During November we celebrated the legacy of our firm by revisiting pivotal projects through the eyes of founders Michael