Building Design and Landscaping
Design for the new buildings, by GWWO, Inc./Architects of Baltimore, Maryland, was guided by three key objectives: minimize impact on the historic estate;
optimize visitor flow and enable the visitor to intuitively find their way through the estate; and create buildings that reflect today’s culture yet evoke the spirit of George Washington.
§ Going underground. One of the challenges facing GWWO was how to add the significant amount of desired new construction without overwhelming or detracting from the historic Mansion. By tucking 65 percent of the large 66,700-square foot complex under the four-acre pasture just inside Mount Vernon’s main gate, the design ensures that the pastoral setting and viewsheds to and from the Mansion are preserved. Traditional Hogg Island sheep, like those Washington raised, graze in the pasture, calling to mind a bucolic setting similar to the Mount Vernon of Washington’s day.
§ Intuitive Wayfinding. The new facilities will accommodate Mount Vernon’s million-plus annual visitors and significantly enhance their experience. Building and landscape design integrate to optimize visitor flow and create a natural travel sequence through the estate. Landscape architect Roger Courtenay, principal and vice president of EDAW, Inc., in Alexandria, Virginia, worked closely with the GWWO team throughout the design process. This collaborative and holistic approach to the design ensures that the architecture and landscape enhance each other in much the same way as did Washington’s original designs for the estate’s home and gardens.
§ Inspired by George Washington. The project employs a variety of design strategies inspired by George Washington’s masterful approach to land planning and landscape architecture. These include:
use of ha-ha walls[1] to separate garden places from pastures and estate operations, and to create hidden means of dealing with drainage;
incorporation of boundary walls and garden walls with unique brick patterns to define space and foreshadow historic detailing;
use of espalier[2] to enhance the garden setting;
development of highly controlled vistas;
creation of transitional “decompression” zones to allow visitors to relax – after their journey to Mount Vernon, but before their visit on the estate;
modeling of the ground plane for visual and aesthetic effect; and
planting design for aesthetics and functional purposes.
“George Washington was so creative and deliberate in the techniques he used throughout the estate," says Alan Reed, GWWO president and design principal for the project. "We were able to draw on these and interpret them in a modern way. We asked ourselves what George Washington would do on his land if he had all of the options available to designers today."
Ford Orientation Center. The design of the Ford Orientation Center plays an important role in raising visitor expectations. The lobby features an elliptical floor-to-ceiling wall of glass that embraces a “clearing” with picturesque views to the pasture beyond. As visitors become oriented and introduced to the many activities available on the estate, the light-filled space gives them a continuous visual connection to the site. What visitors are not yet aware of is that the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center lies under the gentle upslope view they see from inside the Orientation Center.
The interior of the Orientation Center reveals itself to visitors as they experience it. With the space organized around the “clearing”, visitors are afforded an intimate experience and do not perceive the true volume of the building. "Breaking the Orientation Center into a series of manageably-sized spaces enables it to graciously handle large crowds in peak times, without feeling cavernous to visitors during the off-season," says Reed.
The physical expression of the Orientation Center is of its own time, yet respectful and evocative of George Washington’s unique design creativity and appropriate within the historic estate context. Except where the Orientation Center’s north exterior wall integrates with the estate’s previously existing brick boundary wall, a new brick pattern – which represents a blend of various historic examples found throughout the estate – is used in all new brick construction. The intricacies of the brick detail, as well as the use of an elliptical “clearing” and a modern version of espalier, foreshadow the upcoming estate experience.
Transition. Upon exiting the orientation theaters, visitors pass through an outdoor gathering and transition space that serves as the “foyer” into the walk to the historic pastures – a gentle, woodland path in character. The “Woodland Walk” immerses visitors in the landscape and beauty of the estate, while giving specific views to orient them and built anticipation for their ultimate destination – the Mansion.
The redesigned circulation path replaces the straight tree-lined walkway visitors previously used, which was antithetical to George Washington's English garden (picturesque) approach to landscape design, and provides for a more natural, less contrived approach to the Mansion. Visitors merge onto the historic North Lane at the same point that visitors did in Washington’s time and proceed through the Bowling Green gate to the Mansion.
Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center. A key challenge arose from the decision to build the majority of the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center underground. It was imperative that visitors never feel as if they are descending into a "basement". Visitors enter a light-filled lobby on the mezzanine level of an entry pavilion. Careful manipulation of windows, light and views prevents the feeling of going underground as the visitor descends a grand stair. At all times during this transition, a visual connection to nature and the estate is maintained and the path through the building is clear.
"The infusion of natural light into the lobby and main circulation corridors eases the transition to the lower level and visitors will most likely never realize they are underground," says Reed.
Entry to and exit from the exhibits is through the same light-filled lobby. A glass-enclosed serpentine corridor runs the length of the building and evokes a “walk in the woods” similar to the exit from the Orientation Center. As visitors follow the path, they “emerge” from the 18th-century experience to the present day as the Mount Vernon Inn, not previously visible during their journey, comes into view. The corridor guides them to exit through the Inn, where dining and retail opportunities are presented.
Scholars, historians and others seeking access to only the classrooms and distance learning facilities may bypass the Orientation Center and Mansion and grounds experience and access the facility through an auxiliary entrance immediately inside the original main gate.
“The overall landscaping and architectural design follows Washington’s ‘pastoral yet controlled’ approach to his home,” according to Jim Rees, executive director of Mount Vernon. “Once visitors’ interest and enthusiasm have been piqued by the dynamic, new film and Ford Orientation Center experience, they will be guided to the Mansion, grounds and gardens. Then they will return to the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Educational Center to further their understanding of this most remarkable man. By the end of their tour, visitors will realize why George Washington should be first in their hearts and minds.”
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For more information on the Ford Orientation Center and the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center, please contact Emily Coleman Dibella at edibella@mountvernon.org or 703-799-8607.
About GWWO
GWWO, Inc./Architects is an award-winning architectural firm that specializes in the planning and design of cultural-educational facilities, with emphasis on quality design that is both inspirational and evocative. Employing an interactive, collaborative process, GWWO works in partnership with different clients to realize design solutions that respond to the unique mission, spirit and goals of each organization. Current projects include a new Heritage Center for the Homestead National Monument of America in Beatrice, Nebraska, a new Education Center for the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington, Delaware, and the expansion of the Gibson Arts Center at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. The firm celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2006. www.gwwoinc.com
About EDAW
Founded in 1939, EDAW is one of the world’s leading land-based planning and design firms. With over 1,250 professionals providing a unique blend of landscape architecture, urban design, and environmental and economic planning services from offices around the globe, EDAW’s collaborative approach to landscape urbanism enriches the solutions it brings to a variety of clients. Recent work includes the National Museum of the American Indian, Norfolk Botanical Garden Children's Garden, Boston's Wharf District Parks, and the winning bid for the 2012 Olympic Games in the UK. www.edaw.com
