Mayer/Reed’s Grant High School Modernization received an Honor Award in the general design category at the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Oregon 2022 Design Awards soirée on October 7th. Landscape architects and students from around Oregon gathered for the first time in two years to celebrate outstanding works of landscape architecture and environmental planning in our state.

The modernization of Grant High School’s building, led by Mahlum Architects, coupled with our site design work on the 10.2-acre campus, demonstrates how bold spatial solutions can create community, overcome social disadvantage, achieve sustainability and enable equal access to learning environments. Beyond the physical modernization of an aging historic landmark building, our team achieved goals set by Portland Public Schools for engagement, equity and inclusion in the community-based planning and design process.

Jurors appreciated the close working relationship of landscape and architecture in creating new physical, ecological and social connections that replace the former maze of unsafe, inaccessible and unused outdoor spaces. One juror noted: “…A clear collaborative effort between the architect and landscape architect where the courtyards highlight the landscape architect’s contribution, nicely developed spaces for students to thrive. Visual clarity on the site is a great improvement to the campus.”

We at Mayer/Reed, along with the entire Grant High School team, are honored to have been a part of improving this significant community asset that has set up a legacy for future generations to enjoy.

Recognized for setting a new national model for light rail line design, the MAX Orange Line East Segment garnered the ASLA Oregon Chapter 2015 Design Awards top honor, the Award of Excellence. For this transportation infrastructure project, the jury appreciated the role of the landscape architects and a design approach that created a series of human-scaled spaces that weave into the communities. Mayer/Reed, Inc. and GreenWorks, PC, the two firms providing urban design and landscape architecture respectively, submitted the project jointly. ESA Vigil Agrimis provided wetlands and creek restoration on the project.
The Orange Line East Segment also received the People’s Choice Award, as selected by attendees of the awards ceremony held on October 23 at the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland.

“The Award of Excellence was recognition that the jury considered deliberately. The criteria for this honor was established by the panel early in our discussions and adhered to strictly throughout the day. We established that the project should demonstrate the potential to have a profound and widespread impact, one that defines a cultural moment while setting a new standard. We believe the Max Orange Line project truly exhibits this potential—congratulations to this exceptional team and their exceptional effort.” Juror, Valerie Yaw, a principal at Bluegreen