PROJECTS Archives - Page 4 of 28

Construction Kicks Off at Mill Park

Residents, school children and City of Portland representatives gathered for the Mill Park development construction kick-off party. The new 6.2-acre park, designed by Mayer/Reed, is being built in Southeast Portland’s Mill Park neighborhood, adjacent to an elementary school of the same name.

The September 28^th family-friendly event brought out an enthusiastic crowd of young and old who helped dig groundbreaking shovelfuls alongside Parks Director Adena Long, Commissioner Dan Ryan and representatives from the Division Midway Alliance, Mill Park Elementary School and Mill Park Neighborhood Association.

Through community engagement and collaboration with PP&R and artist Alex Chiu, we designed the park to emphasize active community space with a central promenade that connects with the school. A playground, splash pad, public art, community garden and chinlone/volleyball court will transform this former open space into a lively neighborhood destination.

Raimore Construction is leading the park construction, with completion expected in the fall of 2024.

A New Waterfall View at Oregon’s Largest State Park

Famed for its 10 spectacular waterfalls and network of hiking trails within densely wooded canyons, Silver Falls State Park, southeast of Salem, recently opened a new day use area and falls viewpoint.

As part of the first phase of Oregon Parks & Recreation Department’s (OPRD) major improvements to celebrate the centennial of Oregon’s largest state park, Mayer/Reed designed a new accessible viewpoint and North Canyon Day Use Area, with a trailhead, picnic area and parking. Now visitors can experience a dramatic view of the 136-foot North Falls with just a short, accessible walk (or roll) into the park.

Universal accessibility is at the forefront of the design for the viewpoint and 0.6-mile OPRD-designed trail. “It’s like threading a needle,” said landscape architect and project manager, Anne Samuel. “With limited space working on a ridgeline, careful consideration goes into protecting natural resources, creating a high-quality aesthetic and ultimately making it welcoming to people with a variety of physical abilities.”

Mayer/Reed worked with OPRD on these visitor improvements based on our earlier master plan for the north end of the park and collaborated with KPFF to fit the day use area into the forested surroundings. The revegetation strategy includes a few trial species which OPRD will monitor for resiliency toward climate change.

More improvements are in the works for this corner of the state park. Mayer/Reed is working with KPFF on the new North Gateway District just across the highway from the North Canyon Day Use Area. We’re beginning design for a new campground with an estimated 50 campsites to expand your Silver Falls camping options which is set to open in 2025.

Raising a Glass to Design

We kicked off summer with a Mayer/Reed project tour and wine tasting to experience our work firsthand. Perched high in Portland’s West Hills, Amaterra Winery has become a destination for wine, fine dining and special events since opening in 2022. We value visiting our built work to both celebrate its completion and learn through observation. We took note of how construction details, materials and planting selections perform in real life.

Beginning in the fall of 2017, Mayer/Reed’s landscape architects worked with the client team, Waterleaf Architects through many iterations to design a unique urban winery – an ideal combination of working winery and hospitality venue. On the day of our visit, we enjoyed a tour from winemaker Matt Vuylsteke where we witnessed the success of the design, from the bay where grapes enter the building to the cascading waterfall that’s a perfect backdrop for wine-sipping selfies.

We found the terrace lawn to be a popular place to enjoy Amaterra’s bounty on a late afternoon. Overlooking new vineyards with expansive views beyond, the 7,000 sf terrace provides an indoor/outdoor guest experience, with space for food and drink service, live music and lawn games. On other days, it’s a prized wedding venue.

As the sun went down behind the trees, like others before us, our team marked the occasion with a group shot at the water feature we worked on with Hughes Water Gardens. We can’t wait to return!

A Season of Groundbreakings

Around the Pacific Northwest and around the world, it’s been a busy season for groundbreakings as our projects move into the construction stage. This milestone, often marked with golden shovel ceremonies, marks a particularly satisfying moment for project teams – the work is getting built.

In June our landscape architects joined a groundbreaking ceremony for a new primary school soon to take shape in the Wilsonville neighborhood of Frog Pond.

In addition, we celebrated groundbreakings for several of our signage and wayfinding projects, including: a new academic building at Vancouver’s Washington School for the Deaf, a replacement Newhouse Building on the Capitol campus in Olympia, Washington and US Embassies in Lilongwe, Malawi and Port Louis, Mauritius. Lastly, the US Department of State dedicated a new U.S. Consulate General with a ribbon cutting in Hyderabad, India, wrapping up the years long project.