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HGOR Designs Urban, Sustainable Plaza at Georgia Tech
Acuity Plaza is Now Eastern Gateway to Georgia Tech’s Campus and Welcome Relief from Urban Congestion
ATLANTA, September 10, 2008 – HGOR, an Atlanta planning and landscape architecture firm, has designed Acuity Plaza, the new eastern gateway to the Georgia Institute of Technology campus. Located at West Peachtree and Fifth Streets, the environmentally-friendly plaza will function as a gathering place for students, faculty, residents, workers and passersby. The plaza is now officially open after more than two semesters of being closed.
The newest part of Technology Square was designed by HGOR to serve Georgia Tech and the surrounding community and to set a new standard for open spaces in Atlanta. The completed project represents a green and pedestrian-friendly environment while remaining urban in its character and true to the image and identity of Georgia Tech.
“Acuity Plaza has dramatically changed Technology Square,” said Lauren Standish, Project Manager for HGOR. It has opened up the eastern side of the campus, made it more inviting, and created a sustainable center of campus activity. We are glad to see students, workers and residents alike enjoying the elements of the space, and we look forward to carrying over the social, environmental and economic principles into Phase II.”
At the onset of the project, HGOR was responsible for examining the potential character of the new plaza and conducting an urban design study recommending both landscape improvements and building expansion options that contribute to the urban campus life but also to the people working in the nearby Midtown business district. The firm was charged with creating a place where students and others could be connected and inspired.
HGOR designed Acuity Plaza with a large, formal, raised lawn to anchor the space. The lawn area also accommodates significant underground stormwater retention and recharge. Restaurants and retail outlets, built-in seating and an outdoor terrace dining area invite pedestrians away from heavily-trafficked streets. A site lighting program includes step lights, tree uplights and LED pavement lighting, leading to the entrance of the College of Management. Formal tree bisques provide shade in the summer and opportunities for seating and outdoor dining underneath.
“HGOR listened and responded well to the needs of Georgia Tech,” said Howard Werthheimer, Director of Capital Planning and Space Management for the university. “Acuity Plaza reflects the collaboration and exchange of ideas that has shaped Technology Square into a new, invigorated part of Midtown.”
A formal dedication of Acuity Plaza took place after nightfall on September 8, 2008 where HGOR representatives, Georgia Tech administrators and Acuity Brands representatives were present. At the dedication ceremony, Acuity Brands, the sponsor for the construction, officially opened the plaza with a ceremonial “flip of the switch” to showcase the new design of the plaza under lighting that Acuity Brands markets.
HGOR is a nationally recognized firm that embraces the challenges of creating places of social value, economic sustainability and environmental stewardship. With a staff of planners, urban designers, landscape architects, environmental specialists and support staff, HGOR focuses on quality service and innovative solutions to complex design issues. For more information, visit www.hgor.com.