The Chamber | 45

From humble beginnings …to the largest landscape architecture firm in the state

Getting to Know You

BY DARREL RADFORD | PHOTO BY KYLE EVENS

From a modest office in downtown Muncie, landscape architects Deane Rundell and Eric Ernstberger quietly go about their business. Not much fanfare is needed. Their work – now extending from Ball State Univer-

sity to Indianapolis and more than 20 states – speaks for itself.What they did in transforming a desolate site at the center of downtown

Detroit, Mich. into Campus Martius Park played a major role in Compu-ware’s decision to move from a suburban campus into the city.

In Bowling Green, Ky., what once was a plot of land used for a circus is now Circus Square Park, a centerpiece for the downtown area, thanks to the design efforts of Rundell-Ernstberger.

In Rapid City, S.D., reflections of their genius are about to unfold in what used to be a city parking lot for tourists and residents. Con-struction concludes this fall on Main Street Square, a new downtown park where the scenic Black Hills, Badlands and waterfalls of Spearfish Canyon will be creatively expressed through artwork, carved granite stones and interactive water features.

These are but a few of the more than 1,200 projects Rundell Ernstberger Associates (REA) has completed since 1979 as primeCONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

Eric Ernstberger, left, and Deane

Rundell

46 | The Chamber

RUNDELL ERNSTBERGER ASSOCIATES, LLCINDIANAPOLIS, IN | MUNCIE, IN | LOUISVILLE, KY | www.reasite.com

MINNETRISTA CULTURAL CENTERMuncie, Indiana

The Minnetrista Cultural Center is a community gathering place andmuseum celebrating the industry, arts and heritage of East CentralIndiana.

Rundell Ernstberger Associates, LLC was commissioned by the Ball Brothers Foundation to preparecomplete planning, design and site construction documents for a new cultural center, located on the siteof "Minnetrista," a mansion that burned to the ground in 1967.

Situated on twenty acres overlooking the White River, the center regularly hosts large public gatheringson its “greensward”, a formal lawn, elevated and defined by a 500’ serpentine sandstone wall. A portionof a local street was vacated and replaced with a river walk so that the property would directly adjoin theriver and a new three-quarter mile parkway was designed to provide access to the center. Two curvingpergolas extend from the entrance of the building, guiding visitors to the doors. The parking areas arerecessed while the surrounding embankments are planted with flowering trees and shrubs to screenparked cars from view. The portico columns of the original mansion, already a community landmark,were relocated to create an entrance feature on the parkway.

The Minnetrista Cultural Center was awarded a Centennial Medallion by the American Society ofLandscape Architects, designating it as a “national landmark” for outstanding landscape architecture.

RUNDELL ERNSTBERGER ASSOCIATES, LLCMUNCIE OFFICE: 315 SOUTH JEFFERSON STREET MUNCIE, INDIANA 47305 TE [765] 747.9737 FX [765] 747.5053INDIANAPOLIS OFFICE: 429 E. VERMONT STREET SUITE 110 INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46202 TE [317]263.0127 FX [317] 263.2080 WWW.REASITE.COM

AFRICAN ELEPHANT PRESERVEIndianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, Indiana

A new exhibit to support the Indianapolis Zoo�s African elephantconservation efforts and its world-renowned breeding, management,education and research program.

In 1999, the Zoo commisioned REA to assist in the effort to build a state-of-the-art elephant exhibit andholding facility that would support its research and breeding efforts and allow for expansion of its existingherd of �ve females and two baby elephants.

Working with the Zoo�s staff, REA led a site design team of engineering, exhibit, and interpretive con-sultants in the planning and design efforts for this 3.5 acre site. Design elements include separateelephant cow and bull yards, elephant pools with a waterfall, training yards, public walkways with inter-pretive elements, arti�cial mudwalls, boulders, and baobob trees, containment fencing, train ride, auxil-lary exhibits, and plantings to recall the imagery of the elephants� native African habitat.

REA completed schematic design, design development, and construction documents and oversaw theexhibit construction, which was completed in June of 2002.

