MERIT AWARD
Represents superior accomplishment in the profession of landscape architecture.
The Yard at Mark Steel
“This project has transformed a former heavy industrial steel production facility into an attractive residential community with a well-designed open space and pedestrian network. The design takes a good look at the past damage to this area and provides a wonderful solution to restore the environment. The accessible open space amenities are thoughtful in their locations and provide a wonderful opportunity to connect with the river.”
TheYard is a vibrant new community born from the remains of a shuttered steel foundry. Utilizing principles of environmental restoration, integrated green systems, and cultural preservation, The Yard is set to become THE model for industrial redevelopment in the region.
SUMMARY
As the Wasatch Front’s population continues to rise and residential development continues to pave over agricultural fields and creep up into the surrounding foothills, the Salt Lake Valley finds itself seeking relief by looking harder at its aging and outdated industrial properties. TheYard at Mark Steel offers that relief by utilizing the site of an aging steel foundry to land 170 townhomes within 2 miles of downtown Salt Lake City. In doing so, TheYard also seeks to set a precedent for responsible industrial redevelopment by acknowledging the area’s industrial past through reuse of existing site materials, restoring native ecologies that have been degraded through industrial activities, and providing new publicly-accessible open space amenities for the surrounding community. As the first property to undergo redevelopment in the area, TheYard sets the standard for the transformation of the entire district by serving as a development model for improving under-utilized properties without the wholesale erasure of their collective industrial heritage.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Environmental Stewardship
A Model of Multi-Modality
A Framework of Walkability
Acknowledging the Past
Making a Great Place