Mayer/Reed, Author at Mayer Reed

Four Fall Awards

This fall, four Mayer/Reed projects were honored with design awards—highlighting the power of collaboration and the impact of thoughtful, community-centered design.

At the ASLA Oregon Design Awards Soiree on September 26, Errol Heights Park received two awards: the Green Ribbon for Climate and Biodiversity Action and the People’s Choice: “I Wish This Project Was in My Neighborhood” award. The green ribbon award honors projects that lead with environmental stewardship, including contributions to carbon drawdown, biodiversity and community empowerment. Mayer/Reed partnered with Portland Parks & Recreation at Errol Heights to bring the community’s vision of a nature-focused, accessible park to life.

The modernization of Benson Polytechnic High School, led by Bassetti Architects, received a DeMuro Award for excellence in historic preservation at Restore Oregon’s October 24 event. Mayer/Reed’s site design for the 1917 campus helped transform the school into a modern learning campus while respecting its historic significance.

On October 8, the Oregon Recreation and Parks Association (ORPA) presented the Design & Construction Award to the City of St. Helens and Mayer/Reed for the St. Helens Riverwalk. This recognition honors our collaboration in realizing Phase 1 of the riverwalk, a central component of the city’s evolving waterfront district.

And finally, also in St. Helens, the South 1st and Strand Street Road and Utilities Extension received Project of the Year in the transportation category ($5–$25 Million) from the American Public Works Association (APWA) Oregon Chapter at their annual conference, October 30. Partnering with Otak, Mayer/Reed contributed to the design of this streetscape project which opens access to the riverfront and supports future private development.

These awards reflect the dedication and teamwork that go into creating meaningful places. We’re grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with clients, design teams and communities on these transformative projects.

Mayer/Reed Gallery Artist Profile: Mike Hawks

Our in-studio gallery recently featured the vibrant work of Mayer/Reed Senior Designer and Associate Mike Hawks. The three paintings, from his Engaging the Body, Quieting the Mind series, are a colorful expression of the body’s innate creative language.

These bold, abstract compositions stand in contrast to the precision and logic of Mike’s professional design work. In his paintings, instinct and improvisation take the lead. “In my personal artistic pursuits,” he shares, “I’m free from rules and rational thought, allowing pure expression to flow.”

That flow, however, didn’t come easy this time. After a hiatus from painting, Mike faced the blank canvas without the spark that had once driven him. What followed was a period of creative struggle — a reckoning that ultimately forced him to let go of artistic habits and expectations. As Mike began to embrace the discomfort and push beyond familiar techniques, things started to change. A new color combination, a different brush, small things built up to big discoveries, and finally a breakthrough.

Outside of Mayer/Reed, Mike has shown his art in two Portland exhibits and he’s currently working on new paintings for a third. With lessons learned from his previous creative challenge, Mike is now approaching the blank canvas without expectations. “I feel creatively liberated, like the guardrails have been removed from my mind.”

September Events

As summer winds down, our fall calendars are filling up. We hope you will join us at some upcoming events: AIA’s Urban Design Panel, PDX Design Collaborative’s Downtown to the Waterfront: The Urban Core as a Riverside Neighborhood and a grand opening celebration at Mill Park.

Urban Design Panel

At the upcoming Urban Design Panel on September 16, Mayer/Reed and the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) will present a Central City Urban Design Study on our waterfront. Mayer/Reed Associate Principal Shannon Simms will share results from the analysis phase, helping to identify opportunities for urban design interventions. This virtual event is free but requires advance registration.

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
12pm – 1pm PST
Register here

Downtown to the Waterfront: Rethinking Portland’s Urban Core as a Riverside Neighborhood

On September 23, PDX Design Collaborative hosts “Downtown to the Waterfront,” part of a series of events focused on transforming downtown Portland into a livable neighborhood. Representatives from Portland Parks and PBOT, leading urban designers and community organizers will discuss how Waterfront Park — and the connections to it — can play a major role in the future of downtown. Mayer/Reed Associate Principal Shannon Simms will share takeaways from the recent City of Possibility design workshop in June. This in-person event is sure to sell out, so secure your spot early!

Tuesday, September 23, 2025
6pm – 7:30pm
JK Gill Building (426 SW Harvey Milk St, Portland, OR 97204)
Purchase tickets here

Mill Park Opening Celebration

Join us, Portland Parks & Recreation and the Southeast Portland Mill Park community for a grand opening event on September 25. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony, remarks from city officials and a host of family-friendly activities to celebrate the newly completed park. Explore the Mayer/Reed-designed playground, splash pad, community garden, fitness area and more! This community event is free and open to the public.

Thursday, September 25, 2025
3pm – 6pm
Mill Park (1949 SE 122nd Ave, Portland, OR 97216)

Mayer/Reed Gallery Artist Profile: Willow Scott

Our in-studio gallery recently exhibited a work by Willow Scott, lifelong artist and Mayer/Reed project accountant. Willow put aside her usual paintbrushes for this piece and instead painted with only her hands. Titled “Resilience,” the painting represents the healing process of creating art.

“I began with finger-painted words representing negativity,” she shares. “Then I made the negativity go away — layering and blending primary colors over the words with my hands.” The cathartic piece is the first time the artist has used this process.

Willow embodies that rare combination of “accounting brain” (as she calls it) and artistic soul and finds that the creative process of making something balances her analytical, mathematical side. She moves between painting, fiber arts and small ceramics — always chasing new forms of expression.