1. Program
Giles Cottage Patio,
Grass Amphitheater,
Herb Garden
Stable Plaza
Planting Bed and Stepping
Stone Path
Birch and Moss Planting Bed
Grass Swale
Retaining Walls to Divert Wa-
ter Runoff
Vegetated Swale
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Goals
Materials
Conncet Herter Hall to an outdoor
gathering space with a path that has
an overhead tree canopy
Create intimate gathering space for
the users of Giles Cottage
Install a system of swales, vegetative
buffers and retaining walls to slow
and redirect water
Built in the 1920’s by two art and music
enthusiasts, Garth Newel Music Center
is a chamber and jazz music center that
offers gourmet cuisine for its guests
during events which focus on great
music and community outreach.
banner art: http://www.garthnewel.org/About.aspx
The Stable Plaza and Giles
Cottage is an extention of the
performance inside Herter
Hall. The plaza invites visitors to
Garth Newel to another location
to a event space surrounded by
buildings steeped in century-old
history. Events such as concerts
or weddings can take place on
the Stable Plaza.
A contrasted experience shall
take place on Giles Cottage
Patio. Located in the front yard
of the Cottage, the Patio
features a warm stone wall
native to the character of Garth
Newel, mavable seating, a
view of any festivals that may
be taking place on the Stable
Plaza or the Amphitheater with
a mountian backdrop.
Spring 2014 Studio // Garth Newel Music Center
Hot Springs, Virginia

2. Spring 2014 Studio // Garth Newel Music Center
Hot Springs, Virginia
Revisions
Date: May 7, 2014
Blacksburg,VA
DepartmentofLandscapeArchitecture
atVirginiaTech
400TurnerStreet
Blacksburg,VA,24060
PlantingPlan
GarthNewelMusicCenter
403GarthNewelLane
HotSprings,Virginia24445
L-5
Scale 1’:10”
0 10 30
MelissaMarchand
Notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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8.
All unlabled areas are Tall Fesuce grass
There is one detail callout for a B&B Tree
Sweet Birch was selected for its aesthetic appeal with the character of Garth Newel, and for its medium size
Sugar Maple was selected for its fall color, and for its round spreading habit
Flowering Dogwood was selected for its appeal with the character of Garth Newel, its showy flowers, and its small size.
Rose of Sharon was selected for its showy flowers and small size
Singleseed Juniper was selected for its spreading tendencies, density, color, and small medium size in groundcovers
Aaron’s Beard St. Johns Wort was selected for its showy flowers, spreading tendencies and low-growing habit.
Construction Set
showing two sheets out of a seven-sheet set
Revisions
Date: May 7, 2014
Blacksburg,VA
DepartmentofLandscapeArchitecture
atVirginiaTech
400TurnerStreet
Blacksburg,VA,24060
GradingPlan
GarthNewelMusicCenter
403GarthNewelLane
HotSprings,Virginia24445
L-5 of 7
Scale 1’:10”
0 10 30
MelissaMarchand
Each pipe serves to direct water off of the site in either into the Performance
Lawn or to the stream located on the side of the road. There are pipes located
about 2 feet underground on the higher side of each retaining wall. These pipes
are all connected, with the exeception of the retaining wall next to Herter Hall
parking lot, to a larger pipe which outlets on the other side of the road to the
festival lawn.
The stream on the side of the road will be slowed and mitigated with vegetation
and boulders that are 1 foot in diameter.
The retaining wall next to the Herter Hall parking lot is about 6 feet tall and will
control the flow of storm water runoff to Giles Cottage from the Parking lot. The
runoff from the parking lot will be drained to a pipe located underground on
the high side of this retaining wall. the water will daylight through a weep hole
in the retaining wall and will run to the vegetated swale South of Giles Cottage
Stormwater that falls on the northern section of the site will flow through an
open swale, and will drain into an inlet under the road, and will drain in the
festival lawn.
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Notes
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4.
Planting Plan
Grading Plan
Set included:
- Cover Sheet
- Existing Conditions Plan
- Layout Plan
- Grading Plan
- Planting Plan
- Hydrology Plan
- Hardscape Details
- Planting Details

