Vancouver Landing at Terminal 1

GreenWorks provided support to the Port of Vancouver for their Terminal 1 Vancouver Landing development. The 10.7 acre site was the site of their first shipping facility, with a rich history of supporting commerce and trade in Washington, as a site for shipbuilding during World War I, and in later years as a waterfront hotel and conference center. The iconic waterfront location offers visual and physical access to the Columbia River, and is directly adjacent to the Vancouver Waterfront development that has transformed the industrial areas and revitalized the district between Downtown Vancouver and the river with shops, housing, parklands, and the iconic Grant Street Pier.

TERMINAL 1 MASTER PLAN

Our work at Terminal 1 began with the master planning process from 2018 to 2019 to set the vision for how the Port project would be developed to provide commercial and residential opportunities, along with open space amenities and the major attraction, a new Public Market Building. 

Previous planning efforts laid the groundwork for the general project density and form. GreenWorks and team members developed a master plan that emphasized visual and physical connections to the river, new amenity spaces on the waterfront and to support new buildings, streetscape and pedestrian connections, including an important connection of the regional Renaissance trail.

A robust public process gathered feedback from stakeholders and the general public, with an end-point of evaluating multiple schemes to determine the specific conceptual design, types of amenities, and layouts of buildings. GreenWorks developed graphics and animations to support the public process, including workshops, press releases, and websites.

The project also achieved LEED Neighborhood Development Gold certification, showing the Port’s commitment to smart and ecologically sensitive design. The virtual environment, video walk-through, and fly-throughs were instrumental in public outreach, and helped with generating buzz for the project, ultimately resulting in the Port getting significant funding from the State of Washington to help make the project a reality.

ROTARY WAY & RENAISSANCE TRAIL

The initial phases of development began with design and permitting in 2019, including the Vancouver Landing, and the first connection for the Renaissance Trail along the upper bank. This catalyst project aimed to set the stage for future work, and established a design concept that celebrated the industrial history of the site while greening the existing amphitheater, restoring the shoreline, and making vital connections to the adjacent Waterfront Park, and existing trail to the east.

Complexity at the Core

The location of the project on an existing structure, and along the shoreline of the Columbia River were factors that contributed to the complexity from a design, engineering, permitting, and construction perspective. The initial phase included seismic and structural upgrades to the pier, modifications of the existing structure to help with the new accessible route, bulkhead wall interface, and additional piles that allowed for the weight of future seating, decking, soil and site amenities. 

GreenWorks working closely with Port staff and managed the team schedule and deliverables to ensure work and permitting was done to allow bidding and installation within the specific in-water work window. Team members at KPFF led the structural and seismic upgrades, including the addition of new seismic dolphins to stabilize the structure.  WSP led permitting coordination for the local permitting along with state and federal compliance.

The need for adaptability is key with these types of projects, as the team continually learned new information and had to refine ideas, problem solve, and balance the needs of project budget, design goals, permitting requirements and schedule. 

Completion of the structural work allowed for the Vancouver Landing project to move forward beginning in 2020. The design provided a seamless transition from the shoreline areas on the pier that provided seating, landscaping, and views to the river.

Pulling inspiration from the industrial materials with a modern context, the use of wood is prevalent, with boardwalk paths for access, and terraced seating elements, along with stacked timbers evoking the history of lumber shipping on the site.  The plantings included shoreline restoration of the upland areas, and on-structure plantings of adapted, drought tolerant shrubs, grasses and groundcover that will soften the site and be activated with river breezes.

The team was also able to design the adjacent AC Hotel, the first project built as part of the master plan, integrating the site into the larger Terminal 1 plan while developing rooftop garden spaces, entries and patios for hotel guests.

A Celebration of Place

During the design process, the opportunity arose for the site to become a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Clark County Rotary Club, who generously donated funds to the project, with a goal of tapping into the rich history of the site and region. Along with team member Chuck Lennox of Lennox InSites, we worked with the Port and stakeholders to develop an Interpretive plan that wove together the history of Clark County and Vancouver, Port of Vancouver and Terminal 1, the Rotary, and the natural landscape of the Columbia River and renamed Rotary Way.

Elements included interpretive panels that celebrated shipbuilding, agricultural heritage, tribal history, and transportation.  Additional elements like timber stacks tied into the rich site history and whimsical connections to Vancouver history were included, such as the reference to local brew Lucky Lager.

A timeline of the regional history was etched along the pathway to celebrate significant cultural and natural historical events.  Markers connected landscape elements to Vancouver’s sister city, and whimsical benches referenced the history of rail in the region and on the Terminal 1 site.

Visualizations from the Virtual Environment we Created

visualization of future terminal 1 development by greenworks

GreenWorks Commitment to Green Building

GreenWorks is defined by our commitment to green infrastructure and sustainability. Our design experience covers green roofs, green walls, innovative stormwater management, as well as implementing LEED certification on dozens of projects including RiverEast Center, The Encore Condominiums, Washougal Town Square, First and Main Office Building, Lake Oswego-Tigard Wastewater Treatment Plant, ODOT Headquarters, and Lane Community College. Our firm is proud to employ the only SITES AP certified landscape architect and designer in Oregon. SITES AP “establishes a common framework to define the profession of sustainable landscape design and development. It provides landscape professionals with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, expertise and commitment to the profession.” In 2019, GreenWorks became the first Salmon-Safe Accredited landscape architecture firm, allowing us to facilitate Salmon Safe certification throughout the design process.

Explore our Other Work

Independence Riverfront Park & Downtown Development

Reed’s Crossing Development

Portland City Hall's Better Together Garden

An early concept exploring ways to draw attention to the garden, such as using salvaged materials and free-standing trellises to create vertical growing space

Preliminary Overhead map of the redesign of the better together garden

The GreenWorks team completed a preliminary re-design of Portland’s “Better Together Garden” at City Hall. GreenWorks Landscape Designer Vivian Schoung explained, “The next evolution of the garden is to make it more welcoming to people of all abilities and to increase its visibility.”

The next step in improving the garden, which GreenWorks was tasked to address in this project from the City, is installing walking paths that are friendlier to people of all abilities. New surfacing on the pathways will allow water to soak into the ground, but it will also mean the garden will become more ADA accessible, with 4-foot-wide paths. It will also include raised plant beds of varying heights so people can more comfortably work in the garden.

In spite of its prominent location, the garden can be surprisingly difficult to find if you aren’t looking for it. “Oftentimes people don’t see the garden because it’s raised above the surrounding sidewalk and behind the low wall that surrounds the courtyard,” GreenWorks designer Schoung said. Future iterations of the garden’s design will seek to address this issue.

“The opportunity to give back to the community through our pro-bono services at The Better Together garden was a special opportunity for Greenworks,” GreenWorks Associate Principal Jason King said. “While a small space, the impact is immense as an example of how community landscapes can address food insecurity through thoughtful design while being accessible to all. This reflects our firm’s aspirations for design to contribute to the overall livability of the Portland metropolitan area.”

Centennial Mills

Located on the west bank of the Willamette River, Centennial Mills consists of 12 industrial flour mill structures built between 1910 and 1940. The derelict waterfront mill site provides the one of the last urban sites in Portland for its residents to re-connect to the Willamette River. This important and historic riverfront site demanded a creative, unifying vision that recreated Centennials Mills as a compelling part of Portland and its future while preserving a unique piece of the city's history. GreenWorks assisted Harsch Investments and PDC in creating a schematic design vision for this complex brownfield site. In partnership with Olin Studio, the project creates a new civic space on the Willamette River with public open spaces and programming. Ecologically-based technologies were interwoven with unique historic structures inviting residents and visitors to see regenerative systems at work amongst industrial artifacts. The public realm of this private venture with the Portland Development Commission took several forms: a bridge from the Pearl District crossing Naito Parkway, an expanded wharf with carefully edited mill structures, an extended greenway along the river through multiple levels of the wharf, and a daylighted outfall of Tanner Creek at a restored cove that signals the public/private commitment to the health of the river.

