UPCOMING CHAPTER EVENTS
Charette
Friday, April 15, 2011 at 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
ALTA Planning + Design, 711 SE Grand Ave., Portland, OR 97214
Emerging Professionals Social
Friday, April 15, 2011 at 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water Ave., Portland, OR 97214
2011 Annual Symposium
Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 8:00 am - 6:30 pm
Portland State University, Shattuck Hall Annex, 1914 SW Park Ave., Portland, OR 97201
CE Credits
Symposium - 6.0 hours of HSW PDH credits and 1.5 hours of general PDH credits.
Charrette - 1 hour of PDH credit.
For more details and to register for this event Click Here!
EXHIBITS & SPONSORSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE!
Exhibits are a cost-effective way to make new contacts. Exhibit registration includes one full symposium registration for the primary representative for access to the educational offerings, meals, breaks and all session materials.
Sponsorships are a great way to support ASLA Oregon Chapter programs, as well as gain increased exposure. Sponsors will be listed in the Symposium program, on the website, in the Newswire, etc. Sponsors will also be recognized on-site at the event.
For more exhibit and sponsorship details and to sign up today Click Here!
ASLA/AIA EMERGING PROFESSIONALS JOINT MOVIE NIGHT:
Aboriginal Architecture: Living Architecture
93 Minutes
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Doors Open at 5:30pm / Free Admission
Center for Architecture / 403 Northwest 11th Avenue, PDX
Pizza by the Slice + Beer + Wine Offered
 Join us for a screening!
The Oregon ASLA and AIA Portland Emerging Professionals Committees are pleased to invite you to join us in the viewing of Aboriginal Architecture, a 93 minute documentary showcasing a unique view into contemporary North American Native Architecture. This film depicts a wide variety of traditional responses to the modern concerns of constructability, materiality, energy and environmentally concious design. By touring seven Aboriginal communities - Pueblo, Mohawk, Inuit, Crow, Navajo, Coast Salish, and Haida - a renaissance of traditional forms, materials, and approaches are presented which meld with the requirements of contemporary life.
A testament to the importance and inter-related nature of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, please join us for this stunning movie, delicious snacks, and special discussion!
See you there!
Download the PDF Flyer
For more information contact: anthonym@waterleafarch.com / christopher@kochla.com
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Request for Qualifications:
Celilo Falls Interpretive Pavilion, Celilo Park, Oregon
 Confluence Project invites local artists, architects, and/or designers living in Oregon or Washington to submit their qualifications for the artistic design of an interpretive pavilion and plaza to complement Maya Lin’s tribute artwork at Celilo.
Preference will be given to Native American artists/designers with a strong connection to the Columbia River Basin and Plateau. 3-4 qualified artists/designers will be selected by a design review committee and granted a stipend of $1,800 to team with a licensed architect of their choice and develop a design proposal.
Deadline for submitted qualifications: Wednesday, March 30, 2011—5:00pm PST
* Download the full process PDF.
* Qualification submissions will be accepted online (see this website for updates and information about the process).
* Please fill out the website submission form and upload appropriate materials. Only completed submissions will be considered.
* Send questions to: pavilion_design@confluenceproject.org.
* Questions will be accepted until Monday, March 21, 2011—5:00pm PST. An open house to learn more about the project, view the design model, and answer your questions is planned for Tuesday, March 22, from 6:00—7:00 pm. Doors will open at 5:30 at 415 West Sixth Street, Vancouver, WA, 98660.
JobLinks
Summer internships are an excellent opportunity for students to gain valuable hands-on experience while providing firms with extra help and prospective future employees. ASLA is offering a special JobLink summer internship promotion to its members. During the months of February, March, and April, ASLA members may post one free intern position per firm, agency, or organization. ASLA will target students with email reminders promoting JobLink, informing them about the summer internships to increase the applicant pool.
Here’s what members need to get started:
1. Visit the JobLink home page.
2. Click “Post a Job.â€
3. Members will be redirected to the login page. Enter the member’s login and password. Should log in assistance be required, contact Member Services at 888-999-ASLA (2752).
4. Complete the fields requested. From the “Career Category†drop down menu, “Internship†must be selected in order to receive the free posting.
5. When done, click “Post Job.†Members will be taken to the “E Commerce / Shopping Cart†screen and the internship will appear in the basket at no charge.
