The purpose of this project was to develop a concept for the renovation of Patriot Plaza located in the heart of Towson, the governmental seat of Baltimore County, MD. It is considered the most important open space of the area. The plaza is situated between two Courts buildings and two urban streets. The mostly paved granite plaza, sitting atop underground governmental offices, features a fountain in the center and landscape berms along the perimeter. The County’s goals for this project are to remove the water feature and to create a softer and more park-like setting for the year-round use of employees and residents and for special events or festivals, while providing cost-effective and sustainable solutions to the water leakage of the underground offices and drainage issues of the plaza. Visual and physical accessibilities are also issues to be addressed. The landscape architect was the design lead with the engineering supports from the civil, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers. The recommendations included:

• Removing the fountain and associated mechanical plumbing and mechanical devices and replacing with a  lawn, two seat walls and planters.

• Relocating two monuments to the east of the plaza at the back of the Historic Courts Building and lowering two landscaped berms for better visual access and easier physical access. 

• Introducing a raingarden at the Chesapeake Avenue entrance with back-lit plaza sign to perform stormwater management for the runoff from landscaped areas and hardscape features.

• Along Pennsylvania Avenue, providing pedestrian access directly from the sidewalk. 

• Installing shade trees at entrances and planting trees outside the limits of the underground offices.

• Erecting shades/tents in the central lawn during summers. The lawn would also be a place for removable stage/band stand.

The remaining plaza area would be available for other programmed activities.