Centennial Mills in 2015

Designing Livable Streets and Trails Guide

Photo courtesy of Metro

On October 24th, 2019, Metro, our Portland metropolitan area regional government, released an updated version of their “Designing Livable Streets and Trails Guide.” GreenWorks was part of the team that contributed updates to it.

“Metro’s Designing Livable Streets and Trails Guide provides design guidance for our regional streets and trails. The guidelines were developed to help implement the 2040 Growth Concept and the Regional Transportation Plan.”

— Metro

It’s a set of design guidelines that require transportation infrastructure to be designed to serve the people and environments they’re built in, not just the vehicles that use it. The updates refresh the well-known guide and provide some important updates, prioritizing livability, safety, and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.

We’re particularly proud of our work because Metro will be requesting money from voters through a transportation bond this November that will use these guidelines if funded.

Metro hired Kittelson & Associates to partner with GreenWorks, sparks+sullivan, and KLik Concepts to develop graphics, write new guidance for innovative stormwater infrastructure, and update information about integrating trails. That means our input may have a big impact on our region’s future.

“The guide acknowledges the negative impacts transportation can have on water,” said Lake McTighe, senior transportation planner at Metro.  “It highlights how important green streets can be to solving this.”

Hood River Community Housing

GreenWorks and Carleton-Hart Architects are working with the Columbia Valley Housing Authority to develop new affordable housing in Hood River, Oregon. The project connects residents with nature, provides opportunities to play, and is sited sensitively to reduce impacts on existing topography and vegetation. Stormwater planters, permeable paving, and use of native and adapted plantings complement other amenities for residents, including seating areas, a playground, community garden beds, picnic spots, trails woven throughout the site, connections to transit, and a new multi-purpose regional trail for maximum accessibility.

Windjammer Waterfront Park

Photo by Thomas Harris

Our work in Oak Harbor began with the renovation of Oak Harbor Waste Water Treatment Facility. Since the facility is located in Windjammer Park, funds from the renovation were allocated to develop an integration plan for the park and GreenWorks was asked to prepare the Integration Plan.

GreenWorks lead the design effort for the Windjammer Park Integration Plan by working closely with the City of Oak Harbor and the Community Advisory Group (CAG). GreenWorks presented program elements at the first CAG meeting. With the feedback gathered at this meeting the team developed three design options representing an array of desired elements. During the process there were two open houses as well as an online open house to solicit comments from the public on the three options which assisted with devising a preferred concept.

“GreenWorks lead the design effort for the Windjammer Park Integration Plan by working closely with the City of Oak Harbor and the Community Advisory Group (CAG).”

The Windjammer Park Integration Plan is a long-term plan integrating existing and new program elements in this 28.5 acre waterfront park that includes a popular RV site playground lagoon trail network and waterfront access. GreenWorks worked closely with the City of Oak Harbor and a community advisory group on developing three park concepts and eventually a preferred alternative. The final concept included the renovation of the swimming lagoon improved pedestrian walking trails reconfigured parking lots new events plaza and splash park outside the facility as well as a performance stage new playgrounds and multi-use fields.

The Windjammer Park Plan is expected to be implemented in segments over time and GreenWorks developed the phasing plan to guide the future programming of the Park. The Integration Plan was adopted by City Council in May 2016.

Photo by Thomas Harris

Photo by Thomas Harris

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Design Illustrations

Reed's Crossing Greenway Park

Greenworks has been working closely with Newland Communities on Reeds Crossing, a 460-acre community located in South Hillsboro. Greenworks has been tasked with designing the 23-acre Greenway which contains stormwater facilities, multi-use trails, plazas, and a nature education area. The nature education area, Discovery Park, is a vision for STEM/STEAM programming for the Hillsboro Schools with education opportunities around the trail system comprised of stations for discovery and learning. Discovery Park is located centrally in Reed’s Crossing Gordon Creek Greenway.

Throughout the process, Greenworks coordinated with nurseries to grow the 300,000 plugs that were planted in the stormwater facilities as well as all the shrubs and trees that surround the stormwater facilities and the trails.

