The following projects were recognized in the 2020 National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), Landscape Contractors Association (LCA), and/or Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Excellence in Landscape/Construction Awards.
BORO
Location: Tysons Corner, VA
Installed By: Virginia Landscape Construction Branch
Awards Won: NALP Gold Award, LCA Grand Award, & ABC Excellence in Construction Award (DC/VA Chapter)
Category: Commercial Landscape Contracting
Description: The Boro is a 17-acre, multi-phase development with mixed-use residential, retail, entertainment, and offices as well as a two-acre urban
space known as Magnetic Park—all designed to capture the vibrant spirit
of a true downtown neighborhood. This multi-level project has been designed
to improve Tyson’s walkability and connectivity, demonstrate how the area’s old office parks can be reimagined, and tie it to the city’s storm water management plan.
Scope: Excavation of 4000 CY of soil; installation of 900 silva cells; 1270 tons of drainage stone; 31 tons of river rock; 3200 CY of soil; 70,500 SF of soil fabric; 80,000 SF of filter fabric; 102,200 SF of pavers; an ADA compliant ramp/staircase; 67,000 SF of concrete; 950 LF walls of concrete walls; an irrigation system with 49 zones and 28,000 LF of main/lateral lines; custom-made site amenities; 9300 SF of artificial turf; 5700 SF of sod; 1400 shrubs; 10,200 perennials; and 200 trees.
Thank you to the following Ruppert team members for your hard work on this project: Edwin Reyes, Dan Flake, Kim Biche, April Rose.
Brunswick Crossing HOA
Location: Brunswick, MD
Installed by: Frederick Landscape Management Branch
Awards Won: NALP Silver Award & LCA Honorable Mention
Category: Commercial Landscape Management
Description: Brunswick Crossing is a large HOA community located in Frederick County, Maryland. Situated on 552 rolling acres, this community consists of single-family homes, neotraditional homes, villas and townhomes. The design places a large emphasis on indoor/outdoor living, with an abundance of green spaces, tot lots and pocket parks, athletic courts and fields, a community garden, dog parks, pool, recreation center, numerous ponds, and walking trail.
Scope: Maintenance of 200 acres of turf; 1200+ trees; 1250 annuals; 10,000+ perennials, grasses and shrubs; 700 cubic yards of mulch; integrated pest management; pond maintenance; and sports field maintenance.
Thank you to the following Ruppert team members for your hard work on this project: Tim Haines, Pedro Hernandez, Norman Chinchilla, Carlos Torres-Lozada, Miguel Hernandez, Rigoberto Coto-Osorio, Nick Imes, Payne Harrison.
West Creek Corporate Campus
Location: Richmond, VA
Installed By: Richmond North Landscape Management Branch
Awards Won: NALP Gold Award (Previously won LCA Grand Award)
Category: Commercial Landscape Management
Description: This sprawling 300-acre corporate campus for a global banking organization was designed to reflect both their dynamic results-oriented culture and the park-like West Creek environment. The Richmond campus houses 13 commercial office buildings, five sports fields, walking trails, multiple cafes and outdoor seating areas, naturalized areas and more for the enjoyment of over 10,000 employees and numerous visitors.
Scope: Maintenance of 106,000 perennials/grasses/shrubs; 400 annuals; 40 acres of finished turf; 4,000 trees; transplanting of mature material; edging; mulching; irrigation management and sports field maintenance; and multiple enhancements.
Thank you to the following Ruppert team members for your hard work on
this project: Jim Tilley, Phillip Orcutt, Billy Gray.
City Springs
Location: Sandy Springs, GA
Installed By: Lilburn Landscape Management Branch
Awards Won: NALP Gold Award & LCA Grand Award
Category: Commercial Landscape Management
Description: This 14-acre, multi-use city center functions as the city’s civic and community anchor and is the home to new city offices, a performing arts center, restaurants, shopping, residential units, and the new city green. The City Green, which is a four-acre park within the project, includes an open lawn area, shade bosque, an amphitheater, multiple plazas, and a network of fountains.
Scope: Maintenance of 63,250 SF of turf; 350 trees (ranging in size from 3”-14” caliper); and 19,000 shrubs, annuals, perennials, and grasses.
Thank you to the following Ruppert team members for your hard work on this project: Daniel Stutts, Bobby Lucas, Krissy Lively, Nick Wilson.
The Washington DC Temple/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Location: Kensington, MD
Installed By: Maryland Landscape Construction Branch
Awards Won: NALP Gold Award & LCA Grand Award
Category: Commercial Landscape Contracting
Description: Located about 10 miles north of the U.S. Capitol on a 52- acre wooded site, the temple’s gold spire is a well-known landmark in the region and with 160,000 SF of space is the third largest temple in the world. The client’s intent for the project was to reinvigorate the temple and surrounding landscape, which was installed over 45 years earlier.
Scope: Transplantation of 18 trees ranging in size from 5-7” caliper; installation of two fountains; a 4300 SF grasscrete fire lane; 430 SF of pavers; custom-made amenities; 70 tons of crushed decorative stone; irrigation system with over 50,000 LF of main/lateral lines and 30,000 LF of drip lines; 400 LF of underdrainage; 800 yards of soil; 6500 SF of sod; nearly 300 trees (ranging from 4-9” caliper); 7200 shrubs; and 21,000 perennials and groundcover.
Thank you to the following Ruppert team members for your hard work on
this project: Matthew Custhead, Jim Wachter, Darrin Middleton, Francisco Recinos, Tony Aliquo.
