Brenda  Brown
LANDSCAPE DESIGN ART RESEARCH

SELECTEDWORKS
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Gainesville City Plaza, mid-day, photo by Brenda Brown
Gainesville Plaza, evening performance, photo BJB
Gainesville Citly Plaza, changing buses, photo BJB
Gainesville City Plaza, inside/ouside obstructions, BJB
Gainesville City Plaza has a concentric form.  Its inward orientation works well for performances. Yet the plaza is also a place of passage and rest.  People walk through between the bus stations on the east and west or between the government buildings on the north and south; they also move along its edges.  People -- homeless people, people waiting for buses, government employees, and others -- also hang out around the plaza, the different groups usually isolated from one another.  The existing design provides very little transitional space between inside and outside of the plaza; there are even barriers between outside and in -- as there are barriers to perimeter passage.
A state of the art, artful, and subtle spectacle of complexly pulsating,
 image-shaped light refers to the cicadas and other singing insects whose sounds permeate the plaza much of the day and night.  The light-work also illuminates part of the plaza currently in shadow.  While most captivating at night, the insect-bricks are also intriguing in daylight. Signage on four concrete posts provides interpretive information about the project and singing insects, in particular insects in the plaza.  'Listen" Bricks, each one spelling 'listen' in a different language, reinforce the project's intent and allude
to and address Gainesville's international  population.  Thoughtful, problem solving spatial design of trees, paving, benches and their orientation strengthens connections between plaza interior and adjacent spaces; defines passages on the plaza perimeter, making traverse more direct and pleasant; and makes a distinctive place -- in harmony with the plaza as a whole -- of each of three target areas.  Each becomes a place where people can and will want to linger.  Together, the art and design will attract people to the Plaza, making it a destination for city residents as well as for visitors to Florida.
model detail, Plaza of the Cicadas, west area bosque
detail, Plaza of the Cicadas, courthouse court perimeter
model detail, Plaza of Cicadas, south river birch grove
proposed night lighting, image by Tillett Lighting Design
proposed night lighting, image by Tillett Lighting Design
detail, light bricks, Tillett Lighting Design
detail, light brick, Tillett Lighting Design
detail, light bricks, Tillett Lighting Design
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bug-box light sequence.JPG
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SERVICES
INTRO
WORKS
CONTACT
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detail, Plaza of the Cicadas,courthouse entry court