RUNDELL ERNSTBERGER ASSOCIATES, LLCMUNCIE OFFICE: 315 SOUTH JEFFERSON STREET MUNCIE, INDIANA 47305 TE [765] 747.9737 FX [765] 747.5053INDIANAPOLIS OFFICE: 429 E. VERMONT STREET SUITE 110 INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46202 TE [317]263.0127 FX [317] 263.2080 WWW.REASITE.COM

MURFREESBORO CIVIC GARDENS AND PLAZAMurfreesboro, Tennessee

Providing opportunities for public gathering and community eventsin a signi�cant greenspace in the heart of the city, reminiscent of thegreen hills of Tennessee.

When the City of Murfreesboro was planning for a new city hall and public library on separate sites, RundellErnstberger Associates, together with Hickerson Fowlkes Architects, presented a proposal to build bothtogether on one site east of the county courthouse. The sloping site was ideally suited for a below-gradeparking structure, the roof of which would be a landmark civic space facing downtown.

REA prepared design and construction documents for the space, featuring a public plaza and gardensthat recall the "green hills" of Tennessee. The transition from plaza to garden is de�ned by the OutcropFountain, an abstraction of geologic substrata and springheads found at the foot of many Tennesseehillsides. The fountain walls are a rich composition of limestone, granite, cast glass veins, and stainlesssteel accent points. Meandering crushed stone walks are highlighted by limestone steps and light piers.The stair shelter is the focal point of the garden, providing access to parking below and a nighttimelandmark with its soft internal glow.

RUNDELL ERNSTBERGER ASSOCIATES, LLCMUNCIE OFFICE: 315 SOUTH JEFFERSON STREET MUNCIE, INDIANA 47305 TE [765] 747.9737 FX [765] 747.5053INDIANAPOLIS OFFICE: 429 E. VERMONT STREET SUITE 110 INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46202 TE [317]263.0127 FX [317] 263.2080 WWW.REASITE.COM

Passing through diverse neighborhoods, the trail promotes thephysical connection of the community�s parks, schools, commercialcenters, cultural sites, and wildlife habitats.

MONON RAIL~TRAILIndianapolis, Indiana

Rundell Ernstberger Associates, LLC completed design and construction documents for this 10-miletrail development in Indianapolis. The project�s design is respectful of the Monon Railroad�s historicallegacy in its preservation of the Monon graphic identity and adaptive reuse of the railbed landscapeand its structures.

The Monon has become one the most successful trails in the country. Over one million people peryear use the trail, with daily traf�c counts exceeding 4,000 people. As the �rst rail-to-trail in the city,it established a model of planning and design for the subsequent development of the IndianapolisGreenways system.

The Monon Rail~Trail has had an immediate and profound impact on the landscape of the City, asevidenced by the community�s enthusiastic response to and adoption of the project. The project haswon numerous design awards, including the American Society of Landscape Architects� CentennialMedallion, given in recognition of the nation�s most signi�cant landscapes.

The work of Rundell Ernstberger Associates

The Chamber | 47

consultants to municipalities, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, private institutions and universities.

So what had humble beginnings in a basement has now become the largest land-scape architecture firm in Indiana. With a staff consisting of mostly graduates of Ball State University’s award-winning Depart-ment of Landscape Architecture – including current partners Mike Sommer and Kevin Osburn along with Purdue graduate and partner Carl Kincaid – the firm now has a national reputation built on the vision of Frederick Law Olmsted, the man who designed Central Park in New York City and is regarded as the father of landscape architecture.

Rundell-Ernstberger began to take shape in the fall of 1979, when Rundell left a part-nership in another firm that was threatening professional burn-out at an early age. Less than year later, Ernstberger left the same firm and joined Rundell. In 1984, they became partners in what is now known as Rundell Ernstberger Associates, L.LC.

“We both have a great respect for family life,” Ernstberger said. “That has shaped the culture of our firm.”

