City of Peoria
Peoria, AZ
Environmental – Landscape Architecture
The City of Peoria Veterans Memorial pays tribute to the past, present and future veterans and their families for the sacrifices they have made to protect our country, ideals, and virtues. This Memorial expansion project was inspired by the desire to help veterans recover from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and holds true to the original tribute.
The overall arching concept to this project was to enhance the experience while visiting this memorial and to honor individuals that have served and are serving this country. The Memorial was originally designed and constructed 10 years ago and most people did not know that it existed. The configuration of the previous memorial was linear and comprised of a black stone memorial wall with etchings paying tribute to past wars, a pathway adjacent to the wall, and a small gathering space at the end of the path that provided shade and seating for quiet reflection.
The Memorial expansion enhances and renovates the previous memorial with a cantilevered plaza over the existing lake, shade canopies, lighting, seating areas, and refurbishment of the landscape and irrigation. As the project developed, the design team worked with the City to refine the design and provide additional features to further enhance the project. These enhancements included additional plaza space, an entry feature that highlights the five military branches, a water feature below the cantilevered deck, wiring for a sound/audio system, and a flag wall to display the flags of the five military branches. An auxiliary Vietnam Memorial plaza was also designed with a Huey helicopter displayed eighteen feet above the plaza.
The project was designed and constructed in a little over nine months with a dedication ceremony held on Veterans Day, November 11, 2017. In March of 2018, the project was granted an Honor Award from the Arizona Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (AzASLA).
