Nature Play Community Workshop For Westmoreland Park

Portlanders celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a community design event put on by Portland Parks and Recreation and GreenWorks geared around the eventual design for a nature play area to be built in Westmoreland Park. Kids of all ages really enjoyed the event! Their creativity, teamwork and ingenuity were all in full gear. It was an amazing start to an exciting project. Thank you to those who joined us!

The Concept: Portland Parks and Recreation and GreenWorks Landscape Architecture invited the community to play with natural materials, talk about natural play, make models and lay the groundwork for the design of the nature play area at Westmoreland Park. The City of Portland recognizes the benefits of letting children play in nature, including the physical, mental and social benefits. Prior to the natural play workshop, Parks and Recreation staff participated in a workshop to discuss risk and maintenance associated with natural play areas.

The Activities: Activities ranged from having adults remember their childhood play experiences, to free building and water play areas, to model making. The design team was able to talk with kids and adults about what they would like to see in the natural play area.

The Outcome: As kids of different ages and abilities worked together, creativity soared. We got some amazing feedback and ideas for the play area. Plus, we had a lot of fun!

"You Are Here" Sculpture unveiled at home of Portland Timbers

A new art piece was unveiled recently at Jeld Wen Field, the home of our Portland Timbers MLS team. Artist Ron Baron was commissioned by our local Regional Arts and Culture Council to develop the sculpture. The sculpture is a 9 foot diameter timber round with key artifacts embedded within it that celebrate the site and surrounding neighborhood. Baron described the work as an archaeological dig in which detritus and artifacts are partially buried in the tree rings, appearing to emerge from the wood. GreenWorks was honored to be asked by RACC to assist Ron Baron with the design of a foundation for the sculpture. We developed a number of concepts and settled on a two-column stone base with a stone lined planting bed. The stone was cut and installed by John Lawrence of Stone NW to within fractions of an inch to the sculpture. We were excited to be part of such a talented team and are honored to have a small portion of our work at the home of the Portland Timbers. Below are some photos of the work, and here is a link to a video of the unveiling.

Join Portland Parks and Recreation and GreenWorks this Saturday, March 17th, for a Fun-Filled day at the Westmoreland Nature Play Workshop!

A fun, interactive chance

for you and your children

to explore nature based play.

How does a nature based

play area differ from

a traditional playground?

Portland Parks & Recreation

is designing the City of Portland’s

first nature based play area in

Westmoreland Park.

Who: All ages welcome and encouraged to play! Come rain or shine, the event is indoors!

When: Saturday March 17th -10am-2pm

Where: 5040 SE Milwaukie Ave. and SE Mitchell St. Tri-Met bus #19

RSVP: Portland Parks and Rec or call Elizabeth at 503-823-5113

More information: www.licenses.ci.portland.or.us/parks/index.cfm?c=57822&

The Lewis and Clark Festival Park is Under Construction!

Located in The Dalles, Oregon, the festival area is positioned on a swath of land in between I-84 and the Union Pacific Railroad. Comparable in size to approximately three Portland city blocks, this design incorporates a parking lot, and a covered picnic pavilion, buttressed by restroom and picnic facilities. This focal point forms a strong presence to Union Street as well as a stage to the "great" lawn in which events could be held. A public art feature is proposed to be located on axis with Court Street. All of these elements combined, help to establish a strong connection with the historic downtown to the Columbia River, enhancing community identity, and encouraging economic development.

Cape Horn Trail Pedestrian Tunnel Construction Project Complete

Construction is complete on the two pedestrian tunnels that now provide safe crossing under State Route 14, approximately twenty-six miles east of Vancouver, Washington. The Cape Horn Trail is a popular 7.5 mile trail with spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge. GreenWorks, working with Wallis Engineering (civl engineering) and Kramer Gehlen & Associates (structural engineering), provided the design for the stone facing of the tunnel facades and planting design at the tunnels. The stone used on the project is local quarried basalt stone. The tunnel facades were designed to relate to other historic Cascadian examples of stone masonry found within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. To quote the Washington Trails Association,‘The Cape Horn Trail is about to become one of the prized jewels of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.’

This WSDOT project, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service was made possible by funding provided by Western Federal Lands Highway Division. The General contractor for the project was Rotschy, Inc and stone masonry work was provided by Custom Masonry, Inc.

