Bigger Darby
Bigger Darby
Big Darby Creek, OH
Bigger Darby examines the scenic and ecologically intact Big Darby Creek in Central Ohio and investigates how the skills and design tactics of landscape architects can contribute to a conventional watershed planning project. Through the insertion of small-scale management practices within existing landscape patterns, Bigger Darby works to create a more robust watershed, strengthened to create a larger, more visually cohesive landscape.
Watershed planning addresses environmental issues such as flooding, habitat degradation, and water quality. Until recently, watershed protection has been hampered by the fact that watersheds span multiple jurisdictions with conflicting regulations. In recent decades, more regions and municipalities are adopting watershed planning models to shape development and environmental goals. Yet despite this enthusiasm, many plans instituted decades ago are now struggling to maintain public interest and support. Although reasons for declining support can be far reaching, a common challenge lies in the fact that most watershed planning work is abstract and not immediately visible in the landscape. Bigger Darby seeks to change this dynamic and explores how a watershed master plan can garner public interest by overtly reinforcing the cultural identity and structure of the landscape.
This landscape studio at Ohio State’s Knowlton School of Architecture was led by Unknown Studio’s Nick Glase and Assistant Professor Sarah Cowles in conjunction with visiting Glimcher Professor Michel Desvigne.
Project timeline: 2014
Client: Big Darby Creek Watershed, Central Ohio
Scope: Academic Project: Landscape Design Studio Watershed Master Plan Size: 73 square miles
With: Knowlton School of Architecture, Ohio State University Department of Landscape Architecture, Nick Glase as Visiting Professor
Teaching Partners: Sarah Cowles, Michel Desvigne
