Public Art installed at Gresham Center for the Arts Plaza

Four sculptures, by Seattle based artist Claudia Fitch, were installed at the Gresham Center for the Arts Plaza on Thursday Oct. 21^st. The quartet of forms range in height from 18 to 27 feet in height, and serve as colorful beacons at the plaza’s door step.  The work, which Claudia has named FineTunedTule, is based upon the theme of the four arts – visual art, music, literature and dance and is directly inspired by four formal tools/instruments representative of the arts respectively: the paintbrush, the trumpet, the fountain pen and the tutu.

Claudia writes about the work, “I am fascinated by the finely contoured shapes of all these tools (the tulle construction of the tutu being no less precisely delineated). And, like in the verbal pun of the working title, I saw an opportunity in these tool forms to play with their elegant sculptural shapes in a kind of cross referential way, switching functionality with humor, and punning on their visual similarities and differences.”

A public dedication of the public art sculptures will be held Saturday, October 23^rd, 2010 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, with formal presentations to begin at 12 noon. All are invited to attend. The plaza is located at 401 NE 2^nd Street, Downtown Gresham.

Construction of this project, designed by GreenWorks, was completed in June of 2009 and serves as the City of Gresham’s living room, where many public events and performances have already been held. The plaza is the first step in realizing a vision for an arts district centered on the plaza.

Hood River School Receives Recognition in Portland Monthly

As Hood River School District completes upgrades and building additions to several schools this fall, Hood River Middle school receives recognition for its LEED improvements. (See link to full article below.) In response to a successful bond measure the Hood River School District has been upgrading, renovating and building additions to their elementary, middle and high schools. GreenWorks helped retrofit existing sites and create new spaces and learning landscapes. Site improvements include plazas, playgrounds, stormwater facilities, outdoor classrooms, performance/ amphitheater spaces, learning gardens and associated landscapes. The site work carefully incorporates the needs of students and how they experience, use and enjoy a site while balancing safety, maintenance and character. GreenWorks services included schematic design, construction documents, specifications, LEED documentation, bidding assistance and construction administration.

For more information visit:  http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/home-and-garden/articles/leed-school-0910/

GreenWorker Finishes Strong in Portland Marathon

GreenWorks' Emily Arruda finished her second Portland Marathon on Sunday's 10-10-10 downtown event. Despite the pouring rain and wet conditions, Emily finished 38 minutes faster than last year's time setting a personal record of 4:32:15 and average pace of 10:23 per mile. She ranked in the top 47% overall and finished full stride passing 544 people in the final 6 miles while only allowing 8 to pass her by.  Congrats on your personal record and second marathon achievement Emily!

Emily and her brother David after their marathon finish

GreenWorks Finishes 6th in Division for Bike to Work Challenge

September's end wrapped up the 2010 Bike Commute Challenge and the results are in - GreenWorks placed sixth in their category for Businesses and Non-Profit Agencies with 5-24 employees. This ranking was based on a 79.2% commute rate, out of 303 competitors in the category! GreenWorkers logged a total of 149 commutes and 1324 miles overall. We also held our annual internal competition to see which employee bikes the most based on miles and commutes. Alex Perove swept both categories with 342 logged miles, biking every day in the month for a total of 44 commutes. Hats off to GreenWorks bikers for their hard work and miles put in for this year's challenge!

University of Minnesota Landscape Architecture Students Visit Portland

A group of 3^rd year graduate landscape architecture students from the University of Minnesota were in Portland from Sept. 28 to Oct 1 to study urban design and planning precedents for their current design studio. GreenWorks participated in their visit by providing a tour of Tanner Springs Park and our office and talked with the students about some of the recent work we have been involved with. We always enjoy the opportunity to meet new up and coming people entering the field and to be able to give back to the profession.

Photos Courtesy of Cynthia Lapp, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota

Lane Community College Health & Wellness Center Grand Opening

GreenWorks is proud to announce the grand opening of the HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER at LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE in Eugene, Oregon. The grand opening on September 23, 2010 was well attended and celebrated by Lane Community College. The Center sets a new standard for classroom space where students will experience the benefits of an enhanced learning environment, a deeper understanding of human health and well being, and new inspiration to care for the earth. GreenWorks provided landscape architectural services for the Health and Wellness Center including site planning, hardscape, grading, planting, irrigation, and site furnishings. The exterior courtyard space and rain gardens provides for relaxation, learning, and community. This area connects to the main campus circulation spine flowing through the building entry lobby and out the north side to the Long House and track beyond.

Rainwater is expressed as it comes off the roof through scuppers and rain chains into a series of custom rain basins, which feed the large rain gardens surrounding the building. Custom Ipe decking and flow through planters provide seating opportunities and views of the new native environment. The design creates awareness of the natural world and conserves resources by filtering and storing all of the rainwater on site.

“This signature building is a tall testimony to Lane’s enduring commitment to be at the forefront of the health care education in the region. Students and Faculty alike will excel in this state-of-the art learning environment.” Tony Baker - Opening Door Campaign Chair Lane Community College

City of Damascus Completes Construction of First Green Street

The construction of the first green street in the center of the City of Damascus on Anderson Road was completed in September. This accomplishment was celebrated recently with a ribbon cutting ceremony, attended by City staff and Councilors, construction contractors (S-2 Contractors, Ashland Brothers Landscapes), the design team (GreenWorks and CH2MHILL) and area residents. The Anderson Road project, 600 feet in length, serves as a pilot project for green public infrastructure development for the City of Damascus. The City hopes to learn from this project as it moves forward with its goal to implement sustainable low impact development practices. All stormwater that falls within the right-of-way is captured, infiltrated and treated on site in stormwater planters, a stormwater swale, pervious asphalt and permeable sidewalk pavers.

Graham Oaks Nature Park Opens to the Public

METRO and the City of Wilsonville unveiled their newest park last Saturday, Graham Oaks Nature Park. GreenWorks provided schematic design, construction documents, and construction administration for the 250 acre park. The opening had a great turnout despite the rainy conditions! Special thanks to METRO for hosting the event with various activities and to our own Michelle Mathis for her hard work as Project Manager on Graham Oaks.

Bike to Work Challenge

Every September, GreenWorks joins in the friendly competition - workplace to workplace - to see who can bike to work more. And of course, it wouldn't be "Bike to Work Month" in Portland, unless it was raining! Regardless of the weather, the fearless GreenWorks staff has been able to maintain 77% ridership. Halfway through the month of September and we are still going strong!

Visit the Bicycle Transportation Alliance website for more information on Portland's Bike Commute Challenge: http://bikecommutechallenge.com/

GreenWorker Pitches in to Clean Clackamas River

Last weekend, Alex Perove volunteered (along with 350 other river lovers) to clean up the Clackamas River. Together, the volunteers hauled out approximately 5,000 pounds (2.5 tons) of trash from 14 miles of riverbank and bottom. This immense effort inspires a community of artists to take a turn in the ripples of a great sustainable cause. As part of the Ripple Effect effort, local artists will transform the recovered river trash into handcrafted works of art that will be enjoyed in a new way by our community, completing the full life cycle of our waste.

Save the date and come check out the Ripple Effect art exhibit on 1st Thursday, in the Pearl. 7pm on Oct. 7th at the Keen "Green Room" http://www.ripplepdx.com/

A huge thank you from We Love Clean Rivers and the Clackamas River Basin Council for all of their efforts to improve the health of our beloved Clackamas River.