For additional information, please visit the following websites:

Washington Trails Association

Washington Dept. of Transportation

Portland hikers Field guide

St. Louis Ponds

St. Louis Ponds is a 260 acre public open space owned by the State of Oregon and located directly on Interstate 5 just south of Woodburn, Oregon. Offering seven ponds stocked with a variety of warm water fish species, it is a popular fishing destination. GreenWorks has been commissioned through grant funding to master plan the central 20 acres of the site, with program elements including new accessible trails and fishing platforms, an education center and restroom, host sites, wet prairie & oak savannah habitat restoration zones and a new parking lot incorporating green stormwater infrastructure.

On February 4th, Mike Faha of GreenWorks met on site with the client, Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation and members of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to discuss the options and ideas that have been presented to date. Completion of the master plan is expected for later this spring/summer.

GreenWorks Collaborates on New Park Design

After assisting the City of Wilsonville receive an Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) grant in 2011, GreenWorks commenced detailed design work on Engelman Park. Given the current economic challenges Cities and Park districts are facing in our region, this project represents a successful collaborative effort with multiple City departments including planning, engineering, natural resources, and park’s maintenance to plan and design a low maintenance nature-based park that meets the needs of the community. The framework of the neighborhood park revolves around large specimen trees that include Doug Fir, Engelmann Spruce, and a lone Red Oak. The trees and spaces in-between embody the spirit of the park as an urban forest in which sensitively placed paths, native plantings, seating areas, and nature-based playgrounds will be welcomed amenities to the Montebello neighborhood and help connect the residents to nature. Funding for the park not only includes an OPRD grant, but is also comprised of private donations and volunteer efforts which will establish an example for park planning in our new economy. The park is scheduled to open this summer.

New Gervais City Hall Construction Complete

Construction is nearly complete on a new city hall facility for the City of Gervais.  GreenWorks provided site design for the building’s entry way, parking area and pedestrian circulation, including site grading, layout and planting design. The site was designed so that all stormwater from paved surfaces flows through curb cuts along the parking area edges and flows into a vegetated swale, which also serves to break up and soften the impact of the paved surfaces on the site. The design team for the project was led by PIVOT Architecture and included  Balhiser & Hubbard Engineers (Civil), M.R. Richards Engineering, Inc (Structural), Moulds Mechanical Engineers and Hanna Engineering (Electrical). The general contractor on the project is JWC General Contractor LLC and the landscape contractor is SCC Earthworks.

Aspiring Landscape Architecture Students

GreenWorks hosted two aspiring student groups, sharing professional wisdom and educational guidance. For the second year in a row, Claire Maulhardt, landscape designer, has been involved with two student groups that promote the relationship between students and the Landscape Architecture profession; ACE Mentoring program for high school students (Architecture, Construction Management and Engineering) and ASLA Oregon Student Liaison.

In January GreenWorks hosted an ACE Mentoring session geared toward site analysis, site design and the urban landscape. The ACE project this year is focused on a Transit-Oriented Development. Students are designing a Visitor's Center, a Bike Shop, a Cafe, or a Yoga Studio which are part of a larger site adjacent to a light rail station. If you would like to follow the ACE students over the term, the DJC will be regularly posting photos and student narratives on their website's blog.

On Friday February 3rd, GreenWorks hosted three students from the University of Oregon Landscape Architecture Department. Claire Maulhardt and Alex Perove (GreenWorks) toured a few GreenWorks projects with Mike Weir, Leanne Wagener, and Renee Wilkinson (UO Students). Back at the office, the students were exposed to a variety of “on the board” projects and were engaged in conversations with some of the employees. This presented the students with an accurate account of what it would be like to enter into the profession of Landscape Architecture.

Playground Build Time-Lapse Video

Last summer GreenWorks joined Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District (THPRD), the Beaverton Optimist Club, Ross Recreation and neighborhood volunteers to install new playground equipment for Forest Hills Park Playground in Beaverton.  THPRD Maintenance Department staff directed GreenWorks and other volunteers through the process, installing Landscape Structures play equipment including 4 swings, a play structure and a mobius climbing wall. Forest Hills Park was one of three area playgrounds slated for new equipment in addition to upgraded ADA accessibility improvements, new site amenities, plantings for screening and shading,  fencing and seat walls.

GreenWorks caught the installation on camera and prepared this time-lapse video of the process:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqig2Ry9_Sw&w=420&h=315]