Orange County Great Park
Cover Letter
The Great Park is the link between the green resorts of
Orange County.
It is the key element to connect, summarize and inform about
the natural resource of Orange County.
We propose to incorporate this variety of landscape with
their specific vegetation and wildlife as parts of the Great
Park, as the part of an educational and ecological concept.
As a visitor in the park you can discover a very attractive
change of landscape, vegetation and animals.
The current site is characterized by the airfield. This
landmark and its history should be part of the development
of the future of this area – they are imprint of history of the
site.
To relate the imprint the airfield to the human scale it needs
to be transformed into a new element. We propose to place a
lake in parts of the area of the airfield.
This lake will embrace the Central Meadow of the park. The
lake follows the topography of the site within a series of
cascades. The different ponds are either planted with
vegetation to clean the water or can be used for leisure. A
series of bands of different vegetation aligned with the lake.
We propose an ecological agricultural stripe with oranges
and other products that have been produced in Orange
County. This stripe is punctuated by clusters of trees.
The band of the Riparian Corridor has a dense vegetation of
shrubs and trees. The water is cascading in a formed channel
to maintain a minimum level of water through out the year.
Hike – and bikeway meander through it, following the
topography.
Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
The band of the Riparian Corridor has a dense vegetation of
shrubs and trees. The water is cascading in a formed channel
to maintain a minimum level of water through out the year.
Hike – and bikeway meander through it, following the
topography.
The wildlife corridor is separated from human contact by a
dense vegetation. You can observe the wildlife only in a few
selected points.
The only place were we introduce foreign plants is on the
wooden platform next and on top of the lake. This platform
connects the main entrance, the Great Meadow and the
cultural zone. It is the knot that binds the different elements
together. It is the place were you can get information about
the ecological and environmental issues of the county. It is
the place, the boulevard, where you meet, learn, sit under
palm trees with a view of the lake.
The edge between the City (Marine Way) and the Great Park
is a transition zone.
A built topography that incorporates sports facilities,
Museums, parkings and landscape.
Seen from the park this topography appears like a series of
grass covered hills.
The appearance of the edge from the Marine Way side has a
more urban character.
They define a border where public facilities are placed and a
series of smaller squares mix with the vegetation of the park.
Our aim is to avoid public car traffic within the park.
Therefore we propose parking units at the entrances of the
park for private cars. There people can rent bicycles or
electro carts. The internal roads should only be used by
service cars.
 Principles for Infrastructure

Great Park is planned to be developed in a sustainable,

environmentally responsive manner. The Park’s
development will seek to minimize its impact on the
environment, restore natural systems and ecology to the
area, contribute to the health and well-being of the local
community, support responsible economic growth, and
serve as a role model for sustainable development.
Eight principles have been established for sustainable
infrastructure development:

Regeneration of natural systems

Living within natural budget targets
System integration
Waste minimization
Showcase and education
Strong local identity
Magnet for prosperity
Shock resistance

In addition four key areas have been targeted:

Transportation
Water
Energy
Materials

Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
The Great Park is the link between the green resort of
Orange County.
It is the key element to conect, summarize and inform
about the natural resource of Orange County.
We propose to incorporate this variety of landscape
with their specific vegatation and wildlife as parts of
the Great Park, as the part of an educative and
ecological concept.
We took different moments of the history of the site as
references for the developmet and structuring of the
park.
 The current site is characterized by the airfield. This landmark and its history should be part of
the development of the future of this area – they are imprint of history of the site.
To relate the stamp of airfields to the human scale it needs to be transformed into a new
element.

Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
 We propose to place a lake in part of the area of the airfield.
This lake will embrace the Central Meadow of the park. The lake follows the topography of the site within a series of cascades.
The different ponds are either planted with vegetation to clean the water or can be used for leisure. A series of bands of different
vegetation aligne with the lake.

Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
 Sketches for inhabilitation of the site

Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
Master plan with the lake and the
channels and the green spaces

Our concept is based in sustainability

and biodiversity.
Orange great park is the point of start
of knowledge of different ecosystem
of the region, is for that we proposed
different kind of landscape planting
to recreate them.
Riparian corridors
Wetlands
Coastal sage scrubs
Forest ecosystem
Wild life corridors
Adapted ecosystem.
As a devastated area our goal is to
approach the landscape as natural and
fast as the species could dominate the
area of the park. Using natural grasses
to dominate the prairie zones and
reduce the irrigation. Fast growing
shrubs to make screening in the
different edges, fast growing trees to
dominate certain areas an offer
shadow places to our park. At the
same time and the beginning of the
construction we consider a huge
amount of trees to reforest all the
park with natural adapted trees.
Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
 Model view with the topographic modulation of the site

Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
 The park condenses the different caracteristics landscapes of Orange County in a comprenhensible way
And create an atracttion for visitors allowing them to experience the richness of Orange County

Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
 The edge between the park and the marine way is the membrane between the city and the park
Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
 Section Lake Plataform
The only place were we introduce foreign plants is on the
wooden platform next and on top of the lake. This platform
conects the main entrance, the Great Meadow and the cultural
zone. It is the knot that binds the different elements together.
It is the place were you can get information about the
ecological and environmental issues of the county. It is the
place, the boulevard, where you meet, learn, sit under palm
trees with a view of the lake.

Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
 Entrance gate

The main entrance gate

take reference to historic
Sample and local materials
of the area.

Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
 Section at Marine Way

Icons, Landmarks

Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
Meadow Lakes Boardwalk Plataform
The Meadow is the central open space of the The lake is the focal point of the park. It is
park. It is ideal for such activities as picnics, The "Boardwalk" is the main activity zone in
the strongest intervention in the park; it is
children’s playgrounds, and light casual the park. A wooden platform is relative to
made to establish a high quality inhabitable
sports. the lake and parkland. Located on this
space.
The Meadow is subdivided by a series of tree platform are various kiosks presenting
The lake follows the topography of the site in
plantations and is framed on one side by the information about the whole ecosystem,
a sequence of cascades. Standing at the Big
lake. about the park, about Orange County, and
Meadow you are surrounded by the lake.
We propose native grass for the meadow. about environmental and sustainable issues.
The size of the lake is similar to the large
The path loops through the meadow are The man-made, artificial walkway is the only
lake in Central Park. A system of ponds and
designed for slow movement. place where we introduce palm trees, to
vegetation provides the maintenance for
accent this zone and to give it a special
insuring high water quality. The lake has
atmosphere.
many areas which will allow for different
The "Boardwalk" concept offers the
uses, from natures zones to sport areas.
opportunity to incorporate support and
We propose to maintain a constant water
entertain visitors, by providing kiosks, small
level in the Riparian Channel through a
restaurants, and palm trees.
system of cascades to benefit both the nature
and the experience of the visitor year round.
Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
 1.
2.

3.

Linear Park Bands Sports and Museums District

We have three linear park bands. The Sport and Museum Districts are the
filtering elements between the city and the
1. The "Ecological Plantation" band, where park.
Oranges and other agriculture produce are The topography mixes with sport facilities
grown. This will be reminiscent of the early and buildings.
years at Irvine Ranch. These plantations are On the South side facing Marine Way, the
mixed and situated amongst other trees types. topography forms a tree planted terrace with
2. The "Riparian Corridor" has a natural a sequence of different spaces, ones
character with dense tree vegetation and pertaining to more urban uses.
cascading water. This will be the scenery for The side facing the park establishes a
walking, hiking, and biking. topographic edge. This edge, which is
3. The "Wildlife Corridor" is as natural as covered with earth and grass, blends park
possible. Visitors can only get a glimpse of it with buildings. The undulating ground is
at special viewing points. used for public seating, to watch sport
Special care is given to the edge treatment of activities and in other areas provides space
all these corridors. for solar voltaic bands, which produce
electricity for the park.

Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona
 Streets Walkways and bicycles

In order to avoid separating the central Bicycle paths and walk ways are designed for
Meadow by placing streets around it, we different speeds and experiences. We have
propose to align the streets along the diagonal tracks for fast bicycle traffic next to the main
of the park. roads, and slow tracks mixed with pedestrian
We propose that the streets within the park ways within the park. There are special
are only used by service vehicles. All other hiking and biking tracks. Walk ways have
vehicles are provided with parking spaces in the same variety of speed and experience.
close proximity to the entry gates. There,
visitors can go by foot, personal bicycle, or
rental, offering bicycles and electric carts.
Next to Marine Way we propose a slow
traffic lane for services and parking.

Orange county great park Enric miralles benedetta tagliabue embt arquitectes associats barce3lona