Memphis, Tennessee
Ritchie Smith Associates (RSA) worked on the master planning team for the Bioworks site located within the Memphis Medical District. Susbsequently RSA designed the plaza promenade, the first phase of the master plan to be implemented. The plaza, built over an underground service dock, serves as the central spine and principal pedestrian circulation route through the Bioworks complex. The process of designing the landscape over the truck dock structure entailed detailed coordination with the design team engineers. RSA designed the roof-deck plaza with an allee of canopy trees placed in raised, seat-height planters along both sides of the space. The paving is a random mix of color concrete pavers that accommodate pedestrian and light vehicular traffic. For safety as well as ambiance, the plaza is lighted with two rows of post lights that reinforce the allee of trees and bollard lights in planting beds along each edge of the space. All the canopy trees have accent lighting.