GreenWorks Receives Three ACEC Awards

Three GreenWorks projects recently received awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Oregon for 2018. The awards recognize engineering firms and projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement and value. The following projects were award recipients.

Grand Award: Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge

OBEC Consulting Engineers with the City of Salem and project partners GreenWorks and DKS Associates, created a connected system between Minto Island, Salem, and West Salem providing increased access to 1,300-acres of riverfront park space and 30 miles of off-street trails.

Honor Award: River Island Restoration Project

Inter-Fluve worked with METRO and Biohabitats, Aquatic Contracting, Clackamas County Parks, ODFW, PGE, K&E Excavation, Clackamas River Basin Council and GreenWorks to restore natural channel processes to support multiple values including fish and wildlife habitat, riparian and upland forests, as well as water quality and recreation on the Clackamas River.

Honor Award: Terminal 4 Sustainability Stormwater Street

GeoEngineers, Inc., Century West Engineering, and David Evans and Associates with the Port of Portland worked with project partners GreenWorks and RailPros to create a new access road into the port’s most active marine terminal utilizing green street approaches.

We would like to thank the above mentioned clients and engineering firms for their continued partnership and commitment to excellent work.

Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge Welcomes Honored Guests

The Minto Island Bridge, a project 40 years in the making, welcomed its first pedestrians in an inaugural walk this past Thursday. The bridge has officially been named after one of Salem’s longtime Oregon Senate Presidents and dedicated community members, Peter Courtney. The long-anticipated bridge connects three major urban parks and more than 20 miles of trails along the Willamette River. The bridge was designed by OBEC Consulting Engineers. GreenWorks had the pleasure of developing a conceptual framework that integrated existing park features, such as the “Eco Earth” art globe, with new terraced seatwalls and complemented accent plantings. The bridge will be celebrating its grand opening in August. For more information, please visit the Statesman Journal at: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2017/04/27/peter-courtney-bridge-salem-oregon-walk-across/100951398/

Best Unknown Firms

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Professional Practice Network’s blog is shining a spotlight on “the best unknown firms” in the industry. GreenWorks was named among those “unsung heroes/heroines in the biz.” What a very nice distinction! GreenWorks is very proud of our small, but mighty stature! Here’s a link to the article: https://thefield.asla.org/2017/04/04/landscape-architectures-best-unknown-firms/

Gill Williams named one of the Top Influencers in the Landscape Architecture Industry

Gill Williams, principal at GreenWorks, has been named one of the top influencers in the Landscape Architecture industry by the web entity Fixr. The architects were chosen by nationwide industry experts based on each individuals contribution to blogs and websites, as well as awards won and landscape associates. Follow the link to see all recognized individuals and opinions on upcoming trends for the Landscape Architecture industry: https://www.fixr.com/blog/2017/02/24/top-100-influencers-in-the-landscape-architecture-and-design-industry-2017/#ic10

Orange Line Featured in May LAM Magazine

Check out the May issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine with a feature article about the TriMet Orange Line Portland –Milwaukie Light Rail (PMLR) project. GreenWorks was part of the team that assisted TriMet in the regional effort to extend light rail service from downtown Portland to downtown Milwaukie and North Clackamas County. The Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail project is a vital transportation element in the region’s strategy to manage growth and build livable communities for future generations. GreenWorks provided landscape architectural services for the final design of the Portland Milwaukie Light Rail including planting and irrigation design, green infrastructure, sustainability initiatives, and art coordination. The team also assisted in coordination and collaboration efforts with TriMet, Clackamas County, Multnomah County, the cities of Portland, Milwaukie and Oregon City, the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Portland Development Commission.

The new bridge built for the Orange Line, Tilikum Crossing, is named after the Chinook word for people to promote this unifying vision for the project. The opening of the Orange Line poses a new manner of viewing the cities of Portland and Milwaukie as connected communities. Rail tracks are all too often a symbol of division. The design for the Orange Line rejects this archetype. Our landscape approach was informed by the connectivity that is inherent to the project and will strengthen the region over time. The project is a catalyst to fundamentally heal the urban fabric socially, culturally, and environmentally. This concept is manifested in every detail of the project, from the overall vision down to the plants selected. Our design team chose fast-growing, pioneer species that colonize and begin the process of natural repair to the site disrupted by the new infrastructure. These plantings quickly create mass and scape for an immediate recognizable identify. The design also includes stable, mature plant communities to support and achieve the long-term aspirations, which stich the neighborhoods and the communities to the station areas. The Orange Line PMLR project is above all about connecting people and bringing economic vibrancy to the Portland Milwaukie transit corridor.

https://landscapearchitecturemagazine.org/ (also available at Powell’s City of Books)

Mike Faha Among ASLA 2015 Fellows

Mike Faha, a founding principal of GreenWorks, was recently selected as an ASLA Fellow for 2015! Click here for more details.

Nature-Based Play in the Press

Check out the links below to see the most recent articles about our exciting nature-based play area projects around Portland!

This Metro Parent article includes a map of nature play areas in the Portland metro region and stars 8 GreenWorks projects: The All-Natural Playground

The Oregonian on Marshall Park: Q&A: Creator of 'Children at Nature Play' signs hopes to get more kids outdoors

Landscape Architecture Magazine on Westmoreland: Go Wild, Oregon Child

Zidell Yards Recognized at 2014 ASLA Annual Conference

Mike Faha of GreenWorks  and  former GreenWorker David Elkin attended the ASLA Annual Conference where they received the National Honor Award for the Zidell Green Infrastructure Scenarios project.

The Zidell Yards Green Infrastructure Scenarios present a unique opportunity to develop on brownfield sites without causing harm to the environment. To read more about what is planned for this site, check out today's story in the DJC here.

Mirror Pond, Celilo Falls and Centennial Mills in the news

Recently, a few of GreenWorks' projects have been in the press. In early November, The Bend Bulletin published the preferred graphics for Mirror Pond. Check out the article to see what GreenWorks and Inter-Fluve have planned for the iconic site in Bend, Oregon. You can also view the graphics below.

The DJC also published two articles regarding Celilo Falls and Centennial Mills, projects that GreenWorks has been working on for some time. You can read them here and here.

Westmoreland Nature Play Receives Honor Award

Westmoreland Nature Play was recently recognized by the Oregon Chapter of ASLA with an Honor Award for design. We would like to thank our entire team for all their contributions. Thanks especially to Portland Parks and Recreation for their support and desire to connect kids with nature.