FINAL DESIGN: CAROLWOOD PARK PLAYGROUND UPGRADE

Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD) has posted the final design renderings for the new playground design at Carolwood Park.  The park district is replacing another old and out-of-date playground in a continued effort to maintain recreational opportunities for young people that are up-to-date, safe and fun.  GreenWorks helped THRPD develop a new playground design based on feedback from a public meeting and an online survey conducted earlier this year. In addition to the new playground equipment, new site amenities include:  an ADA accessible pathway and ramp, a bench and picnic table. The new playground will be completed this summer. THPRD is looking for volunteers in the neighborhood to help with installation. More information can be found on the park district website.

Happy Holidays from GreenWorks

GreenWorks Awarded On-Call Civil Engineering Contract

 

GreenWorks was recently awarded a contract with the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services for On-Call Engineering Services. We will provide BES services for work under Category 4: Drainage, Water Quality and Habitat Enhancement.  GreenWorks is dedicated to developing innovative and sustainable solutions for the management of stormwater and the restoration of our natural systems, and our history of working with engineers and BES gives us a solid foundation on which to provide services for Category 4 work.

This is a unique situation to lead this effort as landscape architects; engineers typically lead the contract. We are excited about our lead role in the upcoming projects regarding drainage, water quality and habitat enhancements.

Our full team includes the following specialists for the Category 4 projects:

GreenWorks - Project Managers | Landscape Architecture

KPFF Civil Engineers

ESA - Environmental Science and Planning

Salmon River Engineering, LLC

Habitat Concepts - Restoration Specialist

Geotechnics, LLC

Wyeth Columbia River Treaty Fishing Access Site – Planting after 1 Year

Plants have been in the ground at the Wyeth site for nearly one year now and are thriving, as the comparison photos showing the condition at time of planting and a year later attest to. The Wyeth project is now complete having met requirements for a one year plant establishment period. To find out more about this project, please use the links provided below for past articles about this project.  

http://greenworkspc.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/rufus-restoration-planting-completed/

http://greenworkspc.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/native-planting-restoration-begins-at-the-wyeth-columbia-river-treaty-fishing-access-site/

http://greenworkspc.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/wyeth-columbia-river-treaty-fishing-access-site-breaks-ground/

Madrona Studios Revitalizes Rose Quarter Housing

As part of the design team for Madrona Studios, GreenWorks provided landscape architecture services for the project, which is featured in the Fall Oregon Facilities issue highlighting the revitalized affordable housing building. Formerly a Ramada Inn within Portland’s Rose Quarter, Madrona Studios added 176 affordable housing units that now use, “27 percent less energy than a standard building of the same costs.”  The article explains ways the project team found to cut water, energy, heat, and lighting consumption for the retrofitted building.  The project resulted in an overall $42,000 annual cost savings for the project led by Central City Concern. The full article can be found at:

http://issuu.com/jengomedia/docs/orfall2011?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222

GreenWorks designed frontage improvements that improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists in and around the site. Frontage improvements include the conversion of a vacated street into a striking and lush new planting area that provides year-round interest along this heavily travelled corridor. Additionally, GreenWorks worked closely with architects and engineers in retrofitting the building’s parking garage deck to accommodate new ecoroof planting areas, a gathering area with special paving, and improved ADA-accessibility for residents.

Phytoremediation in Landscape Architecture

GreenWorks' Associate Jeff Boggess recently attended the Constructed Wetlands and Poplar Remediation Technical Tour, put on by the International Phytotechnology Society as part of their 8^th Annual Conference in Portland this September. Jeff gave an in-office lunchtime presentation on the experience, followed-up by an online article in this month’s Oregon ASLA LANDbytes. Inside he recaps the tour stops at 5 constructed wetlands and poplar plantations in the Willamette Valley Region and talks about potential opportunities for landscape architects to further enrich their stewardship role by making phytotechnology common practice in their designs.

You can check out the article here:

http://www.aslaoregon.org/updates/articles/phytoremediation-in-landscape-architecture

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.

Beverly Cleary School Completes Bioswale Construction

The school community at Beverly Cleary School in NE Portland recently completed construction on a bioswale as part of an overall landscape plan entitled the “Learning Landscape Project.” The project was inspired to develop a system that improved the school’s impact on urban stormwater. The bioswale works to mitigate the impact of polluted stormwater by collecting and filtering the water before it drains in to sewers, rivers, or streams. GreenWorks’ Michelle Mathis led the design effort of this project working with the Beverly Cleary School community. The Beverly Cleary K-8 School is a two-campus school; Kindergarten and first grade students are housed at the Hollyrood campus, and the second through eighth grade students are housed at the Fernwood campus. They built and planted a swale at the Fernwood School in the spring of 2006, but the downspouts were never disconnected to feed into the swale.

For more information and a video on the downspout visit:

http://greenworkspc.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/2501/

GreenWorks Co-Founder Appointed Portland Parks Bureau Director

Congratulations to Mike Abbaté for his appointment as the new Director of Portland Parks! After a national search to replace Park’s Director Zari Santner, Commissioner Nick Fish selected Abbaté, calling him “’innovative’ and an able manager whose work examining the parks' assets will be a big plus when the bureau goes out for a parks bond.”

Mike Abbaté co-founded GreenWorks in 1997. Abbaté brought to the firm great expertise in interpretive, outdoor recreation and ecotourism facilities. He was instrumental in expanding the firm’s services in planning and design for interpretive facilities; urban park design; and planning and design for regional, state and national parks. Prior to GreenWorks, Mike worked for the U.S. Forest Service and in the private sector for many years. Abbaté left GreenWorks in 2007 to become the Planning Director for the City of Gresham.

For more information on Mike’s new appointment visit:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/portlandcityhall/2011/10/portland_parks_bureau_hires_in.html

Lewis and Clark Park and Festival Grounds Reconnects the Dalles

The Dalles Riverfront Connections continues to push forward with an article published in this week’s Daily Journal of Commerce, discussing the park’s urban connection between the Downtown Business District and the historic Columbia Riverfront.  GreenWorks worked closely with KPFF and Nathan Good Architects on this project, developing a park design that connects the two distinct areas between I-84 while enhancing community identity and encouraging economic development.  For more on the featured Lewis and Clark Park and Festival Grounds visit: http://djcoregon.com/news/2011/10/11/park-to-connect-the-dalles-downtown-to-riverfront/

The project went out to bid last month and construction is expected to start in November.