Set in Ketchum, Idaho, the landscape design for Warm Springs Preserve transforms a 65-acre stretch that had long been a golf course into a public community landscape. What had been a private, single-use golf facility will become a universally accessible and sustainable public space for the Ketchum community. The Superbloom design incorporates considerable landscape renewal, taking into account floodplain and ecosystem restoration.

To address the ecological restoration needs of this site and preserve the 65 acres of open space for generations to enjoy, Superbloom is collaborating with Rio ASE. A leading expert in river and floodplain ecosystem restoration, Rio ASE has years of experience in Idaho, the Wood River Valley, and at the Warm Springs Preserve project site itself. Together, we have been working closely with the City of Ketchum, the Wood River Land Trust and Friends of the Warm Spring Preserve to conduct a public design process with community engagement opportunities to inform the master plan.

Superbloom conducted 3 Public Open Houses and utilized other creative information gathering techniques to synthesize an abundance of feedback and comments into designs for an inclusive, accessible, restorative open space that enhances both human and environmental aspects of the ecosystem. As we continue to integrate these ideas into the design, the community’s vision is coming to life: a preserve that provides a variety of recreational opportunities for the community, paired with functional ecosystem restoration.

Last month, we presented an updated vision plan to the community, council members and stakeholders. We have incorporated feedback from the community to create a space that enhances both the natural habitat of the preserve and experience for visitors and their furry companions.

Collaborators: Wood River Land Trust, Rio Applied Science & Engineering, Ecosystem Sciences, Michael Doty Associates, North Fork Native Plants, Benchmark Associates

Read more in the Architects Newspaper: In Idaho, Superbloom is restoring a natural floodplain into a public park on the site of a former golfcourse