Several students from OU’s Master of Landscape Architecture and Regional + City Planning programs recently received awards at the annual meeting of the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Each year, the OKASLA hosts an annual conference to recognize exceptional ASLA members and their achievements and discuss relevant topics within the discipline.
This year’s awards submissions were judged by the Alaska Chapter of ASLA. Six different projects created by Gibbs students were recognized for their outstanding designs. Read on to learn more about these award-winning projects.
Rajith Kumar Kedarisetty – Andrews Park: A Symphony of Play, Nature and Harmony
MLA student Rajith Kumar Kedarisetty received the ASLA Honor Award, which is the organization’s highest honor. For his project, Kedarisetty came up with designs for Andrews Park in Norman, OK. His design solutions address the park’s existing problems such as accessibility and walkability, comfortable seating and safety.
Kedarisetty wanted to create an enchanting oasis that offers a symphony of play and recreation activities to engage visitors and promote community bonding. Utilizing a biophilic approach, he crafted his designs to improve the health and well-being of visitors. He designed the park to be accessible and welcoming to all with a strong emphasis on sustainability and community engagement.
His designs integrate low-impact development strategies like detention ponds and bioswales to address potenetial flooding problems caused by channel streams. He also improved the existing park plaza and splash pad to improve navigation throughout the space. A few of the park’s key features are the central green space for community events, pollinator garden, bocce ball courts, picnic pavilion and rainbow trellis.
Kedarissety expressed his excitement for this award, “It’s a validation of the hard work, dedication and passion I’ve poured into my project. This accolade is a recognition of my commitment to creating innovative and sustainable landscape designs that enhance the connection between people and the environment.”
Natalie Young and Rajith Kumar Kedarisetty (MLA), Jake Lange and Henry Wilson (RCPL) – Westville: Finding a New Center
MLA students Natalie Young and Rajith Kumar Kedarisetty and RCPL alumni Jake Lange and Henry Wilson received an ASLA Merit Award. For their project, the team worked with the Institute for Quality Communities to design conceptual plans for an empty downtown lot in Westville, OK.
The team hosted workshops, met with stakeholders and conducted research to ensure that their design proposals met the needs of the local community. Together, they came up with designs for a new town square park and provided guidance for streetscape enhancements and multimodal connectivity. The new town plaza features a food truck park, an outdoor stage and a skatepark.
According to Young, “Working with the town of Westville has been the most fulfilling project I have been involved in during my time at OU. To see it receive recognition from Oklahoma’s ASLA chapter has been very exciting. I hope this extra attention aimed towards Westville will inspire other small towns to follow in their footsteps!”
Lange noted, “The award is a great honor to receive, and I am thrilled to see a professional organization within the allied disciplines recognize the work of my colleagues, myself, and the Institute. I am an Urban Planner by education and vocation, but applying my interest in the built environment to a project which is more in the realm of Landscape Architecture was not only very fulfilling, but I believe it has made me a better planner.”
The team’s design concepts will soon become a reality as they are now being incorporated into the final plan for Westville’s Town Square Park. Learn more about the project at https://gibbs.oucreate.com/landscape-architecture/institute-for-quality-communities-westville-project-moves-forward/.
Iman Moradi – Hill Bridge Park
MLA student Iman Moradi received an ASLA Merit Award. For his project, Moradi created design concepts for an underutilized sports field park in Perkins, OK. In line with the community’s aspirations, Moradi crafted a cohesive and welcoming space by transforming the baseball field into a versatile recreational area.
Moradi’s goal was to create a unified and inclusive park that catered to the diverse needs of residents of all age groups. He tackled issues such as air pollution, waterlogging, visual and noise disturbances and the lack of shaded green spaces. His design solutions incorporate mounds to mitigate air pollution, a new pond for water runoff management and ample green spaces for shade and relaxation.
The park is divided into two main sections connected by an extensive trails network. The Roscoe Emerson Park area was designed to be a relaxing space for picnics and leisure. The sports area caters to sporting activities and features a skate park, playground, splash pad, zip line and sports equipment. Moradi also added a cafe adjacent to the skate park for visitors’ convenience.
Moradi explained, “Receiving the merit award from ASLA Oklahoma chapter holds great significance to me. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication I have put into my profession. This recognition validates my skills and expertise in the field of Landscape Architecture and serves as a motivation to continue striving for excellence. I am truly honored and grateful for this prestigious acknowledgment.”
Anahita Niknejad – Nature’s Symphony Park: A Harmonious Redesign
MLA student Anahita Niknejad received an ASLA Merit Award. For her project, Niknejad created design concepts to revitalize Peter’s Park in Perkins, OK. The primary objective of her design was to effectively handle stormwater while devising design solutions that would enhance community interaction.
Niknejad developed sustainable, visually appealing and user-friendly designs that positively influence the local community and natural ecosystem. She combined thoughtful design elements to create a harmonious balance between human needs and environmental preservation, ultimately enhancing the overall quality of the area.
To address the park’s stormwater problems, Niknejad incorporated multi-purpose pavilions for rainwater collection and detention ponds into her designs. She also crafted a space for mobile food vendors and a farmers market, courts for various sports activities, a playground, an outdoor lab and a garden to attract pollinators.
Niknejad expressed her gratitude for this award, “I am deeply honored to be a part of an educational setting where I have the chance to collaborate with diverse communities and individuals. Winning this award brings me immense joy as it allows me to express gratitude to the individuals who have guided me along this journey. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Sarah Little for her unwavering dedication to our division and to us.”
Jarrod Pace – Payne County Bank Park
MLA student Jarrod Pace received an ASLA Merit award. For his project, Pace created a multi-faceted entertainment area in an underutilized lot owned by Payne Co. Bank in Perkins, OK. The mostly vacant lot is located at the southern entrance of Main Street, making it a desirable location to build a new park.
Pace’s designs were inspired by his childhood experiences attending parades and events on Main Street in Joplin, MO. The main goal of his project was to transform the lot into the most interesting and functional place in town. Through his designs, Pace created a community space that preserves the town’s heritage and meets the needs of residents while also enhancing the physical image of the town.
Pace’s designs feature a variety of exciting components to revitalize the space, including climbing boulders, a water play area, a skate park and picnic pavilions. He also crafted a faux storefront modeled after the original Payne Co. Bank building to extend the Main Street sightline and create a southern gateway into town.
According to Pace, “I’m thrilled that my design was selected for an award. I spent a considerable amount of time considering what could work for the town and then putting that into a graphic form that would be exciting.”
Peyton Kroh – Guthrie’s Historic Trolley Route
MLA student Peyton Kroh received an ASLA Merit Award.
Congratulations to our hard-working students for receiving these awards!
Featured Image: 2023 Annual OKASLA Meeting in Tulsa. Photo courtesy of HFSD, Inc.