Stations throughout Discovery Park would allow children to learn about the functions and values of the stormwater facilities, wetlands and habitat.

Stations include:

• Water Discovery where children learn about stormwater ponds throughout the greenway and the functions of wetlands within the park by using a hand pump with the water that flows into the rain garden.

• Nurse Log Habitat where children learn how organisms like salamanders and habitats like downed logs encourage a diversity of species.

• A Climb and Find station providing nature play with sculpted animals in and around a huge log to help them learn through fun signage

• Pollinator Habitat where children learn how insects and birds are essential to flowering plants.

• Oak Savannah where children learn about different ecosystems that surrounded the valley the park sits in. An outdoor classroom and pavilion offer gathering spaces for educators and parents to teach children within and among the habitat. Trails throughout the greenway and the neighborhood lead to Discovery Park, a recreation area connected to a school, to be built in 2020.

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Reed’s Crossing is a master planned community developed by Newland Communities, to be constructed over the next 15 years and comprised of single and multi-family residential, commercial, mixed use and high-density residential development with associated roadways, utilities, stormwater facilities, trails and open space. The Reed’s Crossing community is approximately 460 acres in the South Hillsboro Community Plan, in currently what is known as Hillsboro, Oregon.

GreenWorks has been working collaboratively with Newland Communities and project civil engineers to design the heart of the development—the 23-acre greenway. The greenway is approximately 12-acres of stormwater facilitates that cleanse stormwater flowing from the roads and rooftops of the new development. These stormwater treatment facilities are seamlessly incorporated into the landscape and design of neighborhoods and civic spaces.

The greenway links the community and adjacent neighborhoods by a trail network traverses the development. The greenway also supports riparian habitat, passive and active recreation, and open space preservation. A variety of planting types are displayed throughout the greenway from wetland habitat to oak savannah and meadows.

Greenworks worked with Newland Communities from concept through permitting and construction documentation. Throughout the process, Greenworks coordinated with nurseries to grow the 300,000 plugs that were planted in the stormwater facilities as well as all the shrubs and trees that surround the stormwater facilities and the trails.

Reed's Crossing Discovery Park

Greenworks has been working closely with Newland Communities on Reeds Crossing, a 460-acre community located in South Hillsboro. Greenworks has been tasked with designing the 23-acre Greenway which contains stormwater facilities, multi-use trails, plazas, and a nature education area. The nature education area, Discovery Park, is visioned to be part of STEM/STEAM programming for the Hillsboro Schools with education opportunities around the trail system comprised of stations for discovery and learning. Overall, Discovery Park is located centrally in Reed’s Crossing Gordon Creek Greenway.

There are stations throughout Discovery Park where children can learn about the functions and values of the stormwater facilities, wetlands and habitat.

The stations include:

• Water Discovery – children can learn about the stormwater ponds throughout the greenway and the functions of wetlands within the park by interacting with the water that will flow into a rain garden.

• Nurse Log Habitat – children can learn about forest species, including salamanders, and downed logs that create habitat for a diversity of species.

• Climb and Find – this station is not only a nature play area but children can find sculpted animals in and around the log and learn about them through informational signage

• Pollinator Habitat – children can learn about the benefits insects and birds in relation to flowering plants.  

• Oak Savannah – children can learn about the different ecosystems that surrounded the valley

There is also an outdoor classroom and a pavilion that offer gathering spaces for educators and parents to teach children within and among the habitat. Trails throughout the greenway and the neighborhood lead to Discovery Park. The park is also connected to a school (to be built in 2020) via a neighborhood.

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Conceptual Visualization

Reed's Crossing

GreenWorks has been working collaboratively with Newland Communities to design a 23-acre greenway at Reed’s Crossing, a master planned community in Hillsboro, Oregon.

The greenway links both the community internally and adjacent neighborhoods by the multi-modal trail network traversing the site. The greenway also supports riparian habitat, passive and active recreation, and open space preservation. In addition to the greenway itself, GreenWorks has designed several parks within the community, including Discovery Park, where residents and students from Hillsboro School District can experience STEM/STEAM learning and nature-based play.