6. Click “Proceed to Payment†to proceed with the order.
7. Review the details of the order, then click “Ok†to finalize the order.
8. The internship posting will “go live†immediately.
Whether the challenge is recruiting new employees or searching for new jobs, JobLink is the solution. JobLink offers an exclusive reach to the landscape architecture community with its two primary functions—job postings and résumé postings—making JobLink the best way to recruit top quality candidates for open positions or for individuals to find new positions. As an inexpensive alternative to newspaper ads and other generic online career sites, JobLink provides access to a smaller, more qualified pool of candidates and firms that are actively looking for new talent.
For more information or questions about JobLink or the free internship posting, please contact me at cmitchell@asla.org.
ASLA requests case studies on green infrastructure for stormwater management case studies
Recently, ASLA announced its advocacy efforts to demonstrate to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that green infrastructure design techniques are highly- effective, cost-efficient tools to address stormwater management. Please encourage your chapter members working on stormwater management projects that utilize green infrastructure and Low Impact Development (LID) to use the ASLA Green Infrastructure Project Survey to tell us about their project(s).
In filling out the survey, EPA is looking for particular project information, including:
estimated cost of the project
specific stormwater management design techniques utilized
amount of impervious areas that was managed
stormwater reduction performance analysis
number jobs created
any other community or economic benefits resulting from the project
As you may know, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has initiated a national rulemaking to establish a comprehensive program to reduce stormwater discharges from new development and redevelopment and make other improvements to strengthen its stormwater program. EPA announced that during this rulemaking process, it will examine, analyze and evaluate sustainable green infrastructure design techniques that mimic natural water processes that infiltrate and recharge, evapotranspire, and/or harvest and reuse precipitation. This is a tremendous opportunity to showcase the work of landscape architects and demonstrate to EPA that green infrastructure design techniques and Low Impact Development (LID) are highly-effective and cost-efficient tools for communities to address their stormwater issues.
Upon demonstrating the tremendous value of green infrastructure design techniques, EPA could issue a final rule that encourages more communities to utilize landscape architecture projects to help manage their rainwater and other water quality issues. This is an important time for landscape architects. Please submit your projects today!
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me about this important federal advocacy effort.
Roxanne Blackwell, Esq.
Federal Government Affairs Manager
American Society of Landscape Architects
636 Eye Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-216-2334
rblackwell@asla.org
American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Launches a Series of Educational, Google SketchUp Animations
With funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) launched a series of educational, Google SketchUp animations designed to introduce some basic sustainable landscape design concepts to the general public. Metropolis magazine, in praising the effort, called one animation “Landscape Architecture for Dummies,†but really the goal was to briefly, clearly illustrate the breadth and depth of a relatively unknown, yet important, field of design that actually affects all of us.
The animations, created by Daniel Tal, ASLA, also presented ASLA with an opportunity to show people how landscape architects use sustainable design approaches to solve pressing social, environmental, and economic challenges.
* The first animation, “From Industrial Wasteland to Community Park,†explains how damaged landscapes can be restored through bioremediation and redesign. Bioremediation, which involves using microbes and plants to restore soil health, remains a little known technique, but actually offers a highly cost-effective solution for dealing with those acres and acres of brownfields still polluting most American cities.
* “Leveraging the Landscape to Manage Water†focuses in on how green infrastructure systems – including green roofs, bio-retention systems, and permeable pavements – work together to manage stormwater. Again, many communities face increasingly expensive stormwater runoff and pollution problems, and this animation presents viable examples of how to use the landscape to solve these water infrastructure issues. The animation illustrates what happens below the ground as well.
* “Revitalizing Communities with Parks†exposes the inequalities in access to park space in many communities, but also presents a positive vision for how an asphalt parking lot can be easily turned into a green social gathering place. With so many communities left out by their park systems, this animation offers a way forward for communities seeking to build long-lasting assets for themselves. For this one, Allison Arieff, a noted design journalist, provided the narration.
* To address the critical health problems caused by our dysfunctional built environment -- obesity, diabetes, and depression -- “Designing for Active Living†presents some model design fixes that can together totally revamp the way people move through a community. Complex ideas like “transit-oriented development†and “complete streets,†or streets for all users, come to life. The idea is to show how any car-centric community could make these design fixes and help reduce their expensive medical problems. Arieff also narrated this one.
* Lastly, “Building a Park Out of Waste,†takes aim at the greenhouse gas emissions that come from building construction – some 5.5 percent of total emissions. Instead of sending demolition waste to the landfill and throwing out all that embedded energy, this animation suggests ways to maximize available resources and reuse building materials in a new park, lessening greenhouse gas emissions in the process. With a sustainable landscape, everything old can be made new again.
