Ed Barsis Park at Four Hills Village

About

Located in a part of Albuquerque, NM that previously lacked public parks, the Ed Barsis neighborhood park is an inviting ecosystem of play that provides children and adults with limitless sense of connection and exploration.

Categories Place Botanic & Arboretum Parks & Play Spaces Recreation

Project Details

Overview

This project is a neighborhood park that is approximately 1 acre. It is in a part of town that did not have any public parks and was designed to be a different kind of space. The distinct feature of the park is that the entire space is designed to be a complex ecosystem of play that fosters a limitless sense of connection and exploration. Dense tree plantings, natural boulder edgers, loose materials, such as small stones to decorate, and changes in elevation invite children to creatively go beyond the designated paths and playground equipment.

The City of Albuquerque led the effort to rethink what a park looks like and how it functions, eagerly encouraging a different approach to design. The neighborhood demographics were changing as young families were moving into older houses, so residents embraced a new approach that has become the center of community activity. Children are challenged to find new discoveries in a place that encourages engagement with nature.

The project won a New Mexico ASLA design award in 2018.

Construction Details

Design Firm
Pland Collaborative

Project Managers
Greg Miller

General Contractor
City of Albuquerque

Start Date
July 2014

End Date
June 2015

Rendered plan - A colorized drawing of the Ed Baris Park plan. The design features winding paths and play nodes that encourage exploration and discovery

A concrete path leads to a playground surrounded by plants. An adult who is sitting and young child who is standing are in the background.

Various sizes and shapes of small rocks are decorated with visitors’ chalk drawings.

A playground is nestled in an enclave of plants and vegetation. A bench is located to the left of the playground.

A well-developed concrete path leads to a bench area. Natural materials are incorporated into the construction to create unique experiences.

Vibrant plants and trees with fall foliage border a playground. The playground colors are muted in shades of green and browns.

The park’s pathways, including naturalized paths and a flat, wooden jig--zag foot bridge are lined with dense trees and foliage.

Funders & Supporters:

Owner - City of Albuquerque
David Flores Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation Department
Laurie Firor Division Manager Parks and Recreation Department
Dave Simon, Director Parks and Recreation Department

Recent Case Studies

A sidewalk, path, and landscaped garden beds with flat-roofed, wood-sided buildings on either side.

Place

Power To Be Basecamp

This outdoor activity center serves as a base of operations for Power To Be, a nonprofit organization that creates access to nature for youth, families, and adults living with cognitive, physical, financial, and social barriers.

A group of youth play with a football while other children sit on the berm. Behind them, kids play on the climber dome. The school building in the background is painted with bright colors and artwork.

Place

Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy (formerly Chester Arthur Schoolyard)

Formerly an asphalt-covered space that offered little to engage youth, the renovated schoolyard at the Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy is now an inviting green space for students and community members that elevates hands-on learning, physical activity, and connection to the natural world.

Surrounded by an abundance of green, a participant reaches up to carefully inspect a particular branch of leaves during one of Tremont’s herpetology SANCP classes.

Program

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont is a nonprofit field school situated within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It offers immersive, nature-based programs that enhance health and spark curiosity across all ages through profound engagement with the natural world.