Huntsville, AL
Pocket parks have long created areas for respite from the bustle of everyday life. Envisioned by the Downtown Huntsville group, Bostick Landscape Architects (BLA) teamed up with a local architect, DHI, and the city’s leadership to facilitate stakeholder meetings for a small leftover space of land downtown. The group envisioned the area as the ideal location for the city’s first pocket park. BLA designed the project pro-bono to help offset the cost of realizing this incredible opportunity.
Once finished, the park immediately began living up to its potential with daily visitors. Huntsville’s District One council began hosting member meetings in the park as well.
Visitors can access the park from a parking lot and an alleyway from a downtown retail street. A raised deck creates separation and interest for users, and steps provide built-in seating for lunch-goers or events. Large stones in an artificial turf setting add to that seating. A bubbling rock water feature acts as a focal point, both visually and audibly. The sound of the water offers an escape from the sound of the bustling city and construction around the site.
BLA used low maintenance perennials, grasses, and ground covers to provide nature in the space, soften the edges, and maximize the space’s square footage. Benches, tables, and planters fill out the park and help tie it into the urban fabric.
