East Couplet Street Urban Improvement

East Couplet Street Uban Improvement

Randall D. Beck, Carol F. Shuler, Kevin Berry

Location : Scottsdale, USA. Date of completion : 1995. Client : Cities of Scottsdale and Phoenix. Architect : Randall D. Beck, Carol F. Shuler, Kevin Berry. Associates : Sandy Gonzales Corner design and construction contracts administration Photography : Richard Maack, Carol Shuler

The renovation undertaken in the East Couplet Street area comprised the development of a garden which winds along the paths, providing spaces of different sizes. The objective was to convert this garden zone into a bird sanctuary. The palnting was selected with the aim of providing cover and food for a wide variety of bird species. Trees and bushes were planted to act as windbreaks, deaden the noise of the traffic, and provide shade to people using the area. In the center of the Hummingbird Garden, five steel sculptures were installed, a little over 4.5 m (15 ft) high, which evoke the form of flower corollas. The configuration of the walks reproduces on the ground the shape of these flower sculptures. Low winding walls have been built along the walks and mini-plazas for people to sit. While the pavement has been painted red and ochre, the colors of the flower alluded to by the sculptures. The effect achieved contributes to the trnsformation of an area previously not particularly pleasant for walking and leisure into a place of relaxation, with a highly original concept of modern aesthetics.

(adapted from The World of Contemporary Architecture XX)