The Design Process: Fort Tryon Park

Olmsted Archives, Job #00529

 

Have you ever wondered how parks are made? In the Olmsted Firm, the process of designing a landscape was often long and involved many people. Typically, the design process included the following steps:

• Prospective clients sent written inquiries to the Olmsted Firm proposing a potential project.
• Members of the firm conducted surveys and studies on a preliminary site visit.
• The landscape architect's initial ideas and designs would be presented in preliminary plans, which were drafted with reference to topographical maps and studies of the site.
• After a client had approved a preliminary plan, a draftsman would draw a general plan of the landscape.
• Architectural and engineering drawings showed plans for structures, bridges, and other built features of the landscape design.
• Planting plans showed the specific locations of individual plants and trees.
• The firm often built three-dimensional models to illustrate their designs.
• The client contracted the construction of the landscape through a bidding-process. Though the Olmsted Firm did not build their designs, a member of the firm was usually on-site throughout the construction of a landscape.
• Representatives of the firm paid follow-up visits to completed projects to ensure the success of a project.

How did this process work in a real-life park design? Follow the design process of Fort Tryon Park in New York City from pencil to park.