These animations and their supporting materials are meant to help the public get a sense of both sustainable landscape design and the type of work that landscape architects do. Each animation has a companion guide to sustainability education resources. Designed specifically for students from kindergarten to 12th grade, the resources include curricula, games, activity guides, and videos to help classrooms explore these ideas in greater depth. All these resources are at your disposal when you are discussing the profession in your communities.
Greenroads
Great news, Greenroads is looking for new projects and enthusiastic people and organizations to join in our mission to support sustainability in transportation!
First Greenroads Project Starts Construction
That's right, ground has broken on our first project already! Check out our photostream on Facebook for more information about the Southeast Pioneer Way Reconstruction Project with the City of Oak Harbor, WA!
Spring Application Period Now Open Through April 30
We are now accepting new applicants for project reviews. We have also posted our Selection Criteria to assist you with deciding which project to submit as well as a quick primer on How to Get Your Project Rated. The application period will close on April 30, 2011 at 11:59pm. We are accepting applications on an approximately quarterly basis so do not fret if you miss this deadline - there will be another soon.
Public Comment Period Closes May 7
We posted the latest Greenroads Manual on February 4. Our public comment period officially opened February 7, 2011 and will close on May 7, 2011. Please consider registering as a Reviewer to add your helpful comments soon!
Become a Member, Sponsor or Volunteer
If you are interested in getting involved with Greenroads Foundation, please take a look at our brand new Join page.
Website Facelift
You may notice a bit of rearranging has been going on with the website - we are very pleased with our facelift so far, especially the home page! Let us know what you think!
Re:STREETS Website is Now Operational!
The Re:STREETS website is now operational! Take a look at the latest information about the Re:STREETS project that is developing a comprehensive manual of design tools for building streets that balance the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages as well as promote social interaction, recreation, commerce and ecosystem regeneration.
The manual will be developed collaboratively during a working conference and design charette at UC Berkeley, July 21-23, 2011. The final publication will be developed from the conference work sessions. Interested professionals from a wide range of disciplines are encouraged to participate, especially landscape architects.
For more information please go to www.restreets.org or contact me at kirstenn@migcom.com.
February 2011 Trustee’s Report:
Some of the highlights from our National Office and a local advocacy efforts over the past month are as follows:
Governance and Administration:
The ASLA Executive Committee met in Washington, DC, February 11-12. Highlights of the meeting included: review of the fourth quarter Program and Operations Report and the FY 2010 year-end finance and investments report; federal advocacy updates; a meeting with the senior staff of the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI); review of proposed revisions to administrative policies on conflict of interest and document retention for action by the Board of Trustees at midyear; review of proposed amendments to the ASLA Constitution and Bylaws to bring those documents into conformance with the new ASLA/Landscape Architecture Foundation Memorandum of Understanding; and a briefing from the U.S. General Services Administration’s Commissioner of the Public Building Service, Robert A. Peck, Hon. ASLA.
The Executive Committee also continued discussions on two issues related to member qualifications: 1) whether licensure should be required for Full membership in the Society; and 2) whether Full membership should be open to internationally educated landscape architects in place of the International membership category. The Licensure Committee has taken the lead on the licensure/membership issue while the Member Services Committee has taken the lead on the international/membership issue, with collaboration between committees for both projects. Please provide me with your thoughts on these cricitcal issues.
Government Affairs:
Important Reminder! Chapter leaders, please encourage your members to use the ASLA Green Infrastructure Projects Survey to submit case studies and background information on their stormwater management projects. ASLA is working to submit at least 300 case studies to demonstrate to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the effectiveness and cost benefits of green infrastructure and Low Impact Development to address stormwater issues. EPA has begun the preliminary stages of the Proposed National Rulemaking To Strengthen the Stormwater Program, which could call for increased use of green infrastructure techniques, which could provide tremendous employment opportunities for the profession. We need everyone’s participation on this critical advocacy effort!
ASLA was invited to participate in a Let’s Move conference call featuring First Lady Michelle Obama, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Let’s Move Honorary co-chairs Drew Brees and Dominique Dawes, and Mark Dessauer from Healthy Kids Healthy Communities.
Finally, I represented the Oregon chapter along with Tim Van wormer who represented OSLAB as participants in a joint advocacy day on February 28, in Salem. It was billed as the Oregon Design Professionals Day at the Capitol (landscape architects, architects, engineers and surveyors). ASLA provided magazines and handouts in support of this effort. We met 8 Senators and Representatives including the Senate President, Peter Courtney. We also heard from the Co-Chairs of the House along with three other Representatives who talked to the group. It was a great first step in what we hope will be an ongoing communication with the State politicians to advocate for our professions. Unfortunately there were only 2 LA’s compared the other 3 professions who had many volunteers. Keep this in mind for future events if you expect LA’s to make their voices heard.
april IS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE MONTH!
