RGR Landscape provided site planning and landscape design services as part of the Perkins Eastman team for this new independent living project in Riverdale, NY. RGR worked with the PE team to develop the site layout and grading plans, including walkways, planted areas, site furnishings, and activity spaces such as picklelball courts, courtyards, and a nature walk as well as a series of natural swales and detention basins to manage storm water. The design goals were to create a beautiful and accessible out door environment for the residents, develop a conceptual landscape approach that unifies the new and existing facilities, and maximize the sustainable design potential. Due to the location of the site in a Special Natural Area District and the presence of nearly a thousand existing trees, RGR devleoped the tree protection and preservation plans as well as other landscape design documents for zoning approval from the NYC Department of City Planning. The landscape plan maximizes the protection of the site’s natural features, including steep slopes, rock outcrops, and numerous specimen trees.
