Mayer/Reed, Author at Mayer Reed

Spin Some Light with Us at the Portland Winter Light Festival Feb 7-9

Mayer/Reed is excited to announce our first light installation at the Portland Winter Light Festival!

Kinetic De Light is a dynamic 40-foot display of hundreds of skateboard wheels that playfully respond to visitors. A touch of the hand spins light from one wheel to the next, creating streaks of light that fade like comets. Randomness and patterns emerge from the ebb and flow of users’ interactions. Come spin some light with us! Bundle up and find us on the esplanade just south of Tilikum Crossing Bridge by the Portland Opera. #31 on the map.

Mayer/Reed is an active supporter of the festival which is set to brighten our city and our spirits February 7-9, 2019. The free outdoor festival enlivens the dark winter nights with illuminated, interactive art installations, vibrant performances and spectacular fire sculptures.

Eastbank Esplanade Gets Some Love

Starting in the month of hearts and flowers, Portland’s cherished Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade is getting another kind of love: maintenance and repairs.

On February 1, the busy river walk will close for two months for much-needed TLC after 18 years of constant use.

Since it opened in 2001, the Eastbank has remained a popular destination for waterfront strolls, rolls or jogs, affording excellent views of downtown, the Willamette River and its many bridges.

Opening day parade on the Eastbank Esplanade 2001

The 1.5 mile linear park, a long-desired amenity along the central city’s waterfront, was challenged by limited space between the river and freeway. When it was completed, it became an immediate hit, connecting with the west side downtown Tom McCall Waterfront Park to create a well-traveled loop. The city’s latest counts show that the esplanade withstands about 2,400 bicycle trips and 1,200 walking trips per day in summer.

Eastbank Esplanade before repairs — The Eastbank Esplanade is due for major maintenance.

Thanks to the efforts of advocates and a city council that understands its significance to the community, the Eastbank will be spiffed up in time for the springtime masses seeking outdoor activity. And for the hardy souls who depend on the esplanade for year-round bike commuting, the city has your back with a detour onto the west side’s Better Naito.

As designers of the award-winning esplanade, we at Mayer/Reed are heartened by the city’s investment in the Eastbank’s future and thrilled that it will continue to serve and delight for many more years. We think Vera would be pleased!

Joyous, Merry & Bright

Happy Holidays from all of us at Mayer/Reed!

A Fruitful Awards Season

With fall comes the awards season – a time when we celebrate the best of design in the built environment. Seeing the exemplary work of our professions is inspiring and pushes us all to aim higher.Mayer/Reed’s landscape architecture work at Portland State University’s Karl Miller Center garnered an Honor Award in General Design from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Oregon Awards on November 2. The jury lauded its positive environmental and social impacts and integration with the architecture and urban realm.On November 5, the Karl Miller Center received accolades again from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle. The chapter honored SRG Partnership and Behnisch Architeckten with an Award of Merit.The AIA Seattle Chapter also recognized DLR Group’s MacLaren Campus Cottages with an Honorable Mention. The youth correctional facility housing is designed to encourage healthy adolescent development and rehabilitation. As part of this mission, Mayer/Reed’s visual communications group designed environmental graphics in collaboration with mural artist Blaine Fontana, artfully depicting stories of self-reflection, transformation, and resilience that were shared by the youth.Finally, the modernization of Portland Public Schools’ 1921 Roosevelt High School received a DeMuro Award for Excellence from Restore Oregon for its extraordinary historic rehabilitation. Led by Bassetti Architects, the Roosevelt team includes Mayer/Reed for site design.

We are continually grateful for opportunities to collaborate with our design partners in the creation of exceptional, award-winning work.