Pringle Creek is a "Diamond for Sustainability"

Check out this recent article by Margaret Buranen at Stormwater: The Journal for Surface Water Quality Professionals about green infrastructure in stormwater management, featuring a recent GreenWorks project in Salem, OR! Pringle Creek Community is one of Oregon’s most low-impact residential developments, and as the first sustainable housing and mixed-use project spanning 32 acres of a total 250 scheduled for development, Pringle Creek is pioneering green initiatives in southeast Salem.

Pringle Creek is, according to the Community’s general manager Jane Poznar, “a diamond for sustainability” with its 7,000 feet of green streets, 2,000 feet of green alleys, and a newly ‘salmon safe’ creek (from which the community gets its name). Regarding stormwater, Buranen notes that Pringle Creek Community is also home to “one of the largest pervious asphalt street systems in the United States,” handling 90% of runoff onsite.

GreenWorks was responsible for collaboration on the design of the Community’s green streets and rain gardens, pedestrian pathways and greenway enhancement, woonerfs and public recreational spaces, overall landscape treatment and the Village Green open space.

The project was awarded the Land Development of the Year Award in 2007 from the National Home Builder's Association.

Regenerative Design in Urban Land

The August 2009 issue of Urban Land (the publication of the Urban Land Institute - ULI) featured an article on 'Regenerative Design' authored by GreenWorks Senior Associate Jason King, along with Ankrom Moisan Principal Scott Thayer.  The article discussed our transition from sustainability to regeneration of communities, and included projects such as Independence Station, Tanner Springs Park, and the Headwaters at Tryon Creek.

Images copyright (ULI) - Click here to read the entire issue online (and jump to pg. 48 for the specific article).

Russellville Commons Grand Opening

The grand opening celebration occurred last week for Phase III of the Russellville Commons. The project is a three- to four-story assisted living facility with group care units for Alzheimer patients, built atop an underground parking garage. It is one of the first multi-family developments of Portland’s Gateway District as part of the 1996 Outer Southeast Community Plan’s densification initiative, and is located adjacent to the TriMet MAX stop at E Burnside and SE 102nd Avenue. Speakers at the event included Metro President David Bragdon and Metro District 6 Councilor Robert Liberty

Working with MCM Architects, GreenWorks was responsible for designing streetscape improvements for Phase III, as well as an interior courtyard space that includes a memory care courtyard and a fountain feature. Significant streetscape elements include flow through planters that manage the building’s roof runoff along E Burnside and SE Ankeny Streets, and an entry plaza with special paving along and across SE 103rd Avenue extending to Phase II. The interior courtyard space includes sculptural walls that provide a variety of spaces for individuals and for group interaction, as well as a tree-covered outdoor dining area. A circular vegetated swale handles courtyard runoff and provides a central landscape feature that echoes notions of healing and tranquility.

See below for some additional images of the central courtyard stormwater feature, and the remaining portions of the courtyard, including the Alzheimer's area, wine bar, and the exterior green streets.

Independence Station - LEED Platinum

The popular green building blog Jetson Green published an end-of-the-year post '33 Stunning LEED Platinum Projects', which featured a post on GreenWorks project - Independence Station.  The mixed-use project, located in downtown Independence, Oregon is on track to become the highest rated LEED building in the world, currently projecting a final tally of 64 points (based on current estimates).  Working with inspirational developer Steven Ribeiro, from Aldeia Development,  along with a team from Ankrom-Moisan Associated Architects,  Johnson Controls, Balzhiser & Hubbard Engineers, and Green Building Services, to name a few - the project is maximizing site regeneration through net zero water use, rainwater harvesting,  restoration of open spaces, rooftop ecoroofs with photovoltaics, rooftop terraces, green walls, and a range of other sustainable features throughout.

Read more about the project at Worlds Greenest Building.