The Art of Integrating Rainwater – A Case Study 

Brookside Gardens, an award-winning public parking garden, is a showcase for celebrating rainwater within a high-profile public space and to over a million visitors a year. The site design and green infrastructure were developed in tandem allowing for harmonious stormwater solutions within the overall site design. The design for the entry, parking garden, and associated plaza spaces solved numerous problems including pedestrian and vehicular access, flexible and beautiful gathering spaces, security, and expanded parking, while highlighting Brookside’s philosophy of sustainability by incorporating ecological systems, green infrastructure techniques, sustainable building materials, and native plant communities. Artful stormwater management techniques are highlighted across the site and include permeable pavement, structured and unstructured micro-biorientation facilities, green walls, pavement reduction, expanded root volumes, and bio-swales. The rain-harvesting landscapes focus on plant diversity, pollinators, habitat, texture, contextual themes, and seasonal interest.

Steven Torgerson is a Registered Landscape Architect and an Associate at AMT Landscape Architecture & Design Division. He has nationwide experience in planning and design within an ecologically resilient framework, and is passionate about creating spaces that are catalyst for people to interact with their environment and community. Mr. Torgerson’s multidisciplinary design approach encourages alternative solutions to complex rainwater problems. He delights in community engagement and the opportunity to integrate public preferences into the design outcome. Before coming to AMT, Steve served as the Cultural Landscape Architect at Yosemite National Park and was the lead landscape architect for the Forest Service during the 2002 Winter Olympics. He has won numerous awards for his work in landscape architecture including the 2018 ASLA Potomac Chapter Honor Award for Brookside Gardens and the 2017 ASLA, Potomac Chapter Honor Award for Greening DC’s Streetscapes. Mr. Torgerson holds a Master in Landscape Architecture from the Pennsylvania State University with an emphasis in watershed planning and a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Utah State University.

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