The American Public Works Association (APWA) Oregon Chapter selected the “Better Naito Forever” project for their 2022 Project of the Year Award in the category of Transportation less than $5 Million. The APWA presented the award on October 20th at their Oregon Chapter Fall Conference in Pendleton.

What started as “Better Naito” – a grassroots, temporary effort to improve Naito Parkway with more space for walking, rolling and riding to Portland’s summer festivals ­– has grown into a signature multimodal corridor for downtown Portland. Known as “Better Naito Forever,” the project features a permanent cycle track, complete sidewalk, safe and efficient traffic signals and incorporation of the mature Tom McCall Waterfront Park tree canopy. It provides people with an enjoyable active transportation route to move through downtown.

Mayer/Reed worked with David Evans & Associates to design this Portland Bureau of Transportation project. Our firm focused particularly on integration with the adjacent Tom McCall Waterfront Park, tree preservation and redesign of a tiny park with a big reputation, Mill Ends Park.

From the moment it opened, Better Naito has proven popular with cyclists and pedestrians as a way to move safely through downtown. We’re honored that the APWA is also a fan of the project.

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.

We’re honored to receive a Merit Award in Placemaking and Identity from SEGD, the Society for Experiential Graphic Design, for experiential graphic design installations at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn, Oregon. MacLaren’s new housing units feature colorful graphics designed by Mayer/Reed and artist Blaine Fontana, in collaboration with DLR Group and the MacLaren youth.

The design team explored authentic story telling with the incarcerated youth who shared images, poems, personal illustrations and stories that represent themes of integrity and transformation. The final graphics – rich with color, symbols, patterns and animal representations – are culturally meaningful for a population over-represented with minority identities.

These courtyard graphics humanize the living environment while supporting the Oregon Youth Authority’s “positive human development” approach. The awards jury appreciated how the work “opens the door for how we should be designing environments to create positive change, especially for those that need our help the most.”

Out of 340 worldwide submissions, 30 were honored with a 2020 SEGD Global Design Award for excellence in experiential graphic design.