Portland Design Commission Honors the hollywoodHUB with Design Excellence Award

This week the Portland Design Commission presented their annual Design Excellence Award to the hollywoodHUB, TriMet’s transit-oriented housing which is under construction as part of a larger redevelopment of the Hollywood Transit Center.

The residential courtyard at the hollywoodHUB

Design Commission Vice Chair, Chandra Robinson commended the Holst Architecture led team for supporting pedestrian and transit uses and for blending “public and private really well, so it feels really open, active and safe.”

The affordable housing complex integrates with a concurrent public paseo project on TriMet’s site, led by David Evans Associates. As a collaborator on both project teams, Mayer/Reed provided the urban design, landscape architecture and experiential graphic design that will unify the site as a cohesive and vibrant community space.

The public paseo adjacent to the hollywoodHUB

Representatives from TriMet, Bridge Housing and Holst accepted the award on behalf of the team at the Design Commission’s Annual State of the City address to Portland City Council on March 13.

“It is very well conceived,” remarked Mayor Ted Wheeler. “Appreciate it. Do more.”

Posted March 13, 2024
Written by: Mayer/Reed
Categories: AWARDS  PROJECTS 

ASLA Oregon Names Taylor Bowden “Outstanding Emerging Professional”

Mayer/Reed landscape designer Taylor Bowden has been named 2023 Outstanding Emerging Professional by the Oregon Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). The award recognizes an individual early in their career who exceeds expectations and shows promise in making contributions to landscape architecture.

Taylor accepted the award during the annual ASLA Oregon Awards Soiree, stating, “I’ve been blessed with so many encouraging peers and mentors who have supported me thus far.” In her acceptance speech, Taylor acknowledged the challenge of believing in oneself – an obstacle that many people, especially women, face when embarking on their careers. She concluded with advice to “advocate for yourself so you can advocate for those after you.”

Taylor’s current projects include Cleveland High School Modernization, the Portland Street Plaza Program and inclusive and accessible viewpoints in the Columbia River Gorge. She serves on the ASLA Oregon Executive Committee as Vice President of Chapter Services.

Posted: Dec 04, 2023
Written by: Mayer/Reed
Posted December 04, 2023
Written by: Mayer/Reed
Categories: AWARDS  EVENTS 

South Park Blocks Master Plan Receives Award from Oregon Recreation & Parks Association

The master plan for Portland’s historic South Park Blocks received an ORPA Planning Award in recognition of outstanding planning practices and processes. We are proud to have been a part of the complex planning process for this beloved downtown green space.

The South Park Blocks Master Plan develops a long-term concept for the park’s physical rehabilitation as well as a tree succession strategy to improve the resilience of the park’s iconic trees. The recommended design respects the park’s historic character while addressing accessibility and equity considerations throughout. On the MIG-led project, Mayer/Reed provided plaza planning and alignment for the Green Loop that weaves additional pedestrian and bicycle capacity along the park.

Portland Parks & Recreation accepted the award at the Oregon Recreation & Parks Association (ORPA) conference on November 8 in Sunriver, Oregon.

Posted November 09, 2022
Written by: Mayer/Reed
Categories: AWARDS  PROJECTS 

Kathy Fry Honored with Women of Vision Award

Mayer/Reed principal and owner, Kathy Fry, has been recognized as a Women of Vision Awards Honoree by the Oregon Daily Journal of Commerce (DJC). The award honors women who are shaping the built environment in Oregon and Southwest Washington via technical skill, leadership, mentorship, community involvement and promotion of industry diversity. The DJC celebrated the honorees during an October 26th event at Portland’s Sentinel Hotel.

“It’s an honor to be recognized and inspired by the amazing women with whom I share this year’s award,” says Kathy. “These women are shaping the local AE community and creating opportunities for future generations.”

In her role as principal of Mayer/Reed’s visual communications group, Kathy is known for her strong leadership in design, business operations and mentoring. She has been recognized with design awards by the Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). Clients and design partners value her vision, collaborative approach and her ability to engage larger teams in project development. With a belief in an inclusive and collaborative design process, Kathy builds trust and empathy through thought provoking questions, leading with the “why” before the “what” and “how” of a design solution. She has pushed the studio’s approach to workshops and information gathering to consider inequalities relating to gender, identity, neurodiversity, privilege along with physical ability.

As the second-generation of women ownership, Kathy continues the firm’s legacy by providing opportunity for disadvantaged professionals. She spearheaded Mayer/Reed’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program and led an internal process to review and restructure firm practices to recognize and reduce ingrained bias and establish policies that promote diversity. Along with this, she strives to provide an emotionally genuine and humble example as she makes space for ongoing learning and personal growth within the firm.

Kathy is dedicated to mentoring within the Mayer/Reed studio and with design partners, paying forward the guidance she received early in her career. Outside of the studio she has donated her time to academic mentoring, providing architecture and graphic design students opportunities for advice, critique and studio visits as they prepare for their careers.

Committed to advancing the profession, Kathy is deeply involved in SEGD, serving on the Board of Directors Executive Committee as both vice president and her current role as president.

Posted: Oct 28, 2022
Written by: Mayer/Reed
AWARDS 
Posted October 28, 2022
Written by: Mayer/Reed
Categories: AWARDS