Jess VanNoy
landscape designer. coffee enthusiast.
STECOAH CULTURAL CENTER
Community Design Assistance Center Spring 2015 Internship
The Community Design Assistance Center is a non-profit design firm in Blacksburg, VA. We work with communities all over Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky to improve their towns and help them receive grants so that these projects can be implemented.
I worked there from February 2015-August 2015. The project I saw through was the Stecoah Cultural Center in Stecoah, NC. This area of North Carolina has heavy ties to its Native American history and its arts culture. The community members who run the center requested our help to translate these traditions to the landscape.
Designed by: Jess VanNoy
Armaghan Behzad Behbahani
Rendered By: Jess VanNoy
Armaghan Behzad Behbahani
MASTER PLAN
The element that drives the design of the Stecoah grounds is the interpretive trail that meanders around the perimeter of the site. Along this trail there are 5 interpretive stations that focus on a variety of historical traditions that the locals proudly embrace.
The first station talks about the old pump house and man-made water processes on site.
The second station is a conceptual art sculpture that is crafted by a local artist, highlighting the art culture in Stecoah.
The third station focuses on quilting heritage. All througout the American south, quilt squares are found on barns to represent family, occupation, art, etc. On the north-facing wall of the old gynamsium building, a quilt reflecting Stecoah will hang, and reflected on the ground plane is a quilt garden that creates seasonal beauty on this part of the site.
The fourth station highlights the local flora and fauna through a variety of layers. The immediate layer is the Cherokee wildflower planting comprised of native plants that all had special medical and cultural meaning to the Cherokee Indians. The background layer are the mountains, and the 'bald' in particular. A bald is a tree-less area of a forrested mountain; this was a sacred place to the Cherokee Indians.
The fifth, and final station, is the Panoramic Photograph station. Before it became the Stecoah Cultural Center, the building was an elementary school, and in 1920 the very first class took a photo outside the school. The station is positioned to look at the exact angle the photo was taken at.
In addition to the interpretive trail, the site program has cabinettes for visitors to stay on site, riparian plantings along the creek, and amphitheatre/basketball court, shuffle board court, outdoor bathrooms, pavilion, story circle, reading area along the northern part of the creek, a wind garden with wind sculptures hand-made by local artists, and a deck addition in the courtyard of the Center that is ADA accessible.
WIND GARDEN DETAIL
The details of the wind garden include wind sculptures hand crafted by a variety of local artists, 'swinging' chairs and benches to provide a meditative and peaceful experience, local pavers making it ADA accessible, and a variety of native plantings.
Designed by: Jess VanNoy
Rendered By: Jess VanNoy, via photoshop
WIND GARDEN PERSPECTIVE
Designed by: Jess VanNoy
Rendered By: Jess VanNoy, via photoshop
INTERPRETIVE STATION #5 (PANORAMIC PHOTOGRAPH) DETAIL
The details of the panoramic photograph station include benches for rest, the stand which talks about the history of the school/photo, and a variety of native plantings.
Designed by: Jess VanNoy
Rendered By: Jess VanNoy, via photoshop
INTERPRETIVE STATION #5 (PANORAMIC PHOTOGRAPH) PERSPECTIVE
PLANTING PLAN
As mentioned earlier, all of the plantings have been hand-selected to respect Native American culture. The plants are a variety of trees, shrubs, grasses, riparian vegetation, and wildflowers that create seasonal interest and are low-maintenance.
Designed by: Jess VanNoy
Rendered By: Jess VanNoy, via photoshop
Designed by: Jess VanNoy
Rendered By: Jess VanNoy, via AutoCAD & LandF/X