Check out these links for more information about National Landscape Architecture Month!
ASLA NLAM2011
Designing our Future: Sustainable Landscapes
Public Relations 365
Need help with your chapter’s PR? We officially introduce ASLA Public Relations 365. Join the conversation and check out this new living chapter public relations resource. As chapters participate, we can more aptly meet your needs not to mention having a fun time doing it!
Looking to get involved with your local chapter?
Have an idea for Landscape Architecture Month 2011?
Contact ASLA Oregon Communications Chair, Christopher Olin, today!
EVENT CALENDAR
Check out the online Calendar of Events for the most up-to-date listing of opportunities!
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
IIDA Oregon March Forum
You can register @ http://iidaforummarch2011.eventbrite.com
Tickets are limited and will sell out so please register today.
Ecoroof Portland 2011
The third annual Ecoroof Portland event will take place on Friday, March 18th, at the Oregon Convention Center. Ecoroof Portland 2011 participants will learn how ecoroofs work, why they're important, and what resources are available to help start their own projects. You will get information directly from ecoroof vendors including architects, consultants, contractors, landscape architects, manufacturers, nurseries, structural engineers, suppliers, researchers, and non-profit and community organizations. The keynote speakers will be Paul Kephart of Rana Creek and Wolfgang Ansel of the International Green Roof Association. We will have several speakers and public tours available throughout the month of March. All are free and open to the public. ASLA members can learn all about them by visiting our website at www.portlandonline.com/bes/ecoroofpdx.
Ray Freeman to teach a LARE Section E prep class in Seattle
The purpose of this course is to prepare students to take Section E: Grading & Drainage of the Landscape Architects Registration Examination. In this course, students will learn how the performance sections of the LARE are organized, what material is typically covered on the exam, strategy tips on attacking the vignettes and how the vignettes are evaluated by the licensing boards. The course will also take students through the fundamentals of grading and drainage, intermediate-level concepts for grading and problem solving techniques applied to sample exercises. Students will participate through lecture, group discussion and practice exercises, with each exercise increasing in difficulty until ultimately reaching the level of the actual exam vignettes. Each student will receive a course syllabus containing approximately 130 pages of information pertinent to Section E of the exam as well as 25 exercises and vignettes. Desk crits while working are part of the class.
Date: March 25-27, 2011
Friday 8:30 am – 6:30 pm, Saturday 8:30 am – 6:30 pm, and Sunday 8:30 am – 6:00 pm.
University of Washington, Gould Hall Room 114
To learn more or register online visit http://wasla201103lare.eventbrite.com
Illuminated City: A Light with Content Symposium
via Jeff Schnabel
Department of Architecture
Portland State University
The Department of Architecture at Portland State University is proud to announce its second annual symposium, Illuminated City: A Light with Content Symposium, on Saturday, April 9, at the PSU Shattuck Hall Annex. Made possible through generous private donations and strategic partnerships, this year's event will explore new lighting technologies and strategies that enrich the built environment, and will feature presenters and artists from around the globe.
"This symposium, the second in a new series of annual events, brings international perspectives into the local and regional debate about architectural issues that affect us all," said Clive Knights, Chair of the Department of Architecture. "As a school fascinated by the capabilities of material to embody meaning, it seems imperative to talk about what is perhaps the most pervasive medium of all - light."
This all-day event will showcase the work of national and international experts, including Leni Schwendinger of Light Projects, LTD, Ali Momeni of Minneapolis Art on Wheels, Thomas Schielke of Germany's arclighting, and the founders of Urbanscreen, a light projection company from Germany. All will present their research in lighting design and technology, and discuss how practitioners here in the Pacific Northwest can make use of this emerging element to architecture. Presenters will also demonstrate some of their more recent works on-site at Shattuck Hall.
"Attendees will get first-hand information on radically new ideas about urban lighting and the technologies that make them possible," said Jeff Schnabel, Assistant Professor of Architecture and the Chair
of the Symposium Committee. "They will see demonstrations of light media in the venue and will be able to talk with the designers who created them."
In conjunction with the symposium, the Department of Architecture will host a special PechaKucha ("chit-chat" in Japanese) night, open to attendees and other members of the public. Devised in Tokyo in 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network and show their works in public, PechaKucha hinges upon a 20-image x 20-second presentation format, which keeps the event concise and rapidly paced.
