Gill Williams at The University of Oregon, Portland School of Architecture

Gill went back to school this spring term, co-teaching a design studio at the University of Oregon’s School of Architecture. Co-led by Tim Smith, Principal at SERA Architects, the studio entitled Portland Green Loop: A Placemaking Armature for the 21st Century City explored how the public infrastructure of cities “can be a catalyst for the (re)generation of whole and beautiful city districts and neighborhoods, and why the public realm needs to be multi-functional from an economic, environmental, and social standpoint.” (excerpt from the syllabus) The 6-mile long Green Loop is a linear greenway envisioned for Portland’s central city area. Spanning the Willamette River and touching a variety of close-in districts and neighborhoods this pedestrian-centric facility is envisioned as a park, transportation corridor, urban placemaking catalyst, habitat and social experiment. 25 first year masters students spent 10 weeks exploring the possibilities of “The Green Loop” and the re-imagining of the neighborhoods along the alignment. Guest speakers during the studio included representatives from the City of Portland, the local development community and architecture, planning and landscape architecture practitioners. The studio culminated in two days of presentations by the students to a variety of local professionals.

Cardinals and Broncos at GreenWorks!

Students from programs at Ball State University (The Cardinals) and Cal Poly Pomona (The Broncos) visited our office this week. We always love talking to students, introducing them to our office, and giving them a glimpse into what they can expect when they begin their professional lives. It is also edifying for our staff to hear about what the next generation is learning in the classroom that will impact the future of the industry. From what we can see, the future is in great hands. Recent student visitors tell us about their studies in “cradle to cradle” or regenerative design, a holistic approach to design to attain efficient and waste-free environments. Our designers enjoy sharing our green infrastructure projects like the Portland Expo Center Stormwater Green Wall and Clay Street Green Street to illustrate sustainable design in Portland.

UC Davis West Campus Project Wins Award

The University of California West Campus Improvements project recently received an Honor Award for Excellence in Landscape Architecture and Open Space Planning and Design from The Society for College and University Planning. GreenWorks participated as part of a design team to create a vibrant and ecological residential village with streets, town square, greenbelts and public recreation facilities for this 200 acre residential development for the University of California adjacent to the UC Davis campus. The project team included: West Village Community Partnership (Urban Villages and Carmel Partners); SWA Group; Studio E Architects; MVE Institutional; Cunningham Engineering; GreenWorks; Teichert Construction; Moore Ruble Yudell; Mithun; Mogavero Notestine Associates; Lim Chang Rohling & Associates; Meeks+Partners; SunPower.

Ace Mentoring Session at GreenWorks

GreenWorks hosted ACE Mentoring, a national program with the mission to engage, excite, and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, landscape architecture, engineering and construction. As one of the team leaders of ACE, Claire Maulhardt, landscape designer with GreenWorks, has been involved with this student group to promote the relationship between students and the Landscape Architecture profession.

On January 24^th, GreenWorks hosted an ACE Mentoring session geared toward site analysis, site design and the urban landscape. The ACE project this year is focused on an existing high school site that needs a new Career/Technical Education Addition or Arts Addition. Over the course of five months, the mentors will walk the students through the design and construction process using the project as an example. In an effort to instill sustainability in the minds of the students, the design will endeavor to reduce energy, conserve/store water, reduce and/or reuse waste, utilize on-site renewable energy sources, and incorporate the use of recycled materials.

The photographs below show a site planning exercise conducted by the students to determine the best location for the new addition on the existing school site.

Open to Construction: Designing for a New Landscape-Industry to Come

A UO Design Studio Charrette

At the University of Oregon, Irene Curulli, visiting assistant professor from The Netherlands (TU/e-EIndhoven University of Technology), kicked off her winter studio with a design charrette in Portland at the White Stag on UO’s Portland Campus. The intensive three day workshop included a site visit, two lectures from local landscape architecture professionals Claire Maulhardt (GreenWorks) and Elaine Kearney (Lango Hansen), a modeling assignment, and an in-depth analysis of existing site conditions. At the conclusion of the workshop, four groups presented their findings and design goals to the two the reviewers, Claire and Elaine, and the rest of the class. The group used four different lenses through which to look at the site: Water, Patches and Preserves, Site Acoustics, and Edges/Borders. The lenses helped them define characteristics of the site like the “water spine,” “bowl-shaped configuration,” and “shopping the edge.”

This studio will push the students to think about how to design a landscape that lends to the evolution of an industrial site. How can the site be “constructed” to expand and contract as industries come and go? What green infrastructure strategies can be proposed to protect the land from the type of activities industry imposes?