GreenWorks provided conceptual design services for park and open space development, including planting plans, tree preservation and park diagrams, and an extensive bike and pedestrian trail design. 

Reed’s Crossing is a 463 acre mixed-use community that includes over 4,000 new homes of various types. The project will implement a natural area utilized for stormwater management and public open space for the community. The 20-acre natural area will encompass a variety of ecotones including oak savanna prairie, grass prairie, and wet meadow.

GreenWorks continues to work with Newland Communities by furthering conceptual designs and planting plans, developing grading plans for each concept, estimating potential costs, and strategizing on phasing and maintenance for the project.

GreenWorks partnered with Newland from concept through permitting and construction documentation. Throughout the process and during construction, Newland Communities depended on GreenWorks’ construction manager Sean Stroup to oversee and coordinate the construction of the greenway, as well as the streetscape design. Sean exceeded expectations by saving Newland Communities thousands of dollars in irrigation system costs by finding alternatives and reducing the number of irrigation heads needed in the design.

“Reed’s Crossing seamlessly integrates the natural and built environments for the people who will one day call it home.” - Newland Communities

Tasks Performed by GreenWorks:

• Project management

• Public involvement

• Master planning

• Conceptual design

• Graphic renderings

• Site design

• Coordinating permitting

• Habitat enhancements

• Cost estimating

• Construction documents

• Construction management

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Conceptual Visualization

reed’s crossing conceptual drawing of central rectangular stormwater greenspace with trails and homes surrounding

Washougal Town Square Raingarden Courtyard and Stormwater

Located at the City Center, this mixed use office/retail project was envisioned to be a catalyst for town center redevelopment. GreenWorks designed the site improvements to reinforce pedestrian and visual connections to the urban fabric and to the Columbia River Gorge area as a demonstration project. GreenWorks implemented goals for a sustainable development model by creatively designing stormwater solutions, rainwater harvesting, a central courtyard, and native plantings in an urban context for the one block development. GreenWorks used 3-D modeling to enable the design team, developer and local staff to visualize design solutions. This project is one of the 10 LEED-ND pilot projects by the USGBC for the nation.

Lane Community College Health & Wellness Center

GreenWorks provided site design for the new Health and Wellness Building and surrounding open space on the Lane Community College campus in Eugene, Oregon. The team was tasked with creating a dramatic, attractive and sustainable environment for the new academic building’s site. The resulting design demonstrates responsible environmental practices and creates an active “living” classroom for educational opportunities. Rainwater is captured and conveyed into bioswales, translating health and wellness to the physical landscape. The Health and Wellness Facility is located at a major entrance point to campus, making clear circulation and a sense of arrival essential to the design concept. The design connects the multiple levels and pathways surrounding the Health and Wellness Center to the rest of the campus, creating a clear entry sequence that maintains accessibility for all. The result is activated exterior spaces that engage and connect.

Tigard Library

GreenWorks, in collaboration with SRG Architecture, was hired by the City of Tigard to site the city’s new library and community center on one of the most pristine and pastoral pieces of property remaining in the tri-county area. The property is wedged between an existing state highway, which will be widened in coordination with this project, and a virtually untouched segment of Fanno Creek. As part of the overall site design, we were responsible for siting the building, parking, adjacent plazas, and stormwater facilities in such a manner as to protect the existing landscape forms and several significant trees. We were challenged with integrating the significant site characteristics and the proposed buildings and support facilities together into a cohesive, sustainable, and attractive development.

Sustainability issues included: preservation of existing landforms/ enhancement of views, preservation of existing vegetation, creation of Fanno Creek riparian buffers, provision of stormwater infiltration/ treatment facilities, reduction of effective impervious surfacing, and design of ecological landscaping.

Milwaukie Public Safety Facility

GreenWorks designed a planting plan for this facility to provide an attractive, low maintenance setting, and to create a pocket park for neighborhood enjoyment in a redeveloping area of Milwaukie. The plan also included hardscape layout / entry courtyard and overall landscape treatment. GreenWorks prepared concept plans for public review and construction drawings for planting and irrigation improvements.

