Kenton Streetscape Denver Avenue Art Benches

GreenWorks was thrilled to see the first two pieces of public art installed last week as part of the Kenton Neighborhood streetscape revitalization project. There will be seven total benches that incorporate art into their design located along the four block commercial district of Kenton in north Portland as part of these improvements. The art benches were designed in collaboration with local artist Mauricio Saldana and feature a granite pilaster on one end with sculptural reliefs depicting neighborhood icons past and present. The goal of this project is to revitalize this historic commercial district by making streetscape improvements to the sidewalks, street and the creation of a gateway into the district. GreenWork’s and SERA Architects were design partners on this project and developed the new schematic concept design of the street, which features widened sidewalks, new street trees, ornamental street lighting, stormwater planters, accent paving and bike lanes. This project will also implement a new paving technique called ultra thin white topping in the vehicular zones. The Portland Development Commission and the Portland Office of Transportation, along with a Citizen Advisory Committee, were the key partners leading this project.

We are excited to see the work completed soon!

Nature Based Playground Group Tour

GreenWorks organized and led a Nature Based Play Tour early this year. We had an increasing number of clients, peers and local agencies that were showing an interest in natural play options. Many of these agencies are still working through questions like; how nature play works, what makes something nature play, and what are the benefits and nature play. GreenWorks and members from Oregon Park and Recreation Department, Portland Parks and Recreation, Metro, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Miller Hull, and Mahlum Architects met to talk over issues surrounding nature play and visit some examples.

Site Visits Included:

Catlin Gable School

Providence Montessori School

Cooper Mountain Nature Area

Memorial Park - City of Wilsonville

GreenWorks is currently working with Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to design their first natural play area at Silver Falls State Park to open in 2011.

Cape Horn will get a Forest Service-designed trail in Skamania County

Cape Horn Trail is an eight mile trail in Skamania County located twenty six miles east of Vancouver, WA to which the Forest Service is currently making improvements. The existing trail has two at grade crossings where hikers and horse back riders traverse heavily traveled State Route 14. To improve safety for trail users, the Forest Service and WASH DOT are constructing pedestrian underpass tunnels at these two crossings. GreenWorks’ role in the project was to develop schematic designs for the tunnel entrances and provide construction design drawings for the tunnel fascias, which included stone wall construction, custom metal guardrail fence design and planting design around the entrances. The design of the tunnel fascias uses locally quarried Columbia River Basalt to form walls that are in accord with other examples of historic basalt stone work in the Columbia Gorge.

This GreenWorks project was featured in the Oregonian discussing the coming changes, click the link below to see the full article:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2010/02/cape_horn_will_get_a_forest_se.html