Project Category: Specialty Land Development

The Grand Garden at The Morton Arboretum

A grand–scale garden encompassing three main spaces; the Centennial Plaza, the Celebration Garden, and the Joy of Plants Garden. A series of garden rooms, numerous water features and fountains, intuitive wayfinding elements, and an elegant terrace for weddings and special or corporate events.  

Village of Mount Pleasant Campus Park

Ground up Construction of a Band Shell and Grand Lawn. The site features several Activity Shelters, a Splash Pad, Basketball Courts, a Cricket Pitch, two Soccer Fields and two Baseball fields. Significant drainage infrastructure was installed to retain the utility of the site even during unusually heavy periods of rain.  

Chicago History Museum, Major Renovation and Property Development

Developed in partnership with the Chicago Park District and support of neighborhood groups, The Chicago History Museum’s Jaffee History Trail creates a new destination at Lincoln Park’s southwestern corner. 

The interpretive path through the park space around the Museum incorporates features such as a fire relic from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the couch tomb, a reminder that the area was once a Chicago city cemetery.

This project also included the major renovation to the Museum’s underground storage facility, which is directly below the plaza and houses the Museum’s 23,000 linear feet of archives and manuscripts. Renovations upgraded the structural integrity of the space and modernized the interior and state of the art climate control system to assure the archives is preserved.

Cantigny Park, Project New Leaf – Phase 1

Five-year, multi-phase revitalization effort aimed at the redevelopment of the gardens and associated infrastructure improvements, including a remodeled Visitors’ Center and significant ecological native and wetland renovations. 

Phase 1 improvements have been completed and include:

• Major infrastructure improvements including over 38,000 cy of earthwork, site utilities, sub-surface drainage, storm water management redevelopment, renovation and modifications to roads and pathways, and ecological native and wetland renovations
• Remodeled Visitors Center, including an expanded information kiosk, Bertie’s Bistro and a covered entrance for Le Jardin
• Redesign and redevelopment of the display gardens and Gold Pond area
• Red Oaks Farm playground and adjacent picnic pavilion
• 350 new parking spaces in the south lot
• Lighted walkways connecting main attractions and easy-to-navigate path surfaces
• Oak Colonnade stretching north-south from the Visitors Center to the First Division Museum
• Expanded gathering plaza around the Lion of Cantigny statue, with seating
• New restroom and visitor information building just south of the Visitors Center

Cantigny Park, Project New Leaf – Phase 2

Five-year, multi-phase revitalization effort aimed at the redevelopment of the gardens and associated infrastructure improvements, including a remodeled Visitors’ Center and significant ecological native and wetland renovations. 

Phase 2 improvements

Focused on the redevelopment of the gardens and infrastructure improvements located east of the Visitors Center and south of the Robert R. McCormick Museum. Improvements within this phase will include:

• New visitor center patio and lawn renovation near LJ restaurant
• Green Garden renovation
• Octagon Garden renovation
• Visitors Center east lawn and plaza
renovation near the east entrance
• North and South Scallop Garden renovations
• Fountain Plaza and connector path between the Visitors Center and the allee

• South grove
• Rock Garden renovation
• Allee renovation
• Prairie View
• Little Farm stormwater facilities
• Pump house renovation
• World Trade Center exhibit at the First Division Museum grounds
• First Division Memorials

Brookfield Zoo, Hamill Family Wild Encounter and the Bramsen Animal Ambassador Pavilion

New Construction to house animals that engage visitors in up-close experiences,with public space for educational interaction and events and adjacent new public restrooms

The Morton Arboretum, Children’s Garden

Three main areas were developed: a Backyard Discovery Garden, Adventure Woods, and Central Plaza. They included ten, themed– gardens with water features, and climbing and play elements. 

Chicago Botanic Garden, Esplanade

​Three-acre garden included the site development, rerouting of active major utilities that feed the entire campus, multiple water features, pavilion structures, 400 lf of shoreline stabilization and new boardwalk, new stairway to an existing adjacent building, exterior decks, and trellises.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Gardens of the Great Basin

A ten-acre development of aquatic gardens, perennial gardens, wetland restoration, one half mile of shoreline stabilization with state of the art stabilization techniques, stone terraces and walking paths.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Evening Island

A new five-acre development of hillside, woodland, and meadow gardens, along with support buildings, stone terraces, one half mile of shoreline stabilization with state of the art stabilization techniques.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Buehler Enabling Garden

New 11,000 sq. ft. garden to demonstrate the latest gardening techniques for people with all abilities. Includes raised planting beds, vertical walls, aquatic fountains, a classroom area and support buildings. The project also included the redevelopment of a major portion of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Main Island.

Brookfield Zoo, Hamill Family Nature and Science Plaza

New Construction of a Three-season pavilion, winding pathways, sensory gardens, gathering spaces for education and special events. 

Northfield Park District, Willow Park Redevelopment

A 22-acre redevelopment and wetland remediation. Construction of four baseball fields, two soccer fields, four tennis courts, permeable 39-car parking lot, 3,400 sq. ft. picnic pavilion and storage facility, and 32,000 sq. ft. of pedestrian paths.

Give Something Back Foundation & Will County Historical Society, Lincoln Landing

A new interpretive education park spanning an entire city block. Located on the historic site of the Illinois & Michigan Canal in Lockport, IL.

Kenosha County, Wisconsin – Veterans Memorial Park Development

Decorated military veterans, elected officials, musicians and proud supporters gathered to celebrate the Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park ribbon cutting at Veterans Memorial Park’s Honor Plaza. 

Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park was developed from a former 335-acre gravel quarry into a stunning topographical and solitude park complete with hiking trails, picnic areas, cross country skiing and 39-acre Freedom Lake — to serve the community and honor veterans.

Navistar Inc., Navistar World Headquarters Site Development

Redevelopment of Navistar’s 200-acre campus that included outdoor decks, walks, terraces, patios, sand volleyball courts, basketball courts, putting greens, outdoor dining areas and extensive native and ornamental landscape gardens.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Spider Island

Chicago Botanic Garden, Dwarf Conifer Garden

Chicago Botanic Garden, Kleinman Center

​Designed by Oehme, van Sweden & Associates and features a canopied outdoor amphitheater overlooking a small bay, protected wading area, and a boardwalk where students can view aquatic plants at different depths and perform water tests to learn about the critical role that freshwater systems play in the health of the natural world.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Serpentine Bridge

A new two hundred foot long winding bridge that connects the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Main Island to the Evening Island.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Arch Bridge