Unfortunately, the new plaza created with the courthouse used resources inefficiently and was disconnected from the public. It was also full of impervious surfaces, offered minimal shade, featured overwatered but underused lawns, and exotic, ill-adapted plant materials. In the midst of a New Mexico drought, the landscape was suffering immensely.

Photo: Rios Clementi Hale Studios

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The Pete V. Domenici U.S. Courthouse Sustainable Landscape Renovation transformed the neglected public plaza into a showcase of sustainable landscape design best practices. Set within a high desert transitional zone, the plaza features a creative reuse of materials, xeriscaping, and ecological stormwater management.

Photo: Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES), photo by: Robert Reck

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Landscape architects at Rios Clementi Hale Studios viewed the landscape as a “selective quarry.” Some 21,000 square feet of concrete sidewalks were removed and cut it into 8"x 16" blocks. 84 percent of these concrete blocks were reused and stacked to make seat walls, which separated the plaza into distinct areas.

Photo: Rios Clementi Hale Studios

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Due to the scarcity of water in the desert region and the intensity of storms when they do occur, developing a comprehensive stormwater management strategy was complex. Lawns were replaced with native plants. Any excess stormwater runoff is now captured in 16,000-gallon underground cisterns and used for irrigation. These efforts reduced the plaza’s potable water use by more than 86 percent.

Photo: Rios Clementi Hale Studios

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The new design for the courtyard uses drought-tolerant plants and 79 percent native plants. Plants, which have attracted an array of urban wildlife, were grouped together by their water needs. Wet plants were placed at the base of sloped rain gardens, mimicking the regional Rio Grande Floodplain Bosque ecology, while drought-tolerant plants occupy higher ground.

Photo: Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES), photo by Robert Reck

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Capitalizing on Albuquerque’s 300-plus days of annual sun, a 41,300-kilowatt hour (Kwh) array of solar panels was installed on the roof of the courthouse. These solar panels entirely power the upgraded LED lighting fixtures across the landscape.

Photo: Robert Reck

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Improved connections make the courthouse landscape more walkable. In place of concrete sidewalks, there are ADA-accessible decomposed granite pathways that improve access and connect visitors. Honey locusts shade these new pathways, providing relief from the hot, dry climate.

Photo: Robert Reck

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The new courtyard is rooted in the history of the place. The diagonal arrangement of landscape elements is derived from abstractions of Pueblo patterns, while stormwater management elements mimic the function and location of historic irrigation canals.

Photo: Robert Reck

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