Below are several work samples of many of
the playing fields and sports complex's I have designed over the years. Modern
day recreational
complexes are very expensive due to sophisticated irrigation systems--complex
grading and drainage schemes---dollar hungry parking areas
and elaborate planting designs. This high cost of recreation for urban areas
makes it important to maximize use of these elaborately prepared
areas. With this in mind I developed the concept of the Basic Sports Unit (BSU)
that has been used in both the United States and Australia.
The photo below shows 4 of the BSU's that
were built in Kambah at a cost of over $2 million dollars. This included
irrigation--parking--lighting
drainage systems and extensive landscaping for each 3.2 Ha (8acre) units.
Kambah's 320 Ha (800acre) central service
park with 4 BSU and supplementary playing fields alongside. All components in
the consolidated
green zone provide essential services to the 24,000 residents of this community
within a city of communities. The eleven pedestrian underpasses
allow conflict free movement throughout the extensive central park area as
people cycle and walk to shops--sports--cinema and schools
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The BSU creates an all important
flexibility in use of designed recreational areas that allow for efficient
utilization of space. Below are two
different versions of the BSU concept based on the culture they represent and
what sporting preferences exist. The type of sports may vary
somewhat but the underlying principle remains the same. The first example below
is what I called the British culture model because it reflects
a range of sports popular in Britain and the related Commonwealth countries.
Even within a given specific design like this there is still more
variation. For example the BSU below was the design I used for playing fields in
Tuggeranong (Australia) and one can see the Australian
Rules football field clearly shown in the center. In Canada or South Africa the
larger central element would likely be a cricket oval or in Canada
it could be Canadian Rules football and so on. This particular BSU used in
Tuggeranong has the following maximum capacity:
- 4 hockey or 2 hockey--1 rugby union and 1 soccer field
- 1 australian rules football oval or a cricket layout
- a maximum of 30 badminton and or volleyball sets
Also shown below is the multimillion
dollar recreation plan that I did for Tuggeranong. Extensive collaboration
occurred with sporting clubs, ACT
and recreation specialists, engineers and planners. Facilities planned include
- 30 basic sports (BSU) units at an estimated cost of $830,000 each with earthworks- irrigation-parking--lighting and planting
- 7 partial BSU units
- 9 tennis court complex's with an average of 12 courts per complex--parking--lighting--fencing--a vend center and showers
- 6 swim centers each with olympic standard swimming pools--a children's pool--massage center and restaurant
- 4 bowls greens associated with the regional centers
- 4-- 18 hole golf courses with pro shops and restaurants--and clubhouse facilities
- 1 80 Ha (200 acre) polo complex associated with the Point Hut River Equestrian Park.
- 15 community urban parks associated with the regional and area (neighborhood (centers)
- 8 adventure playgrounds to work in conjunction with the community park scheme
- 1 --16ha(40acre) town center park
developed as a lakeside park adjacent to the planned university.
recreation plan
typical basic sport unit detail--over 30 of these are being built
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Below is my scheme for complete separation
of the 204 km (128 mile) citywide multi trail system that merges with the
national trail system in the
surrounding region that goes to the Snowy Mountains and Bateman's Bay National
Park on the Pacific Ocean. Some 88 pedestrian underpasses
and 7 major pedestrian overpasses avoid any conflict with Tuggeranong's massive
6 lane arterial system. Around 80% of the arterial network
and related underpasses were completed in early 2007.
Components of the very popular trail shown
below are 1--typical modified existing grade 2--the main 3.3m gravel trail
3- a .5m concrete dish gutter
and erosion control feature doubles as a .5 meter hard surface bicycle pathway
for long distance cyclists. The pictures were taken along Mt. Taylor
in the north of Tuggeranong and near the Point Hut River Park Equestrian center.
