Abstract:
What was undertaken was an exploration of the broad range of issues facing the United States Military and its changing role. Explorations included the military as an institution, the military base as a physical composition, and military music both as an integral part of the institution and an artistic and emotional expression of honor, duty, and pride. It was hypothesized that the Landscape Architect is qualified to identify, document, interpret, and synthesize these issues into a cohesive site design that is an expression of the character and spirit of the military as well as a timely and appropriate re-use plan for a former military base. Thus, the culmination of this project was an overall landscape composition that found its inspiration in the military heritage of the site, yet re-evaluated its role in the future aesthetic and functional usage of the site.The vision was that the design, drawings, and other related materials produced would be able to serve as an inspirational catalyst. The original problem started out as a frustration with the current trend of adaptive re-use projects dealing with former military installations. Thus, it was intended for this research and design to serve as a vision of what is possible. It was hoped that professionals considering the re-design of any military installation would consider this approach: 1) to employ the heritage of the institution and the physical entity that once occupied the site, as well as the music that epitomized both, all to serve as inspirations for their design, 2) to look beyond the economic concerns and the special interest groups to consider what is sacred about the place, and finally 3) capture these, preserve these, and express these in the landscape.
