Moody Graham
Washington, D.C.
Moody Graham is a design office in Washington, D.C. focused on landscape architecture, garden design, and ecological planning for private and public clients. With 11 Landscape Architects and three Principals, the team is a pod of curious design professionals with a belief in the power of landscapes. Their mission is to bring the regenerative health benefits of nature to people across project types and scales, consistently bridging landscape and design to connect people, plants, and architecture. They collaborate with clients, communities, and allied professionals to create healthier places to live, work, and be. As a team, Moody Graham believes that nature is not just a final thought in design but the driving force behind it, that it's the place where we become most ourselves, so we must connect with it in a meaningful way.
Software Used: AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, Bluebeam, Lumion, SketchUp, Rhino
Rock Creek Historic Golf Course, Washington, D.C.
A: The rehabilitation of Rock Creek Park Golf Course will address narrowed-hole corridors, sparse turf, a rundown clubhouse, a lack of modern amenities, and an overly simplistic site program. Moody Graham and the National Park Service have developed a strategy that provides site-wide environmental and cultural assets through integrating an accessible and multi-use path network with corresponding educational signage, replacing invasive plant species with native plants and pollinator corridors, reestablishing the historically significant course design from the 1920s, reusing fallen lumber and invasive vegetation on site through carbon-clever wood methods for site furnishings, building cladding, and improving soil health by converting scrap wood into biochar. The goal is to provide local communities with a multi-functional, inclusive, public resource that serves as a national precedent for rehabilitating existing courses and constructing new ones.
Guardians of the First Amendment Memorial, Annapolis, Maryland
B: The Guardians of the First Amendment Memorial was conceived in response to the shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper on June 28, 2018 that took the lives of five journalists. Moody Graham was selected to design a memorial. As journalists represent the freedom of the press, the memorial includes a granite panel inscribed with the First Amendment surrounded by a grove of trees. Five granite pillars stand in front of the wall, representing the guardians of the First Amendment. The memorial was dedicated to the city on the third anniversary of
the event.
Southwest and Buzzard Point Flood Resilience Strategy, Washington, D.C.
C: This award-winning Analysis, Planning, and Urban Design project guards the Southwest and Buzzard Point neighborhoods of against inland flooding caused by intense rain events. The design proposes implementing a Blue-Green Infrastructure network involving existing infrastructure, new stormwater conveyance, and new bioretention elements to minimize flooding risk while improving parks, increasing access to green spaces, reducing summer temperatures, and creating safer streets for residents. Bioswales guide water to detention areas within the park. The Floodable Play Lawn uses tiered terraces to detain varying stormwater volumes while offering flexible space for recreational activities. This project is a comprehensive approach to addressing flooding while promoting livability and environmental sustainability.
Resonating the Rain, McLean, Virginia
D: Resonating the Rain is a renovation of a single-family residential garden. With the previous landscape plan, the client experienced scary flooding due to unresolved grading. Moody Graham developed strategies to transition from gray infrastructure to nature-based solutions and daylight the stormwater runoff into a series of rain gardens. The focal point of the garden, a curvilinear Corten steel runnel, starts at the base of a large boulder. The runnel weaves between the plants and transforms the garden during a rainstorm as it creates a unique symphony with the drops. This movement, sound, and drama in the rain awakens the senses, empowering mental regeneration and rejuvenation.
