June 29, 1994

LANDSCAPING AROUNG THE PUGET SOUND

Journal staff

The following sample of prominent landscape design firms in the Puget Sound area is based on survey information assembled by Don Benson of the Washington Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (WASLA).

The survey reflects expanding roles of landscape architects in the areas of environmental mitigation, sustainable development, partnership with other design disciplines (often as primary consultant) and recreational and interpretive projects. Most of the firms who reported the volume of their business show substantial increases in volume between 1992 and 1993 -- and for those that include construction volume estimates for 1994, there is a further increase in work. Three government agencies are included in the survey because of their landscape design missions.

Robert Shinbo

Recent and current projects at Robert Shinbo Associates include: A study for the use and restoration for the Steilacoom Mine, an exhausted sand and gravel mine under consideration for purchase by Pierce County, shows how the site hold potential for parks. Marine recreation, and urban development. The firm helped establish and contributed time and resources to Ten Million Salmon, a non-profit group dedicated to preserving life on earth. Funded by the state's Regional Fisheries Enhancement program this January, 100,000 coho eggs were place in incubators in the Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish watershed.

The firm is also responsible for the design of all the landscape elements of the masterplanned community of Snoqualmie Ridge and for the design of the award-winning Grieg Garden in the heart of the University of Washington campus.

Construction dollar volume for 1992 was $2.5 million and $2 million in 1993.

Lee & Associates

Lee & Associates is currently concentrating on national park and scenic area design in Taiwan, and on habitat enhancement and riparian landscape architecture in the Northwest. Last year's construction dollar volume for Lee & Associates in the Northwest and Taiwan was $6.5 million in contract documents and over $40 in master planning.

The firm won a national design competition for the contract to design Taichung Urban Ecology Park for the Taiwanese National Park Service. The firm as developed a master plan and detail designs for 80 acres of land. Lee & Associates, known as E.C.G International in Asia, is currently at work on construction documents for phase two of the project, which includes 4.5 acres of constructed lakes and wetlands, extensive reforestation, a conservatory, visitor center and circulation system.

The Green Island resort project is a concept for development of a remote island off the east cost of Taiwan, which is surrounded by spectacular coral reefs.

Locally, the firm is involved in systems mapping, stream study, wetland creation, public involvement programs, passive recreation design and habitat improvements for several projects including Bear & Evans Creek, Shannon Slough in Aberdeen, Chase Lake and King County Soil Bioengineering.

EDAW

The Seattle office of EDAW was established in 1982 and is currently under the directorship of Frank Groznik. The firm reports construction volume of $30 million in 1992 and $5 million in 1993. EDAW specialities include landscape architecture, urban design, land planning and environmental analysis. Recently completed projects in the Puget Sound region include the Labor and Industries Headquarters Building for the State of Washington in Lacey, the new Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, and several projects with the Seattle Parks Department, and the Everett Homeport project for the U.S. Navy.

Weisman

Construction volume at Weisman Design Group on East Madison grew from $12.7 million in 1992 to $14.9 million in 1993.

Current work includes the Museum of Flight Addition, Bainbridge Island Middle School, Weyerhaeuser Credit Union in Longview, Pacific Center in Bellevue, the Glendale Country Club, T'Chookwap Park on Bainbridge Island, Price/Costco Headquarters in Redmond, and the Seattle Pacific University 5th Avenue Streetscape.

Brumbaugh

Brumbaugh & Associates of Kirkland has completed over 400 projects locally in 12 years of business, specializing in design/build and emphasizing private development. Services include landscape architecture, renovation and property management consulting. The firm is currently working with Microsoft Corporation to reduce water consumption through use of a centralized computer controlled irrigation system based on an on-site weather station, and upgrading irrigation systems to increase water conservation. The project will incorporate recycled materials, including crushed mixed glass in place of crushed rock as a base material.

