The Portico Group intends to concentrate on projects that encompass a range of professional expertise, according to marketing coordinator Glenn Jones. The firm offers landscape architecture, architecture, interpretive design and exhibit design.

The Portico Group continues to grow, adding staff members to bring the total to 44. Gross fees have increased dramatically from $4 million in 1999 to $5.3 million in 2000, and the backlog of planning and design contracts for 2001 remains strong.

However, there is some slowdown in private development projects. Diversified projects and national and international clients provide a degree of economic stability. Markets include arboreta and botanical gardens, museums and visitor centers, zoos, aquaria and wildlife sanctuaries, parks and recreation, and community facilities.

During the last year, Portico has seen the completion and opening of Hurricane Ridge Lodge at the Olympic National Park, the Steller Cove exhibit at the Oregon Zoo, Wave Cove at Ocean Park in Hong Kong, and the Lacerte Family Children's Zoo at the Dallas Zoo in Texas. Projects soon to be completed include Crossroads Park in Bellevue and the North Capitol Campus expansion of Heritage Park in Olympia.

Current work includes: The Coldfoot Visitor Center, Coldfoot, Alaska; Miami Zoo master plan and Aviary; interpretive planning, exhibit design, and landscape architecture for the Oltremare aquarium, Italy; a botanical garden and museum at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, Calif.; a master plan for the Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco; master planning for two zoos in Australia and the exhibit design for the new Huntington Conservatory in Los Angeles.