Sterchi Farm
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Improving the amenities of an existing trailhead for the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway, WMWA was selected by the Trust for Public Land to lead a team of designers to develop and implement the initial phase of a master plan for a new 20-acre city park for Sterchi Farm. Together with the Trust for Public Land, the Benwood Foundation, the City of Chattanooga, the Glass House Collective, the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance, and numerous residents representing the surrounding neighborhoods, WMWA proposed a highly collaborative process in which responsive design frameworks and concepts were realized during a series of public meetings that were held throughout the duration of the project. The completed master plan includes a range of public amenities, including a multi-use event pavilion, an interpretative section of the historic Trail of Tears, improved boat launch access and boat storage, an immersive river overlook, a dog park, and accessible parking and bathrooms. Responding to the ecological needs of the site, the majority of the park’s 20 acres are managed in natural vegetation communities designed to limit maintenance and enhance visitor experience and education. Imbedded within this site is a mosaic of woodland and restored grassland ecosystems, which are intersected by an extensive natural trail system that unites the user with to variety of endemic landscapes. Prioritizing the need for a natural play space, WMWA collaborated with land artist Adam Kuby, who installed his 2018 clamber scramble traverse sculptural adventure trail. Phase 1 of the Sterchi Farm master plan was completed in 2018, and WMWA is currently working with the City of Chattanooga on Phase 2 for completion in 2020.
