Dominion Energy's plan for a Clean Energy Park in a densely developed area of downtown Richmond was proposed to transform a vacant city block into an eco-friendly electric vehicle (EV) charging park. VHB provided a full spectrum of landscape architecture services to support this project, with concept plans that included EV charging stations, an amphitheater, tiered eco lawn, and food truck plaza. VHB incorporated a creative stormwater management approach to the site, including a combination of above and below ground cisterns to collect water runoff from the solar canopies for reuse and irrigation. With an emphasis on creating a learning destination, the park design incorporated educational signage, wayfinding, and narratives that explore methods of green power.
Though this park was ultimately not built, it was designed to be a living, learning destination, with plans that included a large-scale walkway from one side of the site to the other, providing educational components that reflected the four themes of wind, solar, water, and light. From wind turbines to solar panels on parking canopies, to the charging units and switch gears, Dominion focused on increasing awareness of the benefits and impacts green energy has on the built environment.
