Toomer's Corner at Samford Park was added to the Landscape Performance Series curated by the Landscape Architecture Foundation. This park, the iconic gateway to Auburn University from downtown Auburn, underwent an extensive renovation after a rival football fan intentionally poisoned the live oaks flanking the plaza.  

Excavation during the project removed 1,778 tons of soil contaminated with the herbicide tebuthiuron.  Testing before the work began showed a concentration of 68 ppb.  Testing following the completion of the work could no longer detect the poison. The project utilized permeable paving for stormwater storage and infiltration.  Modular structural soil cells support the plaza and provide extended root zones for the replacement trees.
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Researchers from Auburn University's Master of Landscape Architecture program completed the performance testing required as part of the Landscape Performance Series report. The Landscape Performance Series was created to help designers and advocates evaluate the effectiveness performative landscapes and promote sustainable design solutions.

In October 2017, Holcombe Norton Partners, Inc. received five ASLA Awards from the Alabama State Chapter: two Merit Awards and three Honor Awards. In addition, HNP's founder, Tommy Holcombe, received individual recognition and was presented with the first-ever ASLA Alabama Chapter Service Award. This award is given to recognize an individual for his or her outstanding service efforts to the American Society of Landscape Architects, to the State Chapter, and to the profession of landscape architecture. Thank you for over 45 years of service and dedication to the career field, and for being a positive agent of change in the world we inhabit. Congratulations and well-deserved!