The second in a series of annual symposia, Illuminated City is sponsored in-part by InFocus Projections, SpitBall Media, the Regional Arts & Culture Council and the Portland Development Commission. The event is open to the public with payment of a $45 registration fee, and is an AIA-approved continuing education event.
The PSU Department of Architecture's faculty hopes that this event will bring the strategic use of light and projection to the forefront of the Portland architecture community's conversation about emerging media, as well as strengthen Portland's reputation as a leader in progressive, sustainable architecture.
"Several European countries and Australia are currently the centers of renewed interest in urban lighting," Schnabel said. "It is moving slowly into the States, but we have the unique opportunity to make Portland a leader while simultaneously enriching the place we live. As designers and planners, we often don't think as much about the nighttime condition as we should. This symposium is an opportunity to change that."
For more information on the event, visit www.illuminated-city.com
Please contact the Department of Architecture at 503.725.8405 or architecture@pdx.edu with questions.
San Diego Chapter to hold LARE Section E Review Course
The San Diego ASLA Chapter will be holding a LARE Section E review course on April 22 - 24 at the New School of Architecture and Design (downtown San Diego).
Please Click Here to view the flyer or visit their website at: http://www.asla-sandiego.org/Download/LARE%20SECTION%20E_SD%20flyer.pdf
Nevada Chapter to Host Two LARE Workshops
The Nevada Chapter will be hosting two workshops this spring for Sections C&E. The workshops will be held in May. For registration form and additional information, please contact Tammi Gaudet at 702. 270.4025 or tammi.gaudet@cox.net
MORE INFORMATION
Job Listings
Landscape architecture firms can reach landscape architects across Oregon with an advertisement in NewsWire or on our website. Details click here.
NewsWire Submittal Requirements
NewsWire is a publication of the Oregon Chapter ASLA.
NewsWire is published at the beginning of each month for annoucing information for the following month. All ads and information must be received by noon of the previous Friday for inclusion
Please send all submissions questions and comments to Dana Baisden.
Keeping Yourself Current
Please help us keep our mailing list current. Send updates or corrections of your contact information to info@aslaoregon.org
Contact US
Executive Committee and other contact information is available at the Chapter Website
For mailing and other administrative inquiries about the chapter, contact:
ASLA Oregon Chapter
147 SE 102nd Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97216
phone: 503.227.6156
fax: 503.253.9172
info@aslaoregon.org
FOLLOW US
Oregon ASLA Facebook Page
Oregon ASLA Emerging Professionals Facebook Page
Oregon ASLA on Twitter
Oregon ASLA Blog
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National and the State Chapters are partnering to accomplish some specific goals related to public awareness. Recent survey results indicate that the biggest general public misconception about the landscape architecture profession is that landscape architects are landscapers who deal mostly with designing planting plans and installing plant materials. As stated by one survey participant, "People don’t understand the breadth, complexity and technical rigor that goes into our work."
Portland State University
The Western Group
Teufel Landscape
The Daily Journal of Commerce
landscapeforms
In celebration of National Landscape Architecture Month, the April issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine has been posted online for free downloading and viewing, compliments of Kornegay Design. Please celebrate with us by forwarding this link to colleagues and clients, posting it to your own web site, and sharing it via your social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.).
Brad McKee Ann Looper Pryor
“Being about urban design and financial feasibility, it’s one of the rare opportunities for a dialogue across disciplines,†noted landscape architecture assistant professor Deni Ruggeri, who advised the winning team. “Rarely do you have MBA and design students working together.â€
Caption: Lauren Schwartz (from left), Andy Fenstermacher, Vanessa Nevers and Roberto Bio share a laugh while reviewing their competition entry. The team worked across disciplines to create an award-winning design.
Gabe is visiting us from the Washington, DC area, where he recently headed the DC Transportation Department, DDOT. During his tenure at DDOT, Gabe spearheaded many sustainable transportation initiatives. Most notably, under his leadership the DDOT implemented the United State’s first bikeshare, Capital Bikeshare, as well as pushed forward major streetcar and bike lane projects. Gabe was also influential in modernizing the department’s communications, providing citizens with a more transparent way of accessing information.
Join the New Rail~Volutionaries for a tour and ride of the Portland Aerial Tram. We will meet in front of the South Waterfront Terminal at 5:30pm, tour to start shortly after. Art Pearce will lead the tour, and it will be free of charge.