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.

Happy Holidays from GreenWorks!

 

The GreenWorks crew enjoyed our annual holiday party at the Jade Lounge in Southeast Portland.

In the spirit of the holiday season, GreenWorkers collected over 275 pounds of food to donate to the Oregon Food Bank!

Wishing you all the best this holiday season. We look forward to seeing you in 2013!

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.

ASLA and AIA Oregon EP Greenroof Tour

Greenworker Claire Maulhardt, along with other ASLA and AIA Oregon Emerging Professional (EP) members, organized a great educational event on June 13^th, Local Innovation in Greenroofs.  The sold out event was a green roof tour of three Portland buildings, followed by a lecture/discussion lead by Tim Nash of Columbia Green hosted at the Center for Architecture. Speakers on the green roof tour also included Casey Cunningham, City of Portland’s Sustainable Stormwater Division, and Trent Thelen, landscape designer of The Indigo Building green roof. The speakers talked about the plants, wildlife and technology of greenroofs.  The event met ASLA Oregon EP committee’s goal of encouraging professional enhancement.  Participants were given a unique opportunity to further their education and connect with fellow landscape designers and landscape architects. Greenworkers Danae Davison, Derek Sergison, and Azad Sadjadi were among the 25 participants. This tour was ASLA Oregon’s Summer 2012 EP 101 Series event and was sponsored by Willamette Graystone and Columbia Green.

Special THANKS to Christopher Olin, Desirae Williams, and Emily Hull all their efforts in making the event a success! AND to the other EP Committee members for helping us staff the event.

Photo Contest Results

For their annual wild-flower hike this year, GreenWorks employees headed to the Tom McCall Nature Preserve in Rowena. Located in the transition zone between the moist, heavily-forested, west side of the Cascades and the drier bunch grass prairies of the east, the Preserve brings impressive blooms every spring. As part of the hike, GreenWorks employees were encouraged to photograph the scenery and enter their best shot in an office wide photo contest. Results can be viewed below for First, Second and Third Place. First Place: Mike Faha

Second Place: Derek Sergison

Third Place: Amy Kearsley

Derek Sergison Joins GreenWorks

GreenWorks recently welcomed Derek Sergison to the team as a Landscape Designer. Derek joins us from California where he studied Landscape Architecture at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. Derek’s direct experience in environmental, transportation, and graphic design projects makes him a valuable addition to our firm. Derek’s primary interests lie in urban growth and the way it impacts protecting and enhancing natural resources. He is currently taking on a diverse range of projects including green infrastructure, urban development, recreation, and environmental enhancements. Derek’s personal activities include mountain biking, hockey, golf, skydiving, drawing, and photography.

GreenWorks Competes in Bike to Work Challenge

The results are in! GreenWorks participated in this year’s Bike Commute Challenge, totaling 1239 miles during the month of September. The Bike Commute Challenge takes place every September in Portland – putting workplace against workplace to see who can commute the most by bicycle. GreenWorks finished this year with 68% ridership.

GreenWorks also held its annual internal Bike Commute Challenge with “Most Days Biked” awarded to Azad Sadjadi (19), “Most Trips” to Andrea Cameron (100%), and “Most Miles Biked” to Alex Perove (418 miles). Congrats to GreenWorks for your miles put in and hard work in this year’s challenge!

Ben Johnson Joins GreenWorks

GreenWorks is proud to announce the addition of Ben Johnson to the firm.  

Johnson recently joined GreenWorks as a landscape architect with 12 years of experience primarily in waterfront parks, regional trails and greenways, community parks, public plazas, streetscapes, and sustainable higher education projects. Johnson’s professional experience has been in the Pacific Northwest and he has gained a reputation for strong technical skills and successful collaboration with clients and consultants while successfully managing multi-million dollar public projects. His experience and skills have allowed him to contribute and lead projects from master plan through implementation.  A recent signature project, which Ben is proud of, is the Nancy Russell Overlook along the Cape Horn trail on the Washington side of the Gorge. This spectacular viewpoint was constructed in honor of Nancy Russell.  While at Walker Macy, Ben worked with the Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, Forest Service, and Cape Horn Trail Conservancy to develop the vision for the overlook and then managed the project from concept design through construction. Johnson received a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Florida.

GreenWorks Announces New Hires

GreenWorks announces two professionals join the firm – Jeff Boggess, and Wes Shoger. Jeff Boggess, Associate rejoins GreenWorks as a landscape designer with experience in recreational, infrastructure and urban design. Beginning in 2002, Jeff enjoyed 2 years with GreenWorks before departing on a five-year venture working for the German firm Atelier Dreiseitl. While with Atelier Dreiseitl, Jeff divided his time between the firm’s offices in Germany, Singapore and China. He gained a broad understanding of the landscape architecture profession and its potential for positive impact to the development and stewardship of our planet at a variety of scales. From new eco-cities designed for 1.5 million inhabitants to small-scale stormwater cleansing biotopes enjoyed by people and wildlife, Jeff gained diverse international experience that he brings back to GreenWorks. Jeff provides a functional design aesthetic that is modern, provocative, and promotes social and environmental accountability.

Wes Shoger joins GreenWorks as a landscape designer with experience in streetscape, plaza, transit and urban design. Wes’s interests lie in the integration of green infrastructure in cities; He is excited about being a part of a group that practices environmental stewardship as a core belief. Wes enjoys many project types, with a particular interest in urban design and environmental rehabilitation projects.  In his free time, he enjoys hiking, photography, technology, volunteering and craft beer.

Congratulations and welcome Jeff and Wes!

GreenWorks Welcomes Intern Ben Hedstrom

 

The summer season brings new opportunity at GreenWorks with Ben Hedstrom  joining the team as an intern. Ben, a third-year Cornell MLA student, kicked off his internship with the construction of a model for the Hillsboro Reservoir #3 project. The model serves as a tool for community members to further understand the attributes of the new reservoir, namely that it won’t be visible from their homes in Hillsboro with careful tree and shrub planting design.

The model also provides a learning opportunity for Ben whose interests lie in the social side of green infrastructure and in the way landscape architecture impacts communities beyond design.  “It’s not enough to provide sustainable practices. I am interested in how we as landscape architects can educate the public to understand how design solves problems and extends beyond a site’s boundaries,” Hedstrom said.

Ben starts his third and final year at Cornell this fall and will be working with GreenWorks throughout the summer on a wide range of projects.  That range is what attracted Ben to this internship.  He mentions “I enjoy the wide variety of sustainable projects GreenWorks has to offer. The exposure to the range in both scope and design is proving to be a tremendous learning experience.”