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 Visitors to Upland Housing Authority’s
administrative office and public housing site, Los Olivos, may
have noticed big changes to the scenery. Using available
Capital Funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development and through the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act, the 13-acre site is undergoing a major landscaping
facelift. Located at 1200 N.
Campus Avenue, this is the first major landscaping project for
Los Olivos since it was built in 1943. The
design, which is called xeriscaping, incorporates computer
controlled “smart” irrigation and replaced approximately 200,000
square feet of existing grass turf with drought-tolerant plants
native to California. The change is expected to reduce water
consumption at the site by almost 50%.
Upland
Housing Authority worked with Noresco and Green Product
Solutions to develop a design plan that would provide long-term
savings to the Upland Housing Authority, while maintaining an
attractive and uniform look throughout the site. Colorful
grasses and flowering shrubs make up the majority of the
design. Agave and aloe plants, some of which were already existing at the
site, are peppered throughout. Pierre Sprinkler and
Landscape performed the construction and installation.
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PROGRESS PHOTOS
March, 2010 |
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Planter beds are beginning to fill in and
develop.
Aloe plants, which were included in the design
to add color and variety to the landscape, are
blooming throughout the community.
Fairy tails grasses are also developing and
filling in the areas where traditional turf once
was.
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Open
House
September 10, 2009
The work on the Xeriscaping and Irrigation
project was completed in early September, and
the UHA Board of commissioners, staff, and
residents, members of the construction and
design team, and representatives from the HUD
Los Angeles field office, the City of Upland,
and Inland Empire Utilities Agency attended an
open house event on September 10th.
The open house event concluded with a tour of
the site and the work performed.
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August, 2009
As the landscape matures
and fills in, the face of these units will take on a new
look.
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The planting scheme is
varied around the community, giving a unique look to
each of the units.
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Mulch filler helps to
maintain moisture and
protect the plants. |
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Future planter beds are
tilled and soil amendments are added in preparation for
the plants. After the soil is tilled and amended
drip line is installed to irrigate the new and some
existing plants.
The courtyard area looks
nearly the same, but all new irrigation has been
installed beneath the grass. |
The aging anti-backflow
device was replaced on July 23, 2009.
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The majority of the
pop-up sprinklers have been installed and are being
tested for coverage.
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Many of the trees around
the complex received a much-needed pruning.
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April, 2009
Fences and barriers are
removed as trenches are filled.
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Grass turf has been
removed and will be replaced with a mixture of grasses
and flowering shrubs shown in the plant palette.
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Trenches throughout the
complex make way for irrigation lines, valves, wiring
and nozzles.
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The brown areas of grass
in the above photos was removed and replaced with
planter beds of drought-tolerant California-native
plants.
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The following
photos are examples of the types of plants that will be
used to fill planter beds, create borders, and replace
existing grass turf. |
Aloe Striata and Arctostaphylos "Sunset"
Ceanothus "Concha"
Cistus Incanus (Rock Rose) and Heteromeles Arbitufolia
Muhlenbergia Rigens and Pennisetum "Eaton Canyon"
Salvia "Munzii" |
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