ASLA Oregon

ASLA Oregon LANDbytes OCTOBER 2011 Feature:

Oregon Landscape Architects Celebrate Achievements; Look to Future
By James Hencke, ASLA, LEED AP

Photo Credit Christopher Olin

It was a night of design, drinks, and distinction as ASLA Oregon, the state chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), held its annual “Celebration of Design” on October 1, 2011 at the elegant Tiffany Center Emerald Ballroom in downtown Portland. While entry submissions were projected onto a large screen, the 116 attendees, comprised of members and professional colleagues, witnessed the bestowing of ten professional and three academic awards recognizing excellence in the field.

At the discretion of the jury, two award levels were presented in six design categories:

1. Honor: recognizing superior professional accomplishment.
2. Merit: given in each category at the jury’s discretion.

This year’s winners included:

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS

Mosier Retreat
Bennett Burns, LEED AP
Merit Award
Residential Design

Swan Creek Park Master Plan
MIG, Inc.
Merit Award
Analysis & Planning

Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Walker Macy
Merit Award
Analysis & Planning

Clean Water Services Low Impact Development Approaches Handbook
GreenWorks, P.C.
Merit Award
Research & Communication

Port of Portland Headquarters
Mayer-Reed
Honor Award
General Design

Brookside Children’s Garden
Walker Macy
Merit Award
General Design

Cooper Mountain Nature Park
Vigil-Agrimis, Inc.
Merit Award
General Design

LOTT Clean Water Alliance Regional Service Center
Murase Associates
Merit Award
General Design

The Fields Park
Office of Cheryl Barton
Merit Award
Un-Built Work

Steel Bridge Skatepark
Lango Hansen Landscape Architects
Honor Award
Un-Built Work

ACADEMIC AWARDS

Vegetation-Bearing Garden Wall and Enclosure
Alexandria Donati & Holly Workman
Honorable Mention Award

From Landmark to Place
Alexandria Donati
Honorable Mention Award

Whiteaker Neighborhood Improvement Project
Logan Bingle
Honorable Mention Award

The evening kicked off with 90 minutes of music, food, and drink – including the signature “Stone-tini” cocktail sponsored by JP Stone Contractors. Socializing was followed by a welcoming statement from outgoing ASLA Oregon President James Hencke, and then moved to the awards program, moderated by Marianne Zarkin, VP of Chapter Services, who announced the winners, and Sam Williamson, jury member, who shared comments from the jury.

After the design awards outgoing President Hencke invited University of Oregon Professor Ron Lovinger to the stage to speak for a few minutes about several students that the University landscape architecture program had recently recognized with awards.

The evening was capped off by incoming ASLA Oregon President Jeff Schnabel who challenged the group in the year ahead by stating “We do great work, but can we do even better? Can we take the cutting edge work from our state and bring it to a broader national audience?”

Jurists included Maggi Johnson, Fernanda D'Agostino, John van Staveren, Sam Williamson, and Joseph Paul Readdy. For detailed information about the jurists, see http://www.aslaoregon.org/events/articles/design-awards#awards

EVENT SPONSORS:

Signature Sponsor
JP Stone Contractors - John Stone

General Sponsors:
Cascade Recreation, Inc. - Martha Gaty
Cedar Landscape, Inc. - Mike Grace
Northwest Recreation - James G. Ringelberg
Rain Bird Corporation - Christen Funk

Table Décor Sponsors:
Diadem USA, Inc. - Leisa Baker
Northwest Playground Equipment - Bob McGarvey
Willamette Graystone, Inc. - Gale Schroeder

In-Kind Sponsor:
GXI Inc. - Brian Scott

ASLA Oregon is a 285 member professional society dedicated to the advancement of landscape architecture within the state. The group holds an annual design awards event every fall and a professional symposium every spring. For more information see http://www.aslaoregon.org/.