United Therapeutics, Unisphere
Location: Silver Spring, MD
Installed By: Maryland Landscape Construction Branch
Awards Won: NALP Silver Award & LCA Distinction Award
Category: Commercial Landscape Contracting
Description: United Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative products to address the unmet medical needs of patients with chronic and life-threatening conditions. The company views its buildings as physical manifestations of its values and wants to create structures that reflect their mission of saving lives. The 210,000 square-foot, elliptical shaped “Unisphere” houses clinical operations for pulmonary disease, heart failure, and organ transplantation as well as In Silico molecular biology – a virtual drug development lab.
Scope: Installation of 4700 SF of concrete flatwork and 18,000 SF of subslab; 640 LF of curb and gutter; 245 LF of stairs, 475 LF of seat walls; 2500 LF of caulking; all pavers (21,000 SF); all landscape (30 trees, 350 shrubs, 4500 perennials/groundcover); 850 yards of soil; 80 silva cells; and site amenities.
Thank you to the following Ruppert team members for your hard work on this project: Hannah Meyer, Casey Coleman, Jim Wachter.
A Data Center in Ashburn
Location: Ashburn, VA
Installed By: Gainesville Landscape Management Branch
Awards Won: NALP Gold Award
Category: Commercial Landscape Management
Description: As one of the largest data centers in the world at 173 acres and growing, this campus offers move-in ready server storage spaces for organizations across the globe. The landscape is designed to mirror the company’s philosophy of sustainability site is has both LEED Silver/Gold and Energy Star certifications, with an emphasis on a native plant palette.
Scope: Maintenance of 50 acres of turf; 500 trees; 3,000+ perennials and grasses; almost 2,000 annuals; 1,000 shrubs; 560+ yards of mulch; irrigation management of 400+ zones; retention pond management; and leaf removal.
Thank you to the following Ruppert team members for your hard work on this project: Caroline Ianni, Joaquin Acosta, Christopher Robb, Leydis Reyes, Tamaz Curumi, Andrew Rice.
Scissortail Park
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Installed By: Georgia Landscape Construction Branch
Awards Won: NALP Silver Award & LCA Grand Award
Category: Commercial Landscape Contracting
Description: Scissortail Park was a two-year installation that was completed in 2019 and represents 40 of the 70-acre design (the second half is slated to begin in 2021). The park features a variety of engaging experiences for visitors to enjoy including a Great Lawn and performance stage, a 3.7 acre lake, children’s playground, an interactive fountain, ornamental gardens and woodlands, a dog park, picnic grove, restaurant, recreational facilities, and walking/jogging paths set with regionally specific native woodlands and prairie landscapes.
Scope: Installation of 135,000 SF of concrete flatwork; 140,000 SF of subslab; 160,000 SF of pavers; 22,000 LF of drainage pipe; 16,000 tons of stone; 35,000 LF of rubberized aggregate path; 15,000 SF of safety surface; 3500 SF of artificial turf; a playground; a dog park; over $1.6 M worth of site amenities; 65,000 CY of soil; 30,000 SF of filter fabric; 413,000 SF of sod; 1,000 trees; 74,000 perennials; 5,000 shrubs and 185,000 SF of wildflower seed; 4000 CY of mulch; and an extensive pond-fed irrigation system.
Thank you to the following Ruppert team members for your hard work on this project: John Parsley, Tony Youngblood, Mark Innis, McKenna Salmon, Chris Davitt, Juan Morales.
Tel Hai Retirement Community
Location: Honey Brook, PA
Installed by: Toughkenamon Landscape Management Branch
Awards Won: NALP Silver Award
Category: Commercial Landscape Management
Description: Tel Hai is a nonprofit retirement community located in the Amish countryside of Chester County. The 124-acre campus was designed for residents to enjoy an active, independent retirement, consisting of seven apartment buildings and 183 townhomes/cottages; a community center; chapel; three care centers; walking paths; courtyards and gazebos; an outdoor amphitheater; sports courts; resident garden, and more.
Scope: Maintenance of 44 acres of turf; 1500+ trees; 6500 perennials and grasses; 8000 shrubs; and 650+ cubic yards of mulch, as well as integrated pest management.
Thank you to the following Ruppert team members for your hard work on this project: Jeff Lauesen, Antonio Bedolla, Rigoberto Bedolla, Rafael Diaz, Jorge Olvera, Alfredo Magaña, Alejandro Hernandez, Jorge Magaña, Sebastian Sanchez
Why Do We Participate in Awards Programs?
It’s that time of year when we’re always proud to showcase some of our award-winning projects. And while we have many projects that we are proud of and grateful to be a part of, award projects stand out because to be award-worthy they must demonstrate a high degree of difficulty in terms of their execution and also be visually appealing. These projects are judged by industry professionals, who make their decisions based on a detailed narrative and photos. There is a considerable amount of time and attention to detail that goes into just submitting an award for consideration—from gathering information and statistics and preparing the site for professional photos, to writing the narrative and creating the photo captions. The process is a team effort that involves many people, in many positions all pulling together to create and refine what’s submitted. But the real work happens on a daily basis on each and every one of these projects—laying hardscape, installing water features, mowing turf, edging curb line—the myriad details when no one is looking that transforms a project into its best possible end product. So thank you to everyone who had a hand in these projects—from purchasers and project managers to crewman and field managers. Your talent, dedication and continued pursuit of excellence is what enables us to put our best foot forward with projects like these and all projects we undertake. Keep up the great work and thanks for all you do!