Donald has been involved with resort design since 1995 and has worked on projects in British Columbia, Colorado, Vermont and Hawaii. In addition, he has participated in the planning of active adult communities in half a dozen US states.
Successful resorts combine dramatic settings, insightful programming, inspired architecture and a grand vision. For each project, the particulars are unique but the essential ingredients remain the same.
Galveston, Texas
Donald has been a part of this process at all levels. Work has ranged widely from site analysis and interpretation to yield planning and neighbourhood design. For each project, decisions were informed by a unifying Vision and the practical considerations necessary to achieve a successful development.
Pierce County, Washington
Land use plans weave together commercial, residential and amenity uses, while yield plans establish potential unit returns per area. In combination, they establish the pattern and density of development. They also establish precincts and neighbourhoods. They creation a sense of Place. This is a process Donald understands well.
Copper Mountain, Summit County, Colorado
Circulation is the connective tissue that bind communities together. Donald has experience in the development of multiple layered circulations systems that include vehicular, pedestrian and automated systems to move users efficiently.
Turnback Ranch, Lago Vista, Texas
Amenity overlay plans identify, grade and order leisure opportunities for the various use groups. They create a sequence of recreational experiences. While such systems can be elaborate in a resort or active adult community context, amenity packages also have a place in small subdivisions and even within the context of individual lots. Recreational facilities may range from passive seating locations to sand based sports facilities, from trail systems to festival stages. Interpretive systems, exercise circuits and play areas are only a few of the additional items that might be included. Uses must be demographically, situationally and culturally appropriate in scale, setting and design.
Burning Stones Plaza,, Summit County, Colorado
All of these elements combine to create the framework of a successful community. It is a multi-level process and, to be successful, must be guided by a series of coherent principles from conception to completion. It must have a Vision, faithfully realized in the thoughtful design of a Place where people can live, work and play.
Donald V. S. Duncan / Landscape Architect 