Claire will participate as a reviewer throughout the extent of this studio and encourage students to see new potential in developing industrial areas from the perspective of a landscape architect.

The studio will continue down in Eugene at the main University of Oregon campus for the rest of the term.

College Nature Park Nearing Completion

The finishing touches are going on at the College Nature Park site at the corner of Troutdale Road and Stark Road in Troutdale, Oregon. Metro purchased the site from Mt. Hood Community College and the City of Troutdale is developing it for recreation as well as preserving it for open space. This project is the first phase in the Beaver Creek Trail system that will eventually link together Mount Hood Community College, Beaver Creek Canyon, local neighborhoods and the 40-mile regional trail. The multiuse, accessible trail loop features three wetland overlooks offering unique views into the Beaver Creek wetlands below. Street improvements along Troutdale Road provide parking, access and improved green street facilities. A rustic stone wall and a curving trail fit the sites rolling topography and make this brand new development feel like it has always been there. This is another great GreenWorks project example of balanced conservation and recreation.

GreenWorks Visits U of O Architecture Studio

GreenWorkers Dave Elkin and Jeff Boggess were invited to visit Kevin Nute’s fifth year/grad level architecture studio at the University of Oregon in Eugene on October 11th.  The class is in the first stages of a year-long design process to rethink future development of two decommissioned Titan I nuclear missile complexes built in Northern California during the Cold War era. Design challenges the students face include reuse of underground building infrastructure, removal of invasive plant species and remediation of contaminated soils and groundwater.

Dave and Jeff offered advice based on past and current bioremediation efforts (aka treatment wetlands and stormwater management), followed by an engaging round table discussion with the students and professor.

Thanks for the invite Kevin!  Good luck and keep us posted.

Lane Community College Health and Wellness Facility

A few GreenWorks employees recently visited the Lane Community College Health and Wellness Facility at Lane Community College in Eugene to see how the completed project is progressing. The facility functions as the northwestern gateway to the main campus integrating the new facility and existing campus. Clear circulation and a sense of arrival accentuate the overall design, which incorporates stormwater treatment solutions. Exterior spaces are active and engaging areas that translate health and wellness to the landscape.

Students Gain Invaluable Professional Insight

GreenWorks hosted two energetic student groups last week, giving them a sneak peek into the profession. Claire Maulhardt, landscape designer, is involved with two students groups that encourage the relationship between students and the Landscape Architecture profession; ACE Mentoring program for high school students (Architecture, Construction Management and Engineering) and ASLA Oregon Student Liaison.

Claire’s enthusiasm for teaching leads to her involvement in the (ACE) Mentoring program designed for high school students interested in pursuing Architecture, Construction Management and Engineering. On January 25^th, GreenWorks hosted one of the biweekly meetings exposing students to a range of projects in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design. The students learned about site analysis and site planning  related to drawings for a waterfront café they are designing over the next few months. Crowded around the site plan on the wall, students threw out suggestions for site placement of their café  and discussed the opportunities and constraints as they took turns drawing. At the end of the two-hour session, the students came to an agreement on their building location. To create the most ideal waterfront “atmosphere,” the student team placed their café cantilevered over the river. In the coming weeks, structural engineering mentors will walk them through the exciting challenges that this decision imposes on the process of design and construction.

Claire Maulhardt is also involved with ASLA Oregon as a Student Liaison on the Executive Committee. This role helps facilitates the relationship between the Student ASLA chapter and ASLA Oregon. On January 28^th, GreenWorks hosted five college students from the University of Oregon as part of the Eighteenth Annual Shadow Mentor Day, an event organized by the University of Oregon’s Professional Outreach and Development Services (PODS), the Department of Landscape Architecture, Student ASLA and ASLA Oregon. The students spent the day with GreenWorks staffers learning about the day-to-day of being a landscape architect. GreenWorks staff and the students toured a few recent projects, one of which was 1^st and Main, a new roof terrace garden closed to the general public. The students learned about the range of green roof types and had ample opportunity to ask LOTS of questions about Landscape Design.

University of Minnesota Landscape Architecture Students Visit Portland

A group of 3^rd year graduate landscape architecture students from the University of Minnesota were in Portland from Sept. 28 to Oct 1 to study urban design and planning precedents for their current design studio. GreenWorks participated in their visit by providing a tour of Tanner Springs Park and our office and talked with the students about some of the recent work we have been involved with. We always enjoy the opportunity to meet new up and coming people entering the field and to be able to give back to the profession.

Photos Courtesy of Cynthia Lapp, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota