Environments for Aging - Summer 2018 - 22

EFA DESIGN CHAMPION

SCOTT WEAVER
Director of campus services, Garden Spot Village, Lancaster, Pa.

as being instrumental in the development of outdoor spaces
that attract people to meet, gather, and create community. Additionally, he's embraced the mission, values, and culture of Garden Spot and translated it to his work-for example, managing the
community's aeroponic greenhouse where he grows fruits and vegetables to support its agrarian
lifestyle and commitment to farm-to-table food service. Weaver also oversees an on-site nursery
where he grows planting materials and trees to be used in coming years to further enhance the
beauty of the site. He's guided by a view that outdoor landscaping should be a natural extension
of the community's interiors, a space that establishes a sense of home and pride in where one
lives-including a desire to share it with others. The result is a campus that's a destination for
the larger community, too, serving as a setting for everything from high school prom photos to
marathons to family reunions, establishing a true multigenerational environment.

EFA: We're told you understand how to create "a great good
space." What does that mean for you and Garden Spot Village?
Weaver: A "great good space" needs to be inviting. People need an incentive to come into the
space and spend time. They have to want to be there. We incorporate a variety of things that
stimulate the senses, whether it's sight (flowers, trees), sound (water features), smell (flowers,
herbs), art, or calming pieces (kinetic sculptures). We like to mix up the sensory stimuli with dif-

ferent themes and focal points in different
parts of the campus. Different things appeal
to different people, so we work hard to create
spaces that feel welcoming but varied.
For example, we're working on a bird
watch area in a part of the community. It's
slowly evolving, but we've planted trees and
shrubs that provide a welcoming environment
for birds. Also, our Legacy Garden is our
"central park" for the community. A labyrinth,
swings, water features, and more create a
space where people gather and share life.

Most recently, you shaped the
landscape design at Garden
Spot's newest site, Sycamore
Springs. What were you able
to achieve there?
My role was to take the model and the
concept and bring it to life. The community
includes porches and walkways designed
around a village commons, to promote neighborly interaction and visits. Vehicle access,
garages, and streets were located at the rear
of the cottages to minimize impact on outdoor
living space. Each cluster of homes has about
15 dwellings around a common area. Additionally, each common area has a community
building and outdoor gathering spaces.
I received feedback from contractors, residents, staff members, and others and applied
their responses to create the final result, which
includes comfortable outdoor community patios where people can host friends and families.
Landscape and site lighting is designed to be
pleasant and soft but still provide an adequate
feeling of safety and security. Tall plantings
and hedges are used sparingly to maintain an
open and secure landscape. Each front porch
is intended to be a welcoming place for people
to gather and visit, with larger patios available
for special events or larger groups.

What defines a successful
landscape design?

Garden Spot Village, New Holland, Pa.
22

EFAmagazine.com * Summer 2018

It's one that people naturally gravitate toward,
whether it's consciously or unconsciously.
People like to be there-they just show up.
That is the result of good design.

GARDEN SPOT VILLAGE

cott Weaver was an independent landscaping contractor who consulted for Garden Spot Village when
it first opened in spring 1996. By fall of that year, he
was a full-time employee and has led the CCRC's in-house
landscaping department ever since. Located on a 225-acre
campus, Garden Spot includes 27 single-family homes, 238
cottages and carriage homes, and 304 apartments serving
approximately 1,000 residents. Through the years-and
many expansions of the community-Weaver has led landscape design and planning and served as liaison between
contractors, staff, and residents on projects. He's described

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Environments for Aging - Summer 2018

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