“While our families were growing up, we didn’t want to do a lot of traveling,” Rundell said. “With a few exceptions, our clients were primarily close, allowing us to get home at the end of a work day. Several large metropolitan areas and tens of millions of people live within a five-hour drive of Muncie, and that provided a significant mar-ket for us.”

There is synergy behind the energy of this firm in which Rundell, originally from Albany, N.Y., teamed with Ernstberger, who was raised in New Albany, Ind., to forge new visions and unique imprints for Midwestern towns and cities – including several here in East Central Indiana.

From the campus of Ball State University and the nearby Minnetrista to the White Riv-er Botanical Gardens at the Indianapolis Zoo and along the Monon Trail, the design magic of REA has established iconic images.

Since 1983, REA has been responsible for more than $50 million in site development projects on the Ball State campus, includ-ing transforming a busy McKinley Avenue into a pedestrian-friendly boulevard with the picturesque Shafer Tower as its centerpiece. The firm has also designed a Frog Baby fountain and another popular gathering space for students, a courtyard developed around a large gingko tree at the Art and Journalism Building.

Their work as master planners and land-scape architects on the original design for Minnetrista – a community gathering place and museum celebrating the industrial and artistic heritage of East Central Indiana – re-sulted in a Centennial Medallion awarded by the American Society of Landscape Archi-tects, designating it as a “national landmark” for outstanding landscape architecture. That’s just one of more than 50 local, national and international design awards the firm has re-ceived in the past three decades.

Those who have been to the Indianapolis CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

“While our families were growing up, we didn’t want to do a lot of traveling. With a few exceptions, our clients were primarily close, allowing us to get home at the end of a work day. Several large metropolitan areas and tens of millions of people live within a five-hour drive of Muncie and that provided a significant market for us.”— DEANE RUNDELL

Getting to Know You

48 | The Chamber

Zoo or the adjacent White River Botanical Gardens have also experienced the elegance of Rundell-Ernstberger designs. The firm transformed an unused exhibit area into a habitat-based exhibit yard for endangered Southern White Rhinos. The firm also de-signed the African elephant preserve.

Meanwhile, the gardens, with their uniquely Midwestern agrarian design, were featured on the cover of Landscape Architec-ture Magazine.

Design footprints of Rundell-Ernstberger can also be found along the Monon Trail in Indianapolis, which has become one of the most successful trails in the country and has earned a place in the National Rail-Trail Hall of Fame.

Summit Lake, a state park in Henry County near New Castle, was originally master planned by this pair. Critics said “Structure 20” as it was officially known then, wouldn’t hold water. It became In-diana’s 19th state park in 1988 and today draws hundreds of visitors annually.

Now with offices also in Indianapolis and Louisville, Ky., what Rundell-Ernstberger does for its clients transcends beauty, order and smart design. Their projects are often economic development drivers as well.

In Detroit, their award-winning Campus Martius Park has generated more than $500 million in new development invest-ment for the downtown district since it opened in 2004.

REA was selected to design the park following a national search of landscape architects. According to Bob Gregory, presi-dent of the Detroit 300 Conservancy and developer of the park, “it was one of the best

decisions we ever made.”Indeed, in 2010, the Urban Land Institute

recognized Campus Martius Park as the best urban open space in the country.

On any given day in Indianapolis, the true transformative power of REA design work can be seen through the presence of walkers, joggers and bikers along busy downtown streets.

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick, includes the Glick Peace Walk and is one of Rundell’s favorite projects.

This one-of-a-kind urban bike and pedes-trian path has been called “the boldest step of any American city toward supporting bicyclists and pedestrians.” According to Brian Payne, president of the Central Indiana Community Foundation and Cultural Trail Founder, it is “truly making a national and international impact.”

If he could tour some of these REA proj-ects today, Olmsted, himself might smile.

“All things are connected in all places at all times,” Ernstberger said. “Each natural or man-made system is connected to and dependent upon yet another system more complex than just itself. This is the beauty embodied in creation, captured in the vi-sion of Olmsted and passed down to us.”

