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.

Watch Lane Community College Grow

The new Health and Wellness Building at Lane Community College broke ground in June. From the LCC

Opening Doors Campaign site, some info and a few photos of the event.

Also, with this cool new feature, you can keep tabs on the project via a webcam, updated hourly, showing construction progress for the project. Below is the progress from 3:00 PM this afternoon.

APLD Conference Keynote

Mike Faha, Principal of GreenWorks, gave a Keynote Speech on Tuesday, July 14th to the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD), in town this week for their annual meeting.

Design + Sustainability, A Retrospective on Portland’s Establishment as a National Leader in the Sustainable Design Movement F. Michael Faha, ASLA, LEED This session will include discussions on the following topics: the impetus behind a city’s determination to go green; evolution of public acceptance for sustainable practices; sustainable site design, low-impact development, green development practices; integrating habitat into the urban environment; sustainable stormwater, raingarden design, green roofs, green walls, green streets; LEED projects; sustainable landscapes do not have to look like a weed patch; the use of recycled materials in the landscape; and rainwater harvesting.

Click here to download a PDF of the presentation (5.78 MB)

Summer Sustainability...

GreenWorks is excited to be involved again in 2009 with the 2nd iteration of the Summer Sustainability Series program on 'Sustainability in the Built Environment.

From the Website:

"The Summer Sustainability Series offers unique professional programs based on the ground-breaking work of Oregon’s businesses, universities, not-for-profit organizations, and policy makers. We visit experts and practitioners in the field as they bring their experiences to life. Participants will join other thought leaders from a range of professions, pushing beyond the current thinking to find better solutions."

Again this year, GreenWorks Principal Jim Figurski gave an overview of the process of creating Tanner Springs Park (a collaboration between GreenWorks and Atelier Dreisietl, seen above). And Doug Shapiro of Hoyt Street Properties gave everyone the opportunity to get a birds eye view of the park atop the penthouse of the Metropolitan Condominiums. Not a bad perspective.

Day 2 Featured a presentation by Jason King, Senior Associate, giving a tour of the Multnomah County Building Green Roof (in full bloom below) and the newly planted rooftop urban agriculture demonstration, the Hope Garden.

Gresham CFTA Plaza Opens Tomorrow

Updated pics of the GCFTA Plaza with plantings... as the grand opening gets near.

Just a reminder about the Grand-opening festivities for the Gresham Center for the Arts Plaza, to be held tomorrow on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., followed by musical performances and family-fun activities from 1 to 8:30 p.m.

For more information on the project, visit http://www.gcfta.org/.

Plaza Celebration - Gresham Outlook

Arts enthusiasts ready for plaza celebration

By Mara Stine

The Gresham Outlook, Jun 3, 2009

"Local patrons of the arts will be kicking up their heels this weekend in celebration of the city’s new Center for the Arts Plaza.

A grand opening for the plaza, located between Northeast Second and Third streets and Hood and Kelly avenues, starts at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 6. Free musical performances and family activities are scheduled throughout the day and into the evening.

For a complete line up and history of the plaza, see the special section dedicated to the project inserted in this issue of The Outlook.

Funded through a partnership between the Center for the Arts Foundation and Gresham, the $2.3 million plaza is designed to showcase local performers and provide East County residents a central gathering space.

“The plaza is a unique opportunity for our citizens and visitors to not only enjoy art and cultural events, but also have community gatherings and picnics while enjoying this beautiful outdoor ‘living room’ in the heart of Gresham,” said Gresham City Councilor Carol Nielsen-Hood.

The Center for the Arts Plaza is on a 2-acre parcel donated to the city by the Fourier-Larson family. It’s centrally located in historic downtown Gresham, just a few blocks east of Main Avenue.

A privately funded Center for the Arts also is planned for the site. The Center for the Arts Foundation is still raising money for the project.

Plaza events will be scheduled year round, and the space is available for private event rental such as weddings."