Page 11 - 2019 Digital Brochure 112219 Pages

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT Landscape Architecture

University of Southern Mississippi
Tornado Damage Restoration |
Hattiesburg, MS

After an EF-4 tornado did severe damage to the University of
Southern Mississippi campus, the university contracted with
Neel-Schaffer to design a plan to help rebuild, renovate, and
enhance the campus. Most of the severe damage was done
to landscaping and fencing along the Hardy Street and MS
49 entrance to the campus in Hattiesburg. The restoration
and enhancement plan was a multi-phase effort to repair
and replace what was damaged or lost, and to also make
improvements to the Rose Garden and Lake Byron that have
enriched the experience for all campus visitors:

• The Rose Garden phase included a large bronze golden
eagle sculpture to complement the plaza area, and
small shrubs and ground covers.

• The Lake Byron Phase included an expansion of the
lake, an attractive bulkhead, an aerating pond fountain,
a spillway modification, a new bridge and sidewalks,
and a rebuilt retaining wall. Landscape improvements
included the planting of native trees around Lake Byron.

• A decorative campus perimeter fence that was under
construction when the tornado hit was restored and
completed.
Neel-Schaffer worked with multiple arborists, members
of the university’s Biological Sciences department and
Tree Management Task Force to create the plan. This plan
represented the resiliency of the Hattiesburg and campus
communities, while offering the opportunity to create
attractive and functional interactive space for future
generations of USM students, faculty, staff and visitors.

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