FERNCLIFF – THE ORCHARD

The Orchard project design process included seven steps, preliminary work including creation of existing topographic model of site; community design workshop; analysis and design program; design details, cut and fill calculations, rainwater harvesting calculations and design illustrations; construction details and specs; presentation and approval by community; and construction budget and fundraising activities.  The results of the pre-workshop surveys and the community design workshop session spotlighted the following seven project goals.

1. Variety of Active and Passive Recreation
2. Alternative Fun Outdoor Activities
3. Safe and Secure Spaces for Family and Friends
4. Recognized Community Gathering Space
5. Enhancement of Overall Appearance
6. Distinctive Community Visual Identity
7. Unique Recognizable Entrance

Combining the Fencliff name with the goal of creating a distintive community visual identity, the scheme promotes the idea of an emerging new community growth as expressed by the expansion of the fern.  The layout program is based upon the fiddle fern form.  The organizing concept is to create a unified system with fern fronds or leaves representing the activity nodes radiating out from the connecting central pathway.  The plantings and man-made elements spotlight the locations of the community enhancing elements as viewed from the roadways.  The purpose is to highlight these new elements yet have them fit well into the surrounding forested landscape.

As defined by resident input, the plan encorporates these materials and landscape forms:

• Colorful massings of ferns (shade and sun tolerant)
• Bosques of small trees (arc and orchard-like grid)
• Groupings of large rocks (connection to granite street signs)
• Circular fiddlefern activity forms (paved and natural)
• Formal and informal pathways (some tree-lined and shaded)
• Gardens of different types (activity centers and along pathway)
• Nature’s elements/materials (plantings, wood, stone, brick and water)
• Variety of recreational activities (active, passive, individual and comunal)
• Seating (situated throughout the whole project site)

The site elements are presented graphically in the proposed Master Plan and Section Drawings starting with those located in the upper North East and finishing with those located in the South West.

1. Entry Path #1 (off Ferncliff Road, site of old farm road – chain gate)
2. Tool and Equipment Storage Shed (500 sq ft dia.)
3. Tether Ball Court (paved)
4. Double Pickle Ball/Badminton Courts (black chain link fence with inside seating)
5. Court-side Path (with benches)
6. Water Hand Pump (connected to underground rainwater harvesting tank collected from court)
7. The Orchard Bosque Path (through 12 existing silver birch and 13 fruit & nut trees)
8. Water Play Stream & Nature Path (supported by water hand pump – drains fully)
9. Bird Houses (7+ pole or tree-trunk bird houses situated along length of forest edge)
10. Butterfly Flower Bush Groupings (variety of shrubs and plants located along forest edge)
11. Croquet Court (with seating in grass circle)
12. Community Meeting Place (paved circle, rock outcrop with ferns and shade trees, stone fire

      pit in front of raised stage/presentation circle with shade structure, and 4 sets of tables with

      benches for dining or board games – holds 40 people)

13. Human Scale Sun Dial (paved or grass)
14. Boccie Ball Court and Horseshoe Pit Area (indoor-outdoor carpet court, grass area and path

       passes by benches for both areas)

15. Zen Garden (rock outcrop and ferns edge the garden circle, gravel “water” beds on both sides

      of yatsuhashi wooden bridge extension of path, rake gravel patterns around stones or existing

       crape myrtle trees with grass banks extending into surrounding landscape)

16. Soccer and Kickball Fields (staked grass areas for women and men size soccer fields with

      marks for bases and pitcher’s mound for kickball)

17. Disc Golf/Drone Course (9 hole, 1,675 ft with double round of 3,350 ft Par 56, Red Tee,

      scattered, 850 rating, paved or gravel tees and basket holes)

18. Entry Path #2 (off Flower Orchard Road with a wooden path connection to roadway
19. Stone Signs (rock outcrops with ferns and flower plantings and paved/gravel circular fronts)
20. Entry and Circle Areas (rock outcrops with ferns and flower plantings, circular paved space in

      front of entry signs holding a bench and flood lights – could hold heavy wire Ferncliff logo form)