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Landscape furniture should have a human
scale and rich diversity to be successful. I spent a lot of time with the
engineers to inject both of those
qualities into the hundreds of details that ultimately make a city successful or
not. Great effort was expended to achieve a simplicity and quite
elegance to the nearly 90 pedestrian underpasses throughout Tuggeranong. One
misconception associated with detail is that it has to cost a
a lot of money to look appealing. Well, nothing could be further from the truth
actually. Because there were so many underpasses throughout the
project it was vital to arrive at solutions that not only had a simple enduring
aesthetics but they also had to be very cost effective to get that many
into the network. I took every opportunity to get the structures where natural
grade separations were occurring-- eg stream crossings and fill
embankments. This technique not only dramatically reduced costs but gave the
structures the lowest profile possible, making them fit into their
surroundings in the most appealing way possible.
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Over a several year period I designed around
9 or 10 basic types of underpass structures with two goals in mind. To create
enough options to
fit every construction situation and to ensure a diversity of styles for
aesthetic reasons. Typical types 3 and 8 are shown below post construction
and with the erosion control oriented planting in long enough to begin to get
the effect intended. Other styles included precast box sections with
precast 45 degree wing walls (the most expensive option of the 9 or 10
developed) with pressure treated bridge timbers as an optional wing wall
treatment. Austen (self oxidizing steel) was used for guardrails. Each UP built
had a solar powered drip irrigation system to get the plant material
established and maintained.
Four of the BSU's built in Kambah have
created maximum flexibility and utilization of the 320Ha (800 acre) central
spine service park. A
compact and efficient utilization of very expensively created recreation space.
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Some good shots I took of one of the
completed Kambah Basic Sports Unit during a regional soccer meet last autumn
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Another variation of the BSU concept that
I created and have successfully used in North America is shown below. The
concept of maximum
flexibility remains the same but the sports components change. Americans and
Canadians love their baseball and gridiron (football) and this
BSU variation reflects this preference. The 100 x 134m (330x 440') complex has
allowances for level changes in uneven terrain and includes as
a base package. Total size for this model is 1.32 Ha or 3.3 acres
- one 76M(250') baseline adult baseball diamond--note that major league dimensions are somewhat larger
- one 61M (200') baseline little league or men's-women softball field
- one each regulation soccer, lacrosse and gridiron field possibility with an optional hockey field not shown
- up to 20 badminton and or volleyball grass courts for competition meets
USA-Canadian Type Basic Sports Unit (BSU)
model C--this is one of several I have created for general use and they have
proved popular
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Howard Park Irrigation Plan for Baseball Field No.3 (250' baseline model)
Below is a plan detail for1of 3 fields I designed for
this sports complex in western Palm Beach County. Water availability was
relatively low
at 50 gpm so more rotor heads had to be used than normal in this scheme.
About 2000 l.f. of class 200 pvc pipe ranging in size from
2" to 1 1/4" to 1" was used to service 8 x1 1/2" remote controlled valves from a
12 station controller. The 25 rotor heads were RB 6504
Falcons generating a 55' radius coverage at around 63 psi. Preset 70 psi
pressure regulators were installed on each rotor head to prevent any
future fishtailing or head misting in pressure surges. Several quick coupling valves were installed
near the diamond for the maintenance crews
needs. Related
basic furniture also in this package was a 8' cyclone fence--curved head cyclone
back stop model 34-429A(SeeBan) and a single
20 x 80'
f.g. bleacher package from PlayWorld (M-904-2).
I also reshaped the low swampy area to the rear of the field to function as a
retention basin for heavily fertilized irrigation water running off of the new
playing fields. The retbasin serviced all three fields and has a filtered
outfall into sugar cane fields adjacent to the complex. Xeriscape planting
was used to conserve future water needs and to visually merge the look of
the basin with the adjacent natural treeline. Non irrigated new grass
areas were sown with Pensacola Bahia and all three new irrigated outfields were
sodded with St. Agustine Flortam. An extensive irrigated assisted
planting design is scheduled for the area pending available funds.
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Rotor heads and a quick coupling valve detail from the
planset I supplied for this job--Installation of both heads and couplers were
standard practice for
playing fields.. Toro type flex hose can used as a substitute for the pre
manufactured swing joints shown in this detail but is not recommended because
pressure and gpm levels are high enough in sports field applications to cause
failure of flex pipe where rigid pvc swing joints will not fail
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kentmccoy landscape architect
www.kentmccoy.com