Westmoreland and Crystal Springs Creek Receive APA Award for Sustainability

GreenWorks recently received a 2015 National APA Award for Excellence in Sustainability in the category of Sustainable Parks, Open Space and Recreation for their work at Westmoreland Nature Play area. GreenWorks worked with Portland Parks and Recreation to replace an aging playground with an innovative nature play area at the same time that Portland Bureau of Environmental Services led a stream enhancement /fish habitat improvement project on Crystal Springs Creek, which is adjacent to and an inspiration for the nature play area. The Award recognized both projects for creating a new place that connects watershed health, human health and livability.

Westmoreland Recognized by Americans for the Arts

 

Westmoreland Nature-Base Play Area was honored as one of the best public art projects of the year by Americans for the arts. Click here for more details.

Khunamokwst Grand Opening this Weekend!

Khunamokwst Park Opening Date

Khunamokwst Park is set to open this Saturday, April 25th! You can find more information here. Head on over this weekend and check it out!

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

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.

Kʰunamokwst Park Update

Construction at Kʰunamokwst Park is well over the half-way point and is starting to show off some the features. Much of the sidewalks are paved, and the skatedot and stonework in the water feature and play area are nearing completion. One of the main features of the park includes a stone carving of a Douglas Fir Cone which will be placed in the play area for kids to climb. Images below show progress on some of the main features.

Portland’s first official nature play area is officially open!

On any given day, Portland’s brand new nature-based play area at Westmoreland Park is packed with up to a hundred kids playing in the sand and water area, climbing on the boulder and log climbing features, or building forts with large sequoia branches. Parents are not only watching the imaginative play that all the natural elements inspire, but are also participating with the kids to explore the play area’s unique features. Located in the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood of Portland, Westmoreland Nature Play Area was born of the desire to update the existing outdated play area and replace it with a 100% custom nature-based play environment. The total play area is approximately one acre and allows families to build their own play experience.  The project received a 2014 Honor Award from the Oregon Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects. GreenWorks was selected by Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) to update the existing outdated playground and replace it with a 100% custom nature-based play environment. PP&R recognized the value in nature-based play for local children and proposed that the Westmoreland Playground be a pilot project for a natural play environment. GreenWorks worked with the client, public, and design team to define how nature-based play would function for this particular site. The design team included environmental artist, Adam Kuby. Adam not only helped envision individual artistic elements within the park as play features, but also collaborated with the design team on the overall conceptual design of the playground that represents the restoration of the adjacent Crystal Springs.

Westmoreland Construction in Full Swing

Construction of the Westmoreland Nature Play Area is in full swing and will be completed next month. Cascadian Landscapers is the General Contractor and have done a wonderful job crafting the organically shaped water mound, creek channel, and sand play area. The water mound is comprised of concrete cubes salvaged from the Crystal Springs Creek Restoration project. Adam Kuby, the project’s artist, along with Star Masonry recently installed log and boulder climbing features that are quite spectacular in their scale and composition. Oregon Log Homes fabricated the logs including cutting them to lengths and installing metal brackets for structural support. The Westmoreland Nature Play Area is a pilot project for Portland Parks & Recreation’s Nature-Based Play Initiative. GreenWorks worked with PP&R, the public, and design team to create a unique setting that encourages creative play with the use of natural elements such as sand, water, boulders, and logs. GreenWorks developed a master plan and construction documents that will serve as a model for the region for developing a large scale nature playground targeting all ages and abilities.

Kʰunamokwst Park Has Begun Construction

The next park in NE Portland has begun construction and has been officially named. Formerly known as the Werbin Property, the site will be called Kʰunamokwst Park (pronounced KAHN-ah-mockst). Kʰunamokwst is Chinook wawa for “together”. Chinook wawa is the language commonly used by the original people of this area. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on August 7th with Portland Parks Commissioner Amanda Fritz and Director Mike Abbate, joined by neighbors and project partners, to unveil the name and officially celebrate the beginning of construction of the first developed park in the Cully neighborhood. GreenWorks was the prime designer for the park starting from the Master Plan through construction. Features of the park include a combination of traditional and nature-based play, skatedot, public art, a modest picnic shelter with an eco-roof, walking paths, sustainable stormwater facilities, half-street improvements, native plantings, and an open lawn for neighborhood events and passive recreation.