BIM AND URBAN PLANNING: A NEW START FOR AN OLD TOWN

Images courtesy of Pacific Coast Land Design

Project: Newhall Revitalization
Location: Newhall, California
Architect: Pacific Coast Land Design

The Project: In the early 20^th century, Newhall, California, was once a popular backdrop for western films. However, it would eventually experience dramatic decline as the sprawling suburbs of nearby Los Angeles drew people away, leaving behind struggling businesses and high vacancy rates in Newhall. In response, an active City Council launched a revitalization effort to alter Newhall’s fate.

The Firm: The City called on regional landscape architecture firm Pacific Coast Land Design (PCLD) to help make its revitalization hopes happen. PCLD’s six-person design team, known for its expertise in public works projects, worked with the Council to re-envision the central corridor of Main Street, from which the City had diverted traffic to a nearby roadway and added a roundabout to improve the flow of through-traffic. “We wanted to strengthen the community’s heritage and instill a new sense of pride in downtown Newhall,” says PCLD Principal Chris Roberts.

The Use of BIM for Sustainable Site and Landscape Design: PCLD’s plan for the site introduced sustainable features, ensuring the project would function efficiently into the future. To do this, PCLD relied on software that could address site features and landscape design information as well as buildings. “We have to provide water budget calculations for each site, which can become time consuming if you don’t have the right tools,” says PCLD Principal Mike Zielsdorf. Referring to the specific software that the office uses, he adds, “We can input all of our data into our worksheet and use smart calculations to do all the budgeting for us. Everything happens with the click of a button.”

To realize its vision for the site, PCLD also utilized BIM. The team created a file that served as a single source of information, which gave the project lasting value for the construction team and the owners. Data from the landscape software, such as hardscape and planting area objects, were keyed into dynamic project worksheets, allowing the team to maintain up-to-date quantity calculations for the various paving materials and landscape features as the design progressed. “We incorporate as many advanced design features as we can into every project, making sure that everything works together to ensure that not a single drop of water is wasted,” Roberts says. “We want to create a landscape that is both beautiful and can last for years to come, no matter how the climate changes.”

The Role of Visualization: The firm used a variety of methods to create visualizations of different aspects of the project—all tied to the core BIM file. “Visualization was critical during the design process for Old Town Newhall,” Zielsdorf says. “We generated several 3-D design renderings to communicate our ideas to the community at workshops, and we used their feedback right up until construction began.” For example, renderings of the roundabout helped the City address the concerns of local drivers, and business owners were reassured by the detailed drawings that exhibited how beautiful the site would become.

Another presentation tool that PCLD used was a was a software feature to streamline the process of aligning the 3-D model with site photographs. With this capability, PCLD created renderings that were based on existing photographs to show the “before” or existing condition and then integrated the proposed design into the photograph to show the “after” or constructed condtion. This made the images more realistic and easily recognizable by stakeholders and users in context with the existing site and its surroundings.

The Results: The project has been built and realized based on the design and documentation of PCLD. The result for the City is that Old Town Newhall is now an emerging, mixed-used, pedestrian-oriented village with a redeveloped streetscape.

The Impact on the Firm: The result for the firm is that PCLD’s success has earned the firm numerous local and regional awards. “But it’s the quality of our drawings and renderings that has been the basis of our growth,” Zielsdorf says. “BIM allows us to use one file from the start, beginning at the conceptual phase and moving into construction, all while letting us pull out reports and diagrams to communicate our design to anyone who needs to see it. BIM is an incredibly important part of our process.”

Imagining the potential of a site and bringing it to reality with stunning visualizations is Roberts’ favorite aspect of his work. “Yes, the economy has gotten better, but I think that our recent success can be attributed to more than that,” he says. “All of us have worked really hard to create detailed visualizations, and it’s changed how people look at our firm and what we do. This will be our best year ever, and our business has grown as a result of the visualization and project development tools that BIM has made available to us.”