Booklet /// River Bank Park

B A N KP A R K

R I V E R

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1900s 2007 DAY AFTER THE FIRE 2008

Bank Park is named after the building that stood on the site before, an historic bank building, built in the 19th Century and

burned to the ground in April, 2007. On one side, the park borders Wilmington’s busiest intersection. On the other, it is

framed by the Deerfield River.

Located next to the only traffic light between Bennington and Brattleboro, Vermont, it was important to design a park that could hold up one side of the busy intersection while still creating an open, inviting space. The raised stonework border of the Bank Park provides seating to passers-by, while creating raised garden beds. The conversation circle at the eastern corner of the site creates a place for quiet contemplation,

turning the focus inward to maintain and hold the corner.

When the Bank Building burned down, the compressive forces necessary to keep the stone retain-ing wall stable no longer existed. Without these forces, the stone wall threatened to give way to the weight of the dirt/fill it was retaining, allowing the river bank to collapse.

BANK BUILDING WITHOUT SITE INTERVENTION

~15,000 lbs

Geranium

‘Brookside’

Petunia

‘Bermuda Pink’

Heliotrope

‘Fragrant Delight’

Malus

‘Suger Tyme’

Lantana Camara

‘Shrub Verben’

Panicum

‘Heavy Metal’Clethra Alnifolia

‘Ruby Spice’

Wisteria

‘Blue Moon’

The Landscape Designer worked together with Master Gardeners from the town to select plantings for the park; a colorful mixture of

regionally grown hearty perennials and annuals which unfold throughout the seasons.

SPRING

SUMMER

WINTER

FALL

Several rare American Elm trees next to the original Bank died years ago and needed to be removed at the start of construction. In an effort to keep the park as true to the site

as possible, these were used as the arbor posts. Not only was this a cost saving measure, but the trees’ natural bends provide structural integrity bracing the top of the arbor. Over time, Wisteria vines will grow and cover the posts, providing additional shade in summer.

Initially, a concrete wall was proposed (at a cost of $75,000) to replace the historic stone wall and stabilize the ground above. Instead, for the same cost, an arbor and public deck was designed to replace the weight of the original building allowing the original stone wall to remain in place. Significant disturbance of the earth below the site was avoided.

ENGINEERING PROPOSAL LINESYNC DESIGN

~15,000 lbs

SITE

VERMONT

MASSACHUSETTS

NEW HAMPSHIRENEW YORK

25 MILE RADIUS

IRONWOOD

(RAILING)Saxon’s River, VT

BLACK LOCUST

(DECKING)Putney, VT

HEMLOCK(RAFTERS)Wardsboro, VT

CONCRETE

(DISCS)Brattleboro, VT

AMERICAN ELM(POSTS)On Site and

Whitingham, VT

ASHFIELD STONE

(WALLS)ASHFIELD, MA

LEED defines local/regional materials as within 500 miles of the site. We took this one step further by sourcing all materials for the

project from within 25 miles. This increases the local relevance of the park, while keeping the environmental impact low (about 15 gallons of fuel were used to transport all materials).

SUSTAINABILITY:

25 MILE RADIUSThe finished park includes public flower beds, a riverside arbor, as well as stone seating and gathering spaces. Though a smaller structure than the original bank building, its scale

is in keeping with the neighborhood, matching the roofline of the building behind and framing the river beside.

The deck is made up of three perpendicular

layers of wood. This construction permitted the use of wet, local Black Locust, while ensuring that the deck would remain stable and not warp as it dried.

NORTH ELEVATION

The undulating surface of the arbor canopy

creates overlaps in the roof system, further increasing the stability of the structure.

SECTION LOOKING EAST

The deck assembly was built on top of the original Bank Building foundation. What were “temporary” concrete blocks placed by the

town after the fire were kept to provide a base for the stone walls in the park. Drainage was angled out, drawing water from the site and re-depositing it in the river.

The laminated beams that hold the arbor

fit into notches carved in the Elm tree supports. The rafter tails feature the

same curve found in the arbor beams. The ends of the deck joists are similarly

embellished.

SOUTH ELEVATION

SECTION LOOKING NORTH

The inset from the former foundation was used as the location for the deck. Still easily accessible to the street, it

pulls pedestrians closer to the Deerfield River and invites them to look out.

The park allows for varying levels of pedestrian involvement-- ranging from walking by the perimeter of the park, to bypassing the corner intersection and pausing for a moment

to stop on the stone steps behind the raised corner, to sitting

down on the large stone bench overlooking the river for more prolonged rest, sheltered from downtown Wilmington.