Ipé Walkway Revitalizes Erie Street Plaza
"There's something about the way [ipé] weathers which I think is unique. When first installed, it has a dark reddish color, then weathers beautifully to a lighter warm gray tone. Once you set that against a colder material like concrete, you can see the warmth of the material."
— SCOTT REID, PROJECT MANAGER, STOSS LANDSCAPE URBANISM
The site for this link was "a surface parking lot, subject to harsh environmental conditions, including high winds off the lake," according to Stoss Landscape Urbanism, the designers of the revitalized plaza. The driving concept behind the space revolved around the need to maximize "programmatic, environmental, and ecologic variety…while recalling the site's industrial past." The design is contemporary, offering park lighted benches and comfortable spaces to rest along the river.
Tying the exterior spaces together is a walkway of ipé (Tabebuia spp.), a "fantastic" wood according to Scott Reid, project manager at Stoss Landscape Urbanism for the Erie Street Plaza revitalization. "There were two primary reasons we used ipé: we thought it was an extremely durable wood and we knew it was a wood that was sustainably harvested. Those are two critical reasons why we still use it today."
"The third plus is that it can span longer distances than other materials," says Reid. "This becomes really important when you're dealing with structures because the cost of the structure is typically not in the cladding but in the structure beneath it. So the longer you can span with deck material, the less structure you have to build."
And the bonus? "Ipé is gorgeous," adds Reid. "There's something about the way it weathers which I think is unique. When first installed, it has a dark reddish color, then weathers beautifully to a lighter warm gray tone. Once you set that against a colder material like concrete, you can see the warmth of the material."
"When it weathers, there are variations in all of the boards. That's the kind of richness you get from natural materials like marble and granite. There's something inherent to the material that adds beauty," adds Reid.
Simple yet elegant, the ipé walkway, grass and plantings, bring more character to the space than the vacant lot that formerly occupied the site. And at night, the glowing yellow benches contrast spectacularly with the infrastructure of the city's past and present.
Frequently asked questions
What wood species was used for the Erie Street Plaza walkway?+
The walkway is made of ipé (Tabebuia spp.), which ties the exterior spaces of the revitalized plaza together.
Why did Stoss Landscape Urbanism choose ipé for the Erie Street Plaza?+
According to project manager Scott Reid, ipé was chosen because it is extremely durable and sustainably harvested. It also spans longer distances than other materials, which reduces the amount of substructure required.
How does ipé weather over time?+
When first installed, ipé has a dark reddish color, and it weathers to a lighter warm gray tone. The weathered boards show variations that add natural richness, similar to materials like marble and granite.
How does using ipé reduce construction costs for decks and walkways?+
Because ipé can span longer distances than other deck materials, less substructure is needed beneath it. Since most of the cost of a structure lies in the framing rather than the cladding, longer spans mean lower overall costs.
What were the site conditions at Erie Street Plaza before revitalization?+
The site was a surface parking lot subject to harsh environmental conditions, including high winds off the lake. The redesign aimed to maximize programmatic, environmental, and ecologic variety while recalling the site's industrial past.
What design features were added to Erie Street Plaza alongside the ipé walkway?+
The revitalized plaza includes lighted park benches, comfortable resting spaces along the river, grass, and plantings. At night, glowing yellow benches contrast with the surrounding urban infrastructure.