Member News 7.22.21
raSmith is pleased to announce that the Bradford Beach All-Inclusive Access project has received a 2021 Professional Award in the Small Scale Design category from the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Read the full press release below:
'The Bradford Beach All-Inclusive Access project in Milwaukee, Wis., recently received a 2021 Professional Award in the Small Scale Design category from the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (WI ASLA). raSmith collaborated with The Ability Center, Milwaukee County Parks, and other project stakeholders to develop an all-inclusive access path and amenities at Bradford Beach for people impacted by disabilities and those without physical limitations.
This first-of-its-kind project exceeds the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by using 6.5-foot-wide beach mats so people using wheelchairs can roll side-by-side, just like the able-bodied can walk shoulder-to-shoulder. Additionally, the accessible path doesn’t end at the beach — it takes people all the way to the water’s edge and includes an extension so those with physical limitations can access the concessions. This development creates a welcoming, comfortable environment and provides an important recreational opportunity for everyone in the community, ensuring they have access to the beach for enjoying the lakefront.
“We are proud to be part of this inspiring development, which will have a lasting impact on the Milwaukee community,” said Tom Mortensen, raSmith site planner/landscape architect. “It’s rewarding to see The Ability Center’s vision for this project come to life, from the early planning meetings all the way through to the final construction.”
About the WI ASLA Professional Awards Program
The Professional Awards recognize projects located in or out of Wisconsin across six categories — general design, small scale design, unbuilt works (design), analysis & planning, research, and communication.
About The Ability Center
The Ability Center is a first-of-its-kind nonprofit organization dedicated to providing an all-inclusive fitness and recreation community for people impacted by physical limitations and everyone else. Their mission is to provide people impacted by disabilities with a daily opportunity to be fit, active and healthy, and to play. Their vision is to build communities where all abilities are provided a universal opportunity for health, wellness, and recreation. And their goal is to provide a higher quality of life for people of all abilities by transforming greater Milwaukee into the most universally inclusive recreation destination in the world. For more information about The Ability Center, visit www.tacwi.org.
About raSmith
raSmith is a multi-disciplinary engineering consultant established in the city of Brookfield, Wisconsin, in 1978. Our services are focused on our public and private sector client needs in planning, design and construction including site planning and design, structural engineering, municipal engineering, transportation and traffic, surveying, development management, ecology, landscape architecture, LiDAR (3D laser scanning), UAS (unmanned aircraft systems), construction services and geographic information systems (GIS). We work on projects nationwide from our seven locations in Wisconsin, Illinois and California. The firm employs a staff of 215. For more information about raSmith, visit www.rasmith.com.'