Mayer/Reed, Author at Mayer Reed

Moving Closer to an Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge

In the next month, Multnomah County will select a bridge type for the new earthquake ready Burnside Bridge. Up for consideration are three cable-stayed and three tied-arch options. As urban design lead on the bridge replacement project, Mayer/Reed is working closely with the county, engineers, architects, contractors and a public advisory committee to evaluate the six options and move into final design phase.

Why replace the bridge? Of the eight vehicular bridges over the Willamette River in downtown Portland, Oregon, none are expected to be immediately usable following a major earthquake in the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The historic Burnside Bridge is a central artery within the city and region, linking Gresham to Washington County, and a new bridge will provide a critical lifeline for emergency services (and daily use) for the next 100 years.

Results of an extensive analysis by the Citizens Design Advisory Group (CDAG) and recent public outreach will inform the county’s upcoming decision. Acting as a liaison to the Portland design community, Mayer/Reed prepared preliminary criteria and guiding principles for the CDAG meetings. We are advising BEAM Architects, HDR, Inc., Burnside Bridge Partners and the county on visual impact, character, urban context, pedestrian spaces and active transportation connections. Replacing a downtown bridge is no small feat and involves thinking well beyond the bridge footprint. We’re working to preserve existing park spaces on either side of the Willamette River in Tom McCall Waterfront Park and the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade, including restoration of public spaces and landscapes that are disrupted by bridge access, staging and construction over a five-year period.

You can stay involved and up-to-date on this complex, city-shaping project at www.burnsidebridge.org.

A New Era for Errol Heights Park

Errol Heights Par k buzzed with excitement on June 1 as the community gathered to celebrate the reimagined park and surrounding street improvements. The much-anticipated updates (completed in January of this year by Portland Parks & Recreation) have quickly transformed the park into a neighborhood gem.

The play areas were alive with activity, folks explored the elevated, accessible pathway that zigzags through the urban wetland and, overall, a sense of joy and gratitude filled the air. Community members shared personal stories about the journey to make this dream a reality; a ceremonial ribbon-cutting marked the beginning of a new era for the park and neighborhood.

As landscape architect for the park, Mayer/Reed’s design relied heavily on public input. The resulting programming reflects the neighborhood’s passion for accessibility, inclusivity, community gathering and environmental protection. Revamped and ready for exploration – Errol Heights Park has something for everyone.

Advocating for Landscape Architecture

On May 8 we put down our pencils, logged out of AutoCAD and turned our attention to Washington, D.C., for American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Advocacy Day. Representing Oregon, Mayer/Reed Principal Jeramie Shane, ASLA, and landscape architect Laura Hartzell, ASLA Oregon President-Elect, chatted with federal leaders about the importance of landscape architecture and the issues that matter to us.

They met virtually with the offices of Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Earl Blumenauer and asked them to consider cosponsoring two bills. The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (H.R. 1477 / S. 722) would allow the use of tax-exempt 529 savings plans to pay for professional licensure and continuing education – a change that would promote equity by reducing financial barriers in landscape architecture and other professions. Secondly, they discussed the Water Infrastructure Sustainability and Efficiency (WISE) Act (H.R. 2921), allowing more loan dollars from the EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund to be used for nature-based infrastructure projects. For example: green roofs, bioswales and filtration wetlands (like those at our current Clean Water Services’ Fernhill wetlands project in Forest Grove, Oregon).

ASLA Advocacy Day helps inform national legislators about our profession and can influence policies that benefit landscape architecture professionals, and, by extension, the people and places we design for. We encourage everyone to contact their representatives about the issues that are important to them – your feedback matters.

Design Approved for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Addition

“Yes, with enthusiasm!” The City of Portland Design Commission unanimously approved plans for an addition to Oregon Health & Science University’s Doernbecher Children’s Hospital at the Marquam Hill campus.

Led by ZGF Architects and Andersen Construction, with landscape architecture by Mayer/Reed, the project includes a new 11-story building with roof garden, a public plaza, upgrades to the current drop-off and parking areas and an access trail providing a much-needed connection between SW US Veteran’s Hospital Road and SW Lower Canyon Drive.

The design commission commended the team’s approach to the challenging, sloped site and applauded the thoughtful touches that embed the new addition into the existing campus and landscape. “I can’t think of a more skillful, subtle way to do it than the way you have,” stated Commission Chair Brian McCarter. “It fits like a glove.”