Ingleside at Rock Creek Washington, DC
Services Provided
Amenity Spaces
Courtyard Design
Landscape Architecture
Documentation
People Involved
Jonathan Fitch
Tim Bragan
Gaelle Gourmelon
A site-sensitive retirement community campus connects residents to each other and to the surrounding ecology.
Ingleside at Rock Creek is a retirement community campus situated within a 16-acre site between Rock Creek Park and DC’s Chevy Chase neighborhood. The campus master plan involved a widely-varied scope, including streetscape planting, large and small gardens, bio-retention facilities, roof terraces, and green roof plantings. The overall design integrates the campus landscape and existing park surroundings to create a diverse range of outdoor spaces where residents can connect with one another, engage in formal and informal therapy, and find tranquility in gardens big and small.
As the largest exterior public space associated with the campus renovation, the South Courtyard became a primary design focus for the MKSK team. This prominent space is visible and accessible from five surrounding buildings, making it an ideal social gathering hub.
MKSK’s design efforts also included several building terraces, a therapeutic garden, roadside entry planting, and site-wide stormwater management. The planting design is based on six native plant communities endemic to Rock Creek park, and emphasizes ephemerality, seasonality, and texture. These qualities are further defined within each exterior space based on site micro-climate and programmatic needs. The ever-changing quality of the vegetation contrasts with more static landforms, pathways, and architectural features that delineate formal gathering and recreation spaces across the campus. Where possible, lighting design and fixture selection minimized impact on insects and other local fauna.
