First & Main Building Grand Opening

Earlier this month developer Shorenstein Properties unveiled Portland's newest downtown office building, First & Main.  GreenWorks took part in this $100 million, 15-story office tower in the downtown Portland core with views of the waterfront as well as downtown open spaces.  Slated for LEED-Gold, this tower offers unique amenities, including a large- bike hub, as well a 13,000 s.f. of extensive ecoroof and a 15,000 square foot rooftop terrace.  Both of these amenities work to achieve the stormwater management strategies, as well as provide habitat, reduce heat island effect, and provide a pleasant place to relax for office workers.  Included in the terrace is a large open plaza zone, looping pathway for exercise, and large planters with a range of lush vegetation.  Acting as an oasis in the city, these spaces add to the sustainability and marketability of this high-profile project which includes highly-efficient irrigation, quality materials, and innovative design.

Rockwood Station Design Improvements Underway

GreenWorks worked with David Evans & Associates and Waterleaf Architects in providing conceptual planning and design for the redevelopment of TriMet's Light Rail station at East 188th Street in the Rockwood neighborhood of Gresham, Oregon.  A neighborhood in transition, Rockwood is part of Gresham's first Urban Renewal Area.  Station redesign focused on attracting redevelopment in the area through improvements to the 188th and East Burnside intersection, expanded access and capacity of the stations, pedestrian-oriented facilities, user safety, visibility and CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design) design.  The station design exceeded the local stormwater requirements and incorporated infiltration planters adjacent to the platforms as a terminus for the platforms.  The approved design incorporated significant redevelopment of the transit platforms, shelters, trackways, signage, landscape plantings and other features.  Final presentation drawings and perspective sketches were prepared and presented to the Urban Renewal Commission.

A recent Daily Journal of Commerce article highlights this project and its design components, construction for the station begins this month.  The full article is posted on the DJC website and can be seen by clicking the link below:

MAX improvements could help improve Rockwood’s image

Da Vinci Arts Middle School Awarded LEED Platinum

Da Vinci Arts Middle School was awarded LEED Platinum this week for the Evans-Harvard High Performance Classroom. This prestigious certification makes Da Vinci the first LEED Platinum public school building in the United States. The LEED Platinum certification complements GreenWorks' portfolio integrating sustainability and high environmental standards not only as a professional standard but to serve as a teaching tool within the school system.

You can check out more information about the project and the certification on the Portland Public Schools website: http://www.pps.k12.or.us/departments/facilities/3329.htm

Annual GreenWorks Wildflower Hike

GreenWorks staff took its Wildlflower Hike last Friday afternoon along the Columbia River, hiking the Cape Horn Waterfalls Hike east of Washougal, WA. Staff came together bringing their spouses, children, and dogs along to observe the beautiful wildflowers and scenic viewpoints, continuing this annual GreenWorks tradition.

Greenies give back for Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day 2010, GreenWorks continued its annual tradition of volunteering within the Portland community.  This year staff pitched in at one of its project sites, Da Vinci Arts Middle School, by weeding and caring for several sites within the campus including the water garden and stormwater system.

The Daily Journal of Commerce was there to capture the event, you can check out more Earth Day photos on their website at:http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/05/06/late-earth-day/

Pringle Creek Featured in Top 10 Green Built Neighborhoods

A recent Natural Homes Magazine article highlights the top 10 Green Built Neighborhoods in the nation, including Salem's Pringle Creek Community.  As part of an interdisciplinary team, GreenWorks implemented a wide range of project objectives related to sustainable site design in Pringle Creek.  GreenWorks  design responsibilities included: collaboration on greenstreet design; design of rain gardens; public recreational spaces; the Village Green open space; pedestrian / pathway  network; woonerfs; greenway enhancement; and overall landscape treatment.  The project was awarded the Land Development of the Year Award in 2007 from the National Home Builder's Association.

"10.  Pringle Creek (Salem, Oregon): mixed-use community with walkable neighborhoods, two restored greenhouses, and careful water planning and rainwater management."

See the full article and slide show from Natural Home of America's Top 10 Green-Built Neighborhoods or check it out in the upcoming the May/June 2010 issue.

