin is treated as a special element complementing the natural environment with natural-looking boulders and a sand-filled bed to organize sediment running through the water corridor. This design hints to what the original homesteaders might have used in 1905, as these natural materials might have been all that was available.
Not Your Standard Drainage Chases
Fitting the natural setting, drainage chases are small snippets of design interpretation. Using logs and stones (versus the typically-used PVC pipes), these systems for controlling the flow of water each have a unique personality fitting perfectly within the context of an historic homestead.
Uncovering the Past and Envisioning the Future
Design Concepts has teamed with Muller Engineering to reshape and revitalize the North Dry Gulch Watershed in Lakewood, CO. Begun in 2010, this drainage project along historic Colfax Avenue will bring to light and redevelop a dry creek that has been buried under the city streets and buildings for decades.
The rich history of West Colfax predates the 1850s, when it was a trade route for the Ute Indians. By the 1900s this thoroughfare served as the main connector between Denver and the agricultural communities of Morrison and Golden. The constant bustle of hay wagons and peddlers evolved into trolley lines and bicycle lanes as Denver and the West developed and grew.
Now the North Dry Gulch outfall project is intended to correct long-standing drainage issues along this urban corridor. This ambitious project opens the door to create a new and vital environment. Improvements to mitigate flood risk, as well as improve multimodal connectivity and access to new public spaces, will allow for exciting opportunities for public use. Future investment on and around the legendary Colfax highway will follow. Rich in history and lore in the Denver region, Colfax is a prominent, highly developed commercial and residential area. This new drainage channel and public use corridor will add both recreation and commercial access while serving as critical flood control infrastructure.
The multi-disciplinary project is led by the City of Lakewood and Urban Drainage and Flood Control District, with highly experienced waterway consulting by Muller Engineering. Design Concepts has been involved as recreation and multimodal transportation planners since the initial stages of the North Dry Gulch project. Lakewood and the Denver metro community envision a modern and inviting future for this important piece of infrastructure, a regional asset for both function and fun. This seasoned team of experts is on task to create just that.
