DCBIA 22ND Annual Community Improvement Day Takes on Greater Challenge for Bigger Community Impact
September 4th, 2014
Year after year, the District of Columbia Building Industry Association’s (DCBIA) commitment to and involvement in the community continues to grow with larger and more inspiring sites. This year’s site has proven to be no exception. In a joint decision with the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), Dwight A. Mosley Sports Complex was selected as the location for the 22nd Annual Community Improvement Day. Over three times larger than last year’s project at Lederer Gardens and Environmental Education Center, The Dwight A. Mosley Sports Complex could be one of the most unique and challenging projects undertaken by DCBIA.
Located in the northeast neighborhood of Brookland, Dwight A. Mosley Sports Complex is not easily accessible by metro. Because of this, the park has become less of a destination, and more of a community driven amenity. The history of Dwight A. Mosley himself, and the importance of equality in athletics, is still today strongly carried on throughout the park and its surrounding neighborhood. The community’s overall devotion to the site inspired the design team significantly. We know that our goal here is to sustain the concept of what the park had already grown to be, and to rejuvenate its existing function within the fabric of the neighborhood.
The most challenging design aspect of the park is its current organization. At the center of the site, occupying nearly two thirds of the entire park, are three baseball diamonds and a football field. The remaining spaces surrounding these fields are pushed along the perimeter of the park. Working in close coordination with DPR, whose task was the renewal of these recreation fields, the design team had to focus its efforts on these neglected surrounding pieces of the site. We began by segmenting the park into six varying zones, each with its own distinct opportunities and difficulties. Each zone was then assigned to a team of talented designers who quickly began transforming these areas. Through months of design and coordination meetings, the revitalization of Mosley has finally started to become a reality.
The largest component of the site is the installation of a brand new playground. In con- junction with the Mayor’s “Play DC” initiative for a healthy city, Playworld Systems has pro- vided the equipment that will take the place of the existing broken and battered playground. In order to further promote healthier activity within the community, a series of outdoor exercise stations will be positioned alongside the existing track. Some of the other larger design features include an outdoor classroom and additional gathering spaces for students of the adjacent school to utilize before and after hours. Multiple shade structures and additional seating have been designed and carefully incorporated to give users a more comfortable experience while watching their children at play. An overwhelming amount of underutilized asphalt surrounding the basketball courts will be converted into a playful geometric arrangement of cut asphalt, vegetation, and graphics. In the same area, a skate park and an expanded community garden will be constructed to insure activation of this space by users of all ages. From a more practical standpoint, designers have also created innovative storage for more efficient use of the park by the recreational leagues. Finally, through new landscaping, artwork, and signage, all six zones are tied together to form an illustrative and cohesive plan.
The realization of this project could not have been achieved without the hard work of the designers, contractors, and committee members of DCBIA who have all volunteered their time in transforming Dwight A. Mosley Sports Complex. As design co-chairs, we are excited to imagine how this already important component of the community will be rejuvenated into a much greater amenity that will carry on the tradition of the neighborhood and the Mosley family. The 22nd Annual Community Improvement Day is sure to have another tremendous outcome.
Join us to be a part of the transformation! Register to volunteer at www.dcbia.org.