Green Schools Trend Building Movement

Sustainability in educational facilities has been building movement in schools across the Pacific Northwest over the past decade.  Several design firms including GreenWorks have been working toward integrating sustainability in schools not only to set an example of high environmental standards but to serve as a teaching tool for students to learn the value of sustainable thinking.  A recent DJC article highlights this trend with several schools in Oregon and Washington, including Da Vinci Arts Middle School, for which GreenWorks designed  the site work for a modular 21st century classroom that serves as a study model for the school district. GreenWorks continues to work with Science teacher Jason Hieggeokein creating a tree sink project on site. The project will demonstrate the carbon sinking effects of trees in an artistic and inviting way. Inviting the students to explore nature further.

“Unless you can see it and touch it, you don’t understand how it works,” Weekes said. “Seventy percent of students are visual. Having these systems exposed shows there is more to a building than the rooms they happen to occupy. Then you can apply those lessons to math, science and physics in their curriculum.”

Science teacher Jason Hieggeoke uses Da Vinci Arts Middle School’s stormwater treatment garden as a learning tool for his science classes. (Photo by Dan Carter/DJC)

That is what science teacher Jason Hieggeoke has been doing at Da Vinci Arts Middle School. He has used a water garden, which drains storm water, as a living laboratory.

“There aren’t many special places for kids in schools, and this is one of them,” Hieggeoke said. “We do water quality testing and look for invertebrates. We care for the garden so they learn about conservation. Sometimes they will see the pipes and ask where they are coming from, which gives me the opportunity to explain the storm-water system to them.”

See the full article on the DJC website at:  http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/03/30/green-schools-designed-to-catch-students-eyes/

GreenWorks has worked with a number of teachers and classrooms across Oregon to help incorporate learning landscapes into their schools. Projects include stormwater,  gardens,  native restoration, outdoor classrooms and natural play areas. If your school is heading in this direction and looking for a little design guidance we would love to hear from you.

Kenton Streetscape Denver Avenue Art Benches

GreenWorks was thrilled to see the first two pieces of public art installed last week as part of the Kenton Neighborhood streetscape revitalization project. There will be seven total benches that incorporate art into their design located along the four block commercial district of Kenton in north Portland as part of these improvements. The art benches were designed in collaboration with local artist Mauricio Saldana and feature a granite pilaster on one end with sculptural reliefs depicting neighborhood icons past and present. The goal of this project is to revitalize this historic commercial district by making streetscape improvements to the sidewalks, street and the creation of a gateway into the district. GreenWork’s and SERA Architects were design partners on this project and developed the new schematic concept design of the street, which features widened sidewalks, new street trees, ornamental street lighting, stormwater planters, accent paving and bike lanes. This project will also implement a new paving technique called ultra thin white topping in the vehicular zones. The Portland Development Commission and the Portland Office of Transportation, along with a Citizen Advisory Committee, were the key partners leading this project.

We are excited to see the work completed soon!

Nature Based Playground Group Tour

GreenWorks organized and led a Nature Based Play Tour early this year. We had an increasing number of clients, peers and local agencies that were showing an interest in natural play options. Many of these agencies are still working through questions like; how nature play works, what makes something nature play, and what are the benefits and nature play. GreenWorks and members from Oregon Park and Recreation Department, Portland Parks and Recreation, Metro, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Miller Hull, and Mahlum Architects met to talk over issues surrounding nature play and visit some examples.

Site Visits Included:

Catlin Gable School

Providence Montessori School

Cooper Mountain Nature Area

Memorial Park - City of Wilsonville

GreenWorks is currently working with Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to design their first natural play area at Silver Falls State Park to open in 2011.

Cape Horn will get a Forest Service-designed trail in Skamania County

Cape Horn Trail is an eight mile trail in Skamania County located twenty six miles east of Vancouver, WA to which the Forest Service is currently making improvements. The existing trail has two at grade crossings where hikers and horse back riders traverse heavily traveled State Route 14. To improve safety for trail users, the Forest Service and WASH DOT are constructing pedestrian underpass tunnels at these two crossings. GreenWorks’ role in the project was to develop schematic designs for the tunnel entrances and provide construction design drawings for the tunnel fascias, which included stone wall construction, custom metal guardrail fence design and planting design around the entrances. The design of the tunnel fascias uses locally quarried Columbia River Basalt to form walls that are in accord with other examples of historic basalt stone work in the Columbia Gorge.

This GreenWorks project was featured in the Oregonian discussing the coming changes, click the link below to see the full article:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2010/02/cape_horn_will_get_a_forest_se.html