IN THE STUDIO Archives - Page 15 of 16

Jeramie Shane and Kathy Fry Named Associate Partners

We have expanded the firm’s leadership with the promotion of Jeramie Shane and Kathy Fry as Associate Partners

Jeramie Shane is Associate Partner of the Landscape Architecture and Urban Design group. Jeramie is a strong collaborator who distills the best design thinking from clients and teams. Through his relationship-building skills and thoughtful leadership style, he keeps an experienced eye on the big picture while enriching projects down to the details. Jeramie joined Mayer/Reed in1998 and is a registered landscape architect. He has been involved with much of the firm’s most prominent work, including the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade, Nike World Headquarters North Campus Expansion, and the Mirabella Portland in the South Waterfront District. Current projects include the Daimler North American Truck Headquarters and the Portland to Milwaukie Light Rail. Jeramie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture from Washington State University; and is a member of the AIA/APA/ASLA Urban Design Panel in Portland.

Kathy Fry is Associate Partner of the Visual Communications and Product Design group. A forward-thinking leader, Kathy inspires teams with her creative vision and clear design direction. Her critical decision making abilities and organizational management skills contribute greatly to the success of the firm. Kathy joined Mayer/Reed in 2008 and has 12 years of experience in signage, wayfinding, interpretive graphic design and branded spaces. Projects include museums, hospitals, libraries, office spaces, airports and universities. Significant projects designed and managed for Mayer/Reed include the Bud Clark Commons, Vancouver Community Library, San Ysidro Land Port of Entry in San Diego, and site furnishings and signage for Sound Transit and TriMet. Kathy is a graduate of Portland State University with a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design; and serves as co-chair of the Portland Chapter of the Society of Experiential Graphic Design.

Happy Holidays

Bike Commute Challenge: Pumped Up

I love to ride my bike. I commute every day, I’ve raced for years (and won) and so for me and a core group at Mayer/Reed every month is Bike Commute Challenge month. That’s just how we roll. Sure, we do the official challenge, but I mainly use it as opportunity to send an unsolicited and over-the-top email about the virtues of cycling. That gentle reminder and a promise of cookies usually gets a few of the less inclined to pump up the old tires. MR bike_group And so out march all of the bikes with their proud owners. Some of us have carbon fiber bikes, others ride electric bikes or bikes with warn-out knobby tires. Other bikes are retro classic racers and there is one much-beloved yard sale “gem.” All the different bikes at Mayer/Reed underscore the different personalities that play through the firm in a magically cohesive way.

Cycling is also a terrific way to see our city and region. I think it is the best way actually. Each of us at Mayer/Reed takes great personal pride in our work and cycling is a wonderful way to keep tabs our projects. This isn’t just during construction mind you—we are invested for the long haul. For this reason many of us find cycling is the best way to go. That is just how we roll.

Finding the Next Generation of Designers

When we were ready to expand our Visual Communications group earlier this year, we asked ourselves, “Where do we find the next generation of Environmental Graphic Designers?” — those individuals driven to explore the intersection of architectural space, public places, wayfinding and graphic design. Finding designers with this combination of interests and skills can be a challenge. We look for smart people with the capacity for critical design thinking, who also expand our collective skill set.

When Ryan Swedenborg and Margaret Drew joined the studio this year, group dynamics changed. Talents, interests and personalities interact in ways that compliment and inspire each other. Ryan and Margaret are graduates of graphic design programs at PSU and OSU, respectively. Their personalities add to the studio socially and creatively.

Working with young designers brings energy to the studio and stimulates the give-and-take relationship of learning and influence. As they learn more about designing for the built environment, they share with us their own passions in design and the next generation’s perspective.