American Society of Landscape Architects ASLA 2005 Professional Awards
ASLA Home  | ASLA Honors and Awards  | Awards Jury  | Awards and Press Release  |  News Room & Publications

<< back to main page


Architectural works are tailored to the landscape. Quality maintenance and care is required to ensure long term integrity of built features, and to preserve the intent of the original design (The Grand Concourse Authority).

The Walkway Maintenance Manual gives the landscape architect a strong voice in managing the future integrity of their design. The Manual will help the profession realize the lasting results that should follow from such a forward thinking outlook (The Grand Concourse Authority).
The Manual encourages and outlines a detailed inspection process, and supplies forms which aid in implementing and tracking maintenance activities (The Grand Concourse Authority).
Each maintenance task is outlined in a step-by-step fashion. Color images, sketches and diagrams illustrate specific details related to the procedure (The Grand Concourse Authority).
The resources, staff and time required to complete each maintenance task is outlined, allowing landscape managers to budget and organize maintenance activities (The Grand Concourse Authority).
COMMUNICATIONS AWARD OF HONOR

The Grand Concourse Authority Walkway Maintenance Manual
The Grand Concourse Authority, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada


"Critical information for landscape architects to be able to ensure the future of their projects. . . anticipates long-term maintenance issues. . . wonderful owners manual. . . the design of the book is so clever."

— 2005 Professional Awards Jury Comments

Planning for effective walkway and landscape maintenance is key to ensuring the long term integrity of built features, and to preserving the original design intent of landscape architectural works. The Walkway Maintenance Manual gives landscape architects a strong voice in managing the future integrity of their design. The effective design of the Manual is appropriately catered to its targeted audience and will assist in the achievement of long term success.

The Manual is a comprehensive guide to maintenance, based upon techniques established and tested by landscape architects, construction supervisors and maintenance personnel. Concise step-by-step directions relate the information needed to safely handle walk repairs or enhancements, a wide variety of horticultural and landscape tasks, and maintenance of wooden, stone and metal structures. The Manual also outlines a detailed inspection process, and supplies forms, a maintenance calendar and other aids which assist with cost estimating, implementing and tracking of maintenance work.

Maintenance staff will find the back-up resources needed to provide effective landscape maintenance, instruction which has been tailored to the landscape, and design considerations for the development of a walkway system. The 196-page book is lavishly illustrated with more than 450 color images and diagrams which relay detailed information on the rationale and methods needed to undertake effective maintenance.

Printed on robust tyvek paper and bound within a sturdy D-ring binder, the Manual is designed as a planning and field tool. Removable pages and color-coded dividers permit rapid retrieval and return to relevant information.

Landscape architects and students, municipal managers, park planners, private firms and trail or environment based organizations will benefit from the information contained in this publication. The Manual also plays an important role in developing the attitudes and skills needed to achieve professional standards in public landscape maintenance.

Time plays a particularly powerful role in the success or failure of landscape architectural works. The Walkway Maintenance Manual provides a new tool for landscape architects, planners, and designers to exercise enduring influence on the unfolding of projects expected to mature over decades. The success of the Manual may open the way to a new professional practice, where an “operator’s manual” becomes an integral part of the product landscape architects provide for built works. The Manual provides a new tool that will help the profession realize the lasting results which should follow from our forward thinking professional outlook.

The Manual encourages users to employ a systematic approach to maintenance – one suited to the landscapes they maintain. Landscape architects set out this innovative vision for the Manual as a standard for care and a guide to employee development.

Since its official release in August of 2004, the Manual has received significant regional and national attention with purchases from across the country. The local Federation of Municipalities has also recognized the value of the publication for local communities and is offering a 75% subsidy to their 300-plus members.

The Walkway Maintenance Manual is distributed by the publisher through regional and national exhibits, Internet promotions, national newsletters and magazines. Due to the high cost associated with the publishing of this specially designed publication, the first edition print run was 750 copies. Over 100 copies have been distributed to date. A steady flow of inquiries indicate that this document is starting to receive the national attention that it deserves.

Producing the Manual required researching and evaluating a wide range of technical information, the documenting of established practices, measuring of worker productivity, and the collecting of many images and sketches, all of which proved to be very challenging. With the assistance of landscape architects, writers, graphic artists, photographers, editors and field crews, these materials were collected within one year. Landscape architects shaped the Manual to allow diverse organizations to apply consistent maintenance standards, and to preserve the landscape architect’s original design intent as it was manifest in diverse landscape settings.

 

Aside from outlining maintenance activities, a variety of landscape design details, environmental procedures and management practices are outlined (The Grand Concourse Authority).
The Walkway Maintenance Manual encourages readers to apply a systematic approach to maintenance, one that is tailored to the landscapes they maintain (Photo: Grant Sparkes, Sky Shots Aerial Photography).
A detailed maintenance calendar is provided to outline ideal timelines for conducting maintenance activities (The Grand Concourse Authority).
The Maintenance Manual is an ideal tool for any maintenance management system, regardless of the size or capabilities of the landscape organization. The organization who published this document has made it part of GIS-based maintenance system (The Grand Concourse Authority).
ASLA Home  | ASLA Honors and Awards  | Awards Jury  | Awards and Press Release  |  News Room & Publications