Independence Fountain

GreenWorks designed and supervised the construction of a new fountain as the finishing touch to a street level plaza for the City of Independence. The newly constructed street level plaza was part of a Public Amphitheatre project, which was also designed by GreenWorks. The fountain serves as the public face of the Amphitheatre and as an integral part of the streetscape. It provides a focal point for the street level plaza and announces one’s arrival to the City of Independence. The fountain design includes a custom cast bronze bowl on a pre-cast concrete pedestal within a set of tiered concentric basins faced with brick. Water flows from a single jet in the bronze bowl overflowing into the basins that are linked by spillways. The lower basin incorporates a stainless steel sign inscribed with the words “City of Independence”. The tops of each basin wall incorporate a pre-cast concrete cap that serves as seating and allows the Citizens of Independence to sit and feel the water.

Independence Amphitheater

GreenWorks provided conceptual design, construction documents, and construction observation for this prominently located amphitheater in downtown Independence, Oregon. GreenWorks also provided cost estimates, stakeholder presentations, and constructability reviews. Project goals included the use of local or recycled materials where possible, preservation of existing vegetation, reduced water consumption, the use native plants, control of erosion, and reduced stormwater runoff. The amphitheater has become a major public gathering place for events all across the Willamette Valley.

21st and Clinton Rainwater Courtyard

GreenWorks provided site design and landscape architectural services for this half-block commercial infill project in inner Southeast Portland. With sustainability a key objective for the owner, we incorporated several design elements. These include transforming demolished concrete into permeable courtyard paving and designing a rainwater art feature into concrete seat walls and planting beds. Planting design focused on creating an intimate residential feel for the project, blending it into the neighborhood, while incorporating a courtyard to be used for outdoor dining and gathering.

Tualatin Police Headquarters

This facility is at the western edge of the civic / commercial core of downtown Tualatin. West of the project site is Hedges Creek Marsh and Sweek Pond, some of Tualatin’s most valuable and visible urban natural resources. GreenWorks’ landscape design embraces both the civic nature of the project and the project’s sensitive location adjacent to the marsh. GreenWorks’ design focuses on creating pedestrian-friendly entrances and courtyards, clear definable automobile entrances, innovative stormwater runoff management technique for the parking lots, and landscape management strategies incorporating ornamental to natural landscape types.

ODOT Headquarters Renovation

The former ODOT Headquarters located on the Capitol Mall in Salem was an aged building suffering from inefficient systems. As part of an architect-led design team, GreenWorks addressed these deficiencies in an extensive renovation.  The primary goal of the renovation was to transform the existing building into a sustainable high performance building that would provide the best long-term value for the State within the project constraints. GreenWorks provided schematic design landscape architectural services addressing site sustainable strategies, green stormwater solutions, circulation, maintenance, plaza replacement, safety, and ADA accessibility. The project is certified LEED Platinum.

Pringle Creek Community Pervious Pavement

This sustainable housing and mixed-use, 32-acre project spearheaded the redevelopment of the 275-acre former Fairview Training Center site in southeast Salem. The project incorporates sustainable design concepts for both the building types and the public infrastructure. As part of an interdisciplinary team, GreenWorks implemented a wide range of project objectives related to sustainable site design.  GreenWorks  design responsibilities included: collaboration on design of green streets and 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.

Clackamas Head Start Facilities

GreenWorks developed a Site Master Plan for the new Head Start Facilities in Clackamas County. Through creative treatment and handling of stormwater the Playground and Outdoor Courtyard Classroom on site create learning opportunities related to water and the environment. The Playground features a variety of outdoor activities for active play and discovery, including a play structure, tricycle track, and fossil themed sand box. The nature trail, along with raised garden beds, provides lessons in science, observation and stewardship. The Outdoor Classroom, or courtyard, focuses on connecting students with the physical properties of the water cycle; falling rain, run off as stormwater, evaporation, and transpiration. The courtyard is a place of dynamic activity highly influenced by the environment, the sun and the rain, and easily visible to students from inside the building.