Nakano

Nakano Associates has added another landscape designer to bring the total staff up to 13, with gross fees for 2001 up six percent over the year before to $1,181,000. In recent years, public-sector work has included parks and recreation, campus planning, urban design, affordable housing and transportation projects. Private-sector work has consisted primarily of mixed-use developments and private residential projects.

The firm is currently at work on the first, second and third phases of the 102-acre Holly Park Redevelopment project in Seattle. Also on the boards is the Rainier Vista Redevelopment project and the 105-acre High Point Redevelopment project. Nakano is exploring “green” and sustainable design techniques for these.

In landscape design for the Capitol Hill Library, vine-clad screens are used in conjunction with the building’s structure to create “living architecture.” Construction began recently.

Other recent projects include the Burien Community Center Skateboard Park, designed in collaboration with local skateboarders. The firm is at work on campus projects at the University of Washington, Central Washington University, Green River Community College, Shoreline Community College, Skagit Valley Community College, Renton Technical College and Bellingham Technical College.

“We are committed to the incorporation of green building techniques and sustainable design principles into each new project that we undertake,” said founder and principal Kenichi Nakano. “From a landscape architectural perspective, this means a focus on solar aspect, natural drainage, water harvesting, soil remediation, infrastructure, green streets and landscape maintenance practices.”

To this end, the firm recently participated in a design charette to incorporate low-impact development guidelines into a 200-acre, 1,200-unit master plan for the Tacoma Housing Authority's Salishan redevelopment project.



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