LOCATION Deerfield, Ill.
COMPANY James Martin Associates
DETAILS When maintaining Tamarisk NorthShore’s retirement community, it’s important to bring life into the environment to promote the well-being of residents. And with the two outdoor social areas, that’s exactly what James Martin Associates (JMA) tries to do, despite one notable issue.
Mike Windhauser, director of client relations and sales at JMA, says one outdoor area is on ground level; the other space is on the rooftop of the parking garage, creating a hassle when moving crews and equipment.
For example, crews must carry a 21-inch mower up the single exterior stairway to mow the rooftop, and all mowing and pruning debris is carried down by hand. Another key part of the job was identifying the on-site areas with poor drainage causing plant material to decline in health.
“We installed below-ground drainage collection basins connected to 4-inch PVC that carried the water away to a drain,” Windhauser says. “The top of the drainage basins had granite cobbles to diffuse the water discharged from the gutters located 3-feet above grade. The soil now is not being displaced, and the plants growing in this bed are thriving.”
JMA won a gold award from the 2024 National Association of Landscape Professionals’ Awards of Excellence program for this project.
rds of Excellence program for this project.