3. Nestled on the western slope of Warm Springs Mountain, the former a rural estate
was established in 1924 by William Sergeant Kendall where he and his wife
Christine Herter Kendall designed a three story barn-like Manor House, a horse-riding
arena, and a barn to house Arabian horses which they trained and rode. The
buildings are placed on the bowl-shaped slope which opens toward the west and
frames a view of the Dunn’s Gap mountain landscape. In 1973 under the ownership
of Christine, and the partnership of Luca and Arlene DiCecco the property became
Garth Newel Music Center and was used as a place to teach and perform chamber
music. Christine arranged for the former riding arena to be used as a concert hall,
now known as Herter Hall. Christine left the property to the Garth Newel Music
Foundation when she died in 1981.
The 114 acre landscape is characterized at the edges by dense layers of trees, open
lawns, and gradually sloped mountains which cause Garth Newel to be nestled in
the landscape. Asphalt pathways cross over the slopes from building to building and
to the parking areas which all become a journey in which views of the mountains and
of the historical buildings are focal points. The view experience is most natural at the
Knoll which is an elevational high point, enclosed on two sides by trees which frame
the view of Dunn’s Gap. Benches made from fallen trees in the property are placed
at various points in the landscape where wide views of the Music Center and of the
surrounding mountains can be seen. A bench is located at the highest point of the
property where there is a memorial and a view of the whole property. Materials used
are brick used on the patio at Herter Hall, fieldstone on the retaining walls, terraces,
stairs, as road edge markers, and as decoration in the landscape.
I started this job with the Cultural landscape foundation at the beginning of this school year in Septem-
ber because I wanted to gain more experience in general writing and reasearching historical land-
scapes. Eventually in my career I would like the opportunity to design gardens which acknowledge
history in material and style.
My responsibilities inlcude studying culutal landscapes from a list, and writing 250 to 300 word
descriptions about each. The persons advising my workare two instructors from the Landscape Archi-
tecture department at Virginia Tech.
The organization’s website : http://tclf.org/landscapes
Part-Time Job: // The Cultural Landscape Foundation
What’s Out There Virginia project

4. North
Point
Farm
Case Study:
Westover
Plantation
Context Weddings atWestover Plantation, Charles City County,VA
P
Circulation
- Limousine
-VendorTrucks
- Guest Parking Area (50 cars)
- Maintenance Route
Maintanence Area
- Easily Accessible
- Electricy hookup
- Out the way of major veiws
Ceremony
- Focal point
- Flat
- GoodViews
- Enough space for 200 chairs
- Electricity hookup
- Shade and breeze in summer
- Sun in spring, fall, and winter
- Away from strong winds
Reception
-Tent pad: min. 40 x 80
- Enough space for 200 charis
and 25 tables
- Dance floor
- Electricity Hookup
- Good views
- Away from strong winds in all
seasons
- Summer breeze and shade
- Sun in spring, fall, and winter
- Restrooms easily accessible
- Kitchen nearby
Cocktail Area
-View
- Flat, hard area for bar
- Area for guests to stroll and
be in groups. play lawn games
- Away from maintanence area
Rain Plan
- Barn
-Tent
- Proximity to Parking lot
with hard path between
Gazebo: ceremonies, cocktail hour
40 x 80
tent
200
Chairs
Scale 1”=50’
PoleTent:
ceremonies
reception Limousine
N
James River
Mattapon
i R
iver
KingWilliam
County
Charles City
County
North Point Farm
Location: KingWilliam County,Virginia
Size: 14.5 Acres
actual size of site
Dressing Areas
- Private
- GoodViews
- Hard Path between parking
area and ceremony areas
- overhead enclosure
(preferably a building)
tent
chairs
RiverView
Program:Wedding Landscape Needs
I decided that I wanted to study residential garden design, historical patterns, and client communication in my
senior project. This project came to me in March of 2014 when the residents contacted our department’s pro-
gram chair asking if any students would be interested in designing gardens around a historical property to be
converted into a part time wedding venue. I jumped at the opportunity because it seemed to have everything I
was looking for as a former colonial plantation converted to a private residence in need of gardens.
left: sketch from the
back porch
middle: SketchUp
model
right: sketch and
diagram of site
slopes
Senior Project // North Point Farm,
King William, Virginia
Garden design for a residence and future wedding venue