Construction volume for 1994 is projected at $4.5 million, the highest ever for the firm. Recent and current projects, in addition to the 250 acre Microsoft Corporate headquarters, include Carillon Point Phase II, Eddie Bauer Corporate Headquarters, Boeing Employees Credit Union, Washington Natural Gas Regional Headquarters, Koll Creek Levee Landscape, and Starbucks Headquarters.

Gaynor

The typical project at Gaynor Landscape Architects/Designers, Inc. integrates ecological restoration, habitat creation, and natural resource access and education. The firm specializes in public commissions that include streetscapes, parks and play areas. Gaynor has worked effectively with community groups in securing and implementing grants. Clients include several3ral municipalities and local governments, as well as the state departments of wildlife and transportation. In addition to several environmental mitigation projects for in connection with roadways, recent projects include ``The Waterworks Project'' _ a Wetponds/Wetlands Artwork for the METRO Regional Treatment Plant in Renton; the Wildlife Sanctuary at the Executive Mansion in Olympia, and the Riverside Park Master Plan in Cashmere, Washington.

Berger

The Berger Partnership's four principals have worked as a team for more than 12 years at the firm's Eastlake office. The firm's portfolio of more than 2,200 projects includes garden design for single family residences, multi. Family residences, educational campuses, commercial and retail projects, recreational facilities, and a variety of projects for municipal and institutional owners.

Current projects include the William Gates II Residence in Medina; the North Fork Ridge Viewpoint, Mt. St. Helens; the University of Washington Bothell Campus; the Washington State Department of Ecology Headquarters, Lacey; Lakemont Community Park in Bellevue and the Iono Golf Club in Nasu-Iono, Japan.

Hough Beck & Baird

Hough Beck & Baird is currently at work on th Silver Creek March Restoration south of Mill Creek in Snohomish County. The stream, previously straightened to make room for a residential development, has now been realigned to meaner through several acres adjacent to these neighborhoods. The firm provided conceptual design drawings for pubic meetings, planting plans and details for site construction, and graphic displays for two interpretive signs describing the rehabilitation process.

In addition to graphics and environmental mitigation projects, the firm specializes in the design of parks, trails and greenbelts, streetscapes and building sites. Construction dollar volume at Hough Beck & Baird, was $4.5 million in 1992 and $5 million in 1993.

Nakano Dennis

Nakano Dennis Landscape Architects specializes in parks, recreation, campus planning, historic preservation, transportation and environmental planning projects as well as multi-family, commercial and residential landscape design. Current projects include renovation plans for the International Fountain and Mall at the Seattle Center, landscape and irrigation plans for the First Avenue South Bridge Replacement, the master plan for the 800 acre Redmond Watershed Reserve, and master plan and landscape plans for the four mile log Whatcom Creek Park in Bellingham.

Construction dollar volume in 1993 was $2.5 million, up from $945,000 in 1992.

Richard Haag

Current projects at Richard Haag Associates, Inc., include the Spokane Federal Building Plaza Update in Spokane, the Barkely Master Plan and Village in Bellingham, Cedar Lake Park and Trail in Minneapolis (with Jones & Jones), Zion preparatory Academy and Day Care Center, th Stern estate on San Juan island, and Camp Duboc, Aspen, Colorado.

The firm reports a construction dollar volume of $10 million for 1993, up from $7.5 million for 1992.

Richard Carothers

Richard Carothers Associates, Ltd. specializes in planned communities and development, corporate campus planning and design, mixed-use office and industrial park, public roads and utilities, and parks and recreation facilities.

The firm is anticipating a construction dollar volume of $40 million in 1994, up from $28 million in 1993 and $22 million in 1992.

Current projects include the Meridian Campus planned community in Lacey, Valley River Village PUD in Eugene, Oregon, Spirea Gen in Pierce County, Intermural Sportsfield at Washington State University, a new reservoir for Skyway Water and Sewer District, a new casino for the Tulalip Tribe, and the Commissioned Officers Club at the Naval Shipyard.

