Project Overview

A better game day experience begins before fans reach their seats. At the University of South Carolina in Columbia, investments in trees have brought welcome shade to the spaces outside Williams-Brice Stadium, creating a greener setting for the crowds that gather before kickoff.

Landscape architects Wood + Partners incorporated Silva Cells into two projects along Bluff Road: first at Gamecock Park on the south side in 2012, then along the stadium frontage on the north side in 2015. Together, the projects demonstrate a successful approach to growing large shade trees in busy paved spaces.

Gamecock Park Makes Room for Shade

Across from the stadium, the former state farmers’ market site presented an opportunity to rethink the tailgating experience. Wood + Partners helped transform it into Gamecock Park in 2012, combining game day parking with landscaped gathering spaces and pedestrian connections to the stadium. Trees were central to creating a comfortable place for fans to spend time, with green space also serving concerts, festivals, and other university events.

Along the south side of Bluff Road, Silva Cells provided a shared soil environment beneath the hardscape. Roots could extend beyond the surface planting openings into soil below the pavement, giving the trees room to grow while retaining the pedestrian space needed on game days. The installation established the foundation for a shaded edge to the park.

Repeat Success Across Bluff Road

In 2015, Wood + Partners returned to Silva Cells for the larger improvement project outside Williams-Brice Stadium. The redesigned stadium grounds, known as Springs Brooks Plaza, were intended to connect with Gamecock Park, extending its welcoming landscape across Bluff Road.

Here too, Silva Cells supported a shared soil environment beneath the paved frontage, accommodating root growth alongside the surfaces needed for arriving fans. Repeating the strategy brought the same commitment to long-term tree growth to the stadium side of the street, helping tie the two projects together through a greener pedestrian setting.

The Canopy Delivers

Nearly 15 years after the Gamecock Park installation, substantial crowns spread over the sidewalks on both sides of Bluff Road. The trees have become defining features of the approach to the stadium. That growth delivers a practical benefit where people walk and gather. Broad canopies cast shade across the pavement, offering relief from direct sun and making the areas outside the stadium more inviting. The trees contribute to the experience of arriving for a game and to the character of the grounds throughout the year.

The shared growing spaces below the hardscape helped make this canopy possible. Both projects demonstrate the value of planning for roots alongside pedestrian circulation: the university preserved its busy paved frontage while giving trees space to develop. The resulting shade is a visible return on that early investment.

A Growing Commitment Across Campus

The university’s use of Silva Cells extends beyond Bluff Road to other locations on campus. These installations reflect a continuing commitment to integrating trees into areas with extensive hardscape, with Gamecock Park and Williams-Brice Stadium providing a visible example of the benefits over time.

“[Silva Cell] enhances the campus’ urban tree cover and helps USC meet local requirements for tree planting in areas requiring extensive hardscapes.”

—Emily Jones, USC Project Manager/Landscape Architect