The new MD National Guard Freedom Readiness Center is a multipurpose facility, accommodating unit readiness, administrative office space, training facilities, and community space supporting civil and federal authority services. A small active-duty staff and traditional National Guard personnel operates the facility. The 56-acre site included a relatively flat, open area for the proposed building, but steep slopes, existing woods, and two branches of a perennial stream limited the use of much of the site. Much of the site remained wooded, some of it is a permanent easement.
The landscape plan includes a small formal entrance plaza for public access and a smaller staff entrance way, both with special paving. Planting and site furniture locations were largely prescribed by antiterrorism standoff distances – plant material was limited to species with mature heights of 6” maximum. Despite these constraints, the plant palette incorporates multiple perennials in patterns that showcase a variety of seasonal colors and textures. Located outside of the blast zone, the bioretention areas provide an opportunity to include a wider variety of native/habitat-enriching plants.
