Design Intent
The Town of Richmond Hill was seeking a dynamic and creative landscape architectural consultant to develop a special sesquicentennial theme for the park redevelopment, providing a sense of place.
This park design is unique and new as it is both physically beautiful and functional. The park design showcases imaginative skill through the use of design elements to commemorate Canada’s 150th birthday. The colour “red” is used throughout the design as well as metal decorative elements that create a uniqueness to the design. The red elements punctuate the design in unexpected ways through the red-clad mechanical building, red Muskoka chairs and red play equipment speaking to the meaning of the park. This design bends the rules by the use of decorative elements throughout the splash pad that allow the visitor to reflect on the history of Canada and the meaning of the park. Park improvements include parking lot enhancement, walkway improvements, additions of pedestrian lighting, a softball diamond and tennis courts.
NAK Design Strategies was retained by the Town of Richmond Hill in 2015 to prepare the concept design through to detail design, tender and contract administration for Morgan Boyle Park in Richmond Hill. Located on Pearson Avenue, just north of Highway 7 and west of Yonge street. The Park includes a water play feature / splash pad, decorative metal elements, and unique architectural features which were designed to commemorate Canada’s Sesquicentennial (150 year) anniversary. The park includes specially-designed commemorative features including provincial symbols, lens rings, a flagpole, an entry feature wall and a shade structure with a roof that features 13 waves to symbolize Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories. Other improvements include parking lot enhancement, walkway improvements, additions of pedestrian lighting, a softball diamond and tennis courts. All graphics and the video production were prepared in-house, in our design studio.
The park was recently completed and opened on August 23, 2017.
NAK hosted and prepared the materials for 1 Public Information Centre (PIC). The feedback and materials from the PIC were posted online and managed by the Town. The Town used the website to gather feedback on the park design which NAK assisted in organizing and reviewing. NAK worked with the Town of Richmond HIll and it’s stakeholder groups to ensure the design of the park was satisfactory. Additionally, NAK worked with Ron Baird, a public consultant in order to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods and/or interpretations for the space. The design of this park transcends the typical notion of a suburban park through the incorporation of highly designed decorative elements that speak to the theme of the park. An undulating stainless steel canopy decorated with maple leaves includes 13 waves to symbolize Canada’s 10 provinces and 3 territories; provincial symbols carved into lens rings that move with the wind and a decorative metal barrier enclosing the splash pad showing the date of Canada’s birthday all contribute to the design excellence of this park.
This park includes a sports field and a splash pad, creating fun areas for the community to gather.
The design’s originality is conveyed in how the splash pad is designed to use a catch and re-use water system in a cistern for irrigation. NAK employed the latest technology to reduce operations costs for the City and to ensure the park was environmentally conscious. NAK designed a swale to collect all runoff from the parking lot using growthmedia blanket, check dam, naturalized seeding, and channel protection. Eventually, it gets released into Pamona Creek.
