HLA, Inc. Wins National Award

HLA, Inc. wins the coveted American Associates of Landscape Architects (SC ASLA) Merrit Award for its work on Central Park at the Villages of St. Johns Woods.

Central Park is a 6 acre park that serves as the central amenity for a 400 home community on rural Johns Island. It anchors the more than 15 acres of common open space and 5 miles of trails that provide abundant leisure and recreation opportunities for the residents of the neighborhood. The park includes a pavilion that serves as the central gathering place in the community, a pool, a playground, a great lawn, and walking trails that meander throughout the park connecting to the surrounding neighborhood pockets. The purpose of the Villages was to provide a well designed and well built community for the active resident at an affordable price. Therefore, the amenities had to echo this theme of active living, while working within what most would consider a modest budget. With this in mind, a theme of resourceful functionality, reminiscent of a state or county park was developed.

Everyday users are treated to a mixture of nature park and recreation center within the heart of their community. The paths and boardwalks bring each user in tune with their natural surroundings on their way to the pavilion and pool which provide a central respite for socialization with their neighbors. Faced with a limited budget, the Landscape Architect developed a theme of simple functionality, using a county park vernacular. The park provides numerous opportunities for recreation and healthy outdoor living, and it creates this functional experience in a responsible environmentally sensitive way.