Canal Design Competition Yields Innovative Plans

As part of the Jefferson Parish Quality of Life effort to beautify the parish, community leaders announced today the winners of its Canal Design Competition.

The East Jefferson Business Association (EJBA), Jefferson Community Foundation (JCF), Regional Planning Commission (RPC), Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO) and the Louisiana Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects (LCASLA) teamed up to manage and fund the competition.

“We wanted to provide parish officials with innovative, yet, practical ideas to transform the physical infrastructure and landscape of our canals,” said Patricia Besselman of EJBA. “With $45,000 in monetary awards, we were able to entice some of the best and brightest to share their solutions to unsightly and unsanitary drainage canals.”

The $30,000 first prize was awarded to the team of Cadence, Poulos Brown Civil Engineers and Studio Snyder. Their concept, “Vive l’Esplanade,” allows for programmed space for community events, a playground and several educational components including a bioswale that filters storm water runoff.

Parish President John Young said the competition was the first step towards canal urbanism--a movement that utilizes water banks for recreational use. “With the continued support and cooperation from organizations such as these, we can bring some of these designs to fruition over the next few years,” he said.

In addition to actual designs, the teams were also required to provide project estimates and identify potential funding sources to aid the parish in implementing designs.

Three cash awards of $5,000 each were also presented to the following applicants: a consortium of Brown + Danos Laddesign, The Metalsmith, and Duplantis Design Group; Reich Associates; and the team of Waggonner & Ball, Bosch Slabbers Landscape, and Nelson Engineers.

A total of seven teams were invited to participate in the competition. All designs are the property of Jefferson Community Foundation. Any component of the submissions may be implemented in the final design.

View all seven entries by clicking links below:

Waggonner & Ball Architects, Bosch Slabbers Landscape Architects, Nelson Engineers: "Convert Liabilities to Assets"
http://opportunityliveshere.com/files/TEAM_A_ALL.pdf

Brown + Danos laddesign, Inc.,The Metalsmith, Duplantis Design Group: "Transform"
http://opportunityliveshere.com/files/TEAM_B_ALL.pdf

Cadence, Poulos Brown Civil Engineering, Studio Snyder: "Vive L'Esplanade"
http://opportunityliveshere.com/files/TEAM_C_ALL.pdf

Tetra Tech, Zell Office of Landscape Architecture (ZOLA): "Making Connections"
http://opportunityliveshere.com/files/TEAM_D_ALL.pdf

Greg Cantrell, Inc.Camp Dresser & McKee (CDM): "Gabion Block"
http://opportunityliveshere.com/files/TEAM_E_ALL.pdf

Reich Associates: "The Lifeline of Our Community"
http://opportunityliveshere.com/files/TEAM_F_ALL.pdf

GEC (Gulf Engineers & Consultants), M. Johanna Leibe, LLC Landscape Architect, Andre Neff & Associates: "Canals of Jefferson Parish"
http://opportunityliveshere.com/files/TEAM_G_ALL.pdf