“There was a time when we as landscape architects worked almost exclusively as consultants to architectural and engineer-ing firms,” Rundell said. “But times have changed as awareness for environmental concerns has heightened, and now we are more often selected as the prime consultant to lead design teams on important and com-plex public projects.”

“There was a time when we as landscape

architects worked almost exclusively as consultants

to architectural and engineering firms. But

times have changed as awareness for

environmental concerns has heightened, and

now we are more often selected as the prime

consultant to lead design teams on important and

complex public projects.”— DEANE RUNDELL

Getting to Know You

The Chamber | 49The Chamber | 49

RUNDELL ERNSTBERGER ASSOCIATES, LLCMUNCIE, IN | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | LOUISVILLE, KY | www.reasite.com

SELECTED AWARDS

Urban Land InstituteTop Ten Urban ParksCampus Martius ParkDetroit, Michigan

American Society of Landscape ArchitectsCentennial MedallionMonon Rail - TrailIndianapolis, Indiana

American Society of Landscape ArchitectsCentennial MedallionMinnetrista Cultural CenterMuncie, Indiana

AMonumental Affair:Awards for Excellence in Design and DevelopmentMerit Award - Landscape ArchitectureHonor Award - ArchitectureHonor Award - ConstructionWhite River GardensIndianapolis, Indiana

AMonumental Affair:Awards for Excellence in Design and DevelopmentHonor Award - Downtown DevelopmentIndiana Government CenterIndianapolis, Indiana

AMonumental Affair:Awards for ExcellenceHonor Award - Landscape ArchitectureHonor Award - EngineeringHonor Award - Mayor's Neighborhood AwardMaple Street Parkway (38th St.)Indianapolis, Indiana

American Society of Landscape Architects, Indiana ChapterHonor AwardCampus Martius ParkDetroit, Michigan

American Society of Landscape Architects, Indiana ChapterAward of ExcellenceThe Garden at Perrin ParkJeffersonville, Indiana

American Society of Landscape Architects, Indiana ChapterHonor AwardNoblesville Riverfront Master PlanNoblesville, Indiana

American Society of Landscape Architects, Indiana ChapterHonor AwardEngineering MallPurdue UniversityWest Lafayette, Indiana

American Society of Landscape ArchitectsMerit AwardWhite River GardensIndianapolis, Indiana

American Society of Landscape Architects, Indiana ChapterHonor AwardMcKinley Avenue CorridorMuncie, Indiana

Indiana Greenways ConferenceOutstanding Trail ProjectMaple City GreenwayGoshen, Indiana

Arts Council of IndianapolisARTFUL Impact AwardIndianapolis Cultural TrailIndianapolis, Indiana

American Institute of Architects, Tennessee ChapterHonor AwardMurfreesboro Civic GardensMurfreesboro, Tennessee

Indiana Planning AssociationHonor AwardWhite River Corridor Development PlanAnderson, Indiana

Indiana Association of Cities and TownsBest Downtown Rehabilitation ProjectHistoric Farmland StreetscapeFarmland, Indiana

American Civil Engineering Consultants of IndianaMerit AwardMcKinley Avenue Phase IMuncie, Indiana

Building Stone InstituteTucker Award for Architectural ExcellenceFrog Baby FountainBall State UniversityMuncie, Indiana

Indiana Park and Recreation AssociationOutstanding Park DevelopmentOutdoor Awareness AwardDr. James A. Dillon ParkNoblesville, Indiana

Brick in ArchitectureBest in Class:Paving and Landscape ArchitectureMcKinley Avenue Phase IMuncie, Indiana

The Engineering Society of DetroitOutstanding Achievement AwardCampus Martius ParkDetroit, Michigan

Project for Public Spaces: Great Parks Great Cities AwardsBest New ParkLittle Turtle WaterwayLogansport, Indiana

American Society of Landscape Architects, Indiana ChapterHonor AwardRobert C. Beutter ParkMishawaka, Indiana

Some of REA’s awards for their work in landscape architecture