Illinois Veterans’ Home
Specialties: Site Development, Landscape Architecture, Surveying
Details
Years: 2010 - 2020 (est.)
Location: Chicago, IL
Size: 5.5 acres
TERRA provided site/civil engineering, landscape architectural, and surveying services for the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs development. Located within the City of Chicago’s limits at the southwest corner of N. Oak Park Avenue and W. Forest Preserve Drive, the development includes approximately 5.5 acres of new building, parking lots, vehicular drop-off, landscaped courtyards, and walkways. Due to the site’s location, there was limited utility infrastructure adjacent to the project development. To avoid construction of more than 2,000 linear feet of a Chicago sewer extension, TERRA developed a stormwater management plan that utilizes the site’s existing drainage divides and discharge points. The existing discharge points include an IDOT drainage swale along Oak Park Avenue, IDOT combined sewer within W. Forest Preserve Drive and an IDNR Conservation Wetland, thru connection of the Read Hospital storm sewer network. The proposed development reduces the rate of stormwater runoff and improves water quality to all discharge points through a series of stormwater BMPs such as permeable pavers, infiltration trenches, and bioswales.
TERRA also provided landscape services which included the design and layout of parkway and site landscaping. Site design elements include pedestrian walkways, three exterior courtyard spaces designed to create an extension of the building’s interior and two rooftop sensory garden spaces for resident use. The landscape design uses primarily native and adapted plantings providing an attractive, low maintenance and water efficient alternative to traditional landscaping.
