Stow Armory Improvements

Stow, Ohio

A project with unique safety and security concerns calls for a landscape that responds likewise but in a beautiful and sustainable way. The Ohio National Guard armory in Stow, Ohio is being designed in accordance with the Department of Defense's Minimum Antiterrorism Standards. Those standards set rigid requirements for Clear Zones around the building including vegetation that cannot exceed eight inches in height.

Therefore, enhancements for the building will be restricted to low ornamental grasses, “carpet” variety shrubs, and ground cover perennials. With this in mind, Boulevard Studios is currently vetting a plant list that will not only provide an alternative to just turfgrass, but include selections of materials that will bring interest and color to building entries, sidewalk intersections, and monuments on the site. At the perimeter of these clear zones ornamental fencing and strategically spaced planters will provide protection of what lies within.