Johnson Braund

Typical projects at th Johnson Braund Design Group, Inc. are multi-family residential and commercial, and include condominiums, apartments, hotels and office buildings. The firm claims $370,000 in construction volume in 1992 and $475,000 in 1993.

Osborne Pacific

The firm is currently at work on two large aquatic habitat enhancement projects in the area: Terminal 105 for the Port of Seattle and ``P-808'' at Bangor. Both projects are based on excavation and involve mitigation and new wetlands not required by law.

Construction dollar volume at Osborne Pacific in 1992 was just over $1 million, for 1993 the firm claims $2.7 million.

Typical projects at Osborne Pacific include parks, wetland and stream mitigation, visual mitigation, environmental documentation and regulatory assistance.

Portico

The Portico Group, has made an national reputation in public visitation and interpretive projects, including zoos, aquaria and wildlife preserves, botanical gardens and visitor centers and museums. The firm's major projects also include parks and natural resource management for the Cougar Mountain Wildland Park Master Plan, recreational systems for the Quadrant Northridge open space plan and urban design for the Washington State Capital Campus pre-design study and for the Bremerton Over-Water Park.

The firm claims site-only construction dollar volumes of $7.2 million for 1992 and $6.9 million for 1993. At the same time, the value of planning projects for both years exceeds $300 million.

Jones & Jones

Jones & Jones, an architecture and landscape architecture firm, continues to expand on its reputation for large interpretive and recreational projects, nationally and internationally.

Construction dollar volume for 1992 was $15 million, and for 1993 the frim reports $-- million in site work.

Recent and current projects include a baseline environemntal resource analysis for the Shoalwater Tribe; the design of the Sleeping Lady Conference and Resource Center, for Harriet Bullitt, in Leavenworth; a develment plan and cultural landscape study for the Yosemite Valley; the Cedar Lake park and trail in Minneapolis; the Mountains to Sound Greenway; and plans for two large zoologial parks in Mexico.

Jones & Jones is collaborating in the planning of the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of the American Indian on the Capitol Mall in Wahsington D.C.

Bruce Dees

Bruce Dees & Associates is known for waterfront design, parks and recreation facilities. The firm provides services in trail design and stream and wetland restoration. Recent projects include the Meadowdale Beach County Park and Lundeen County Park in Snohomish County and th Theler Wetlands for the North Mason School District. All have been recognized with awards and publication.

The office of Bruce Dees & Associates in Tacoma lists a construction dollar volume of $2.4 million for 1992 and 3.4 million for 1993.

Don Shimono

Don Shimono Associates has been using CAD for over six years in the preparation of design documents and graphics for EIS, site analysis, and design reports for public preparations. The firm also makes use of computer image processing for presentation, and videos to record on and off-site conditions and construction work-in-progress. Shimono provides a range of design services from wetlands to all kinds of buildings to streetscapes, environmental assessment, planning and graphics.

Construction dollar volume at Don Shimono Associates was $1.16 million in 1993, up from $1.1 in 1992.

National Parks

The three landscape architects on satff at the Pacific Northwest Regional Office of the National Park Service (NPS) are continually designing park visitor facilities, trails, housing and maintenance facilities, accessibility improvements, revegetation, park sign plans, and visual quality guidelines. Annual construction volume from 1990 through 1993 has been $2.5 to $3 million.

In addition, NPS Landscape architect Joe Dunston, NPS landscape architect Geoff Swan, and NPS Chief of Natural Resources Kathy Jope, have published articles on sustainability, co-edited a journal called ``Sustainability, Respect and Responsibility'' and contributed to ``Guiding principles of sustainable Design'' an internally distributed book on sustainable principles for the design of park and related recreational facilities.

Corps of Engineers

Along with the general civil mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the development, management and conservation of the regions's water resources, the Corps has completed between $500,000 and $1 million (construction volume) in landscape design in recent year. Projects include restoration and site development for levee projects; Lake Washington Ship Canal Visitor/Public Accommodations, housing developments in military installations, and master planning for projects such as Libby Dam in Montana and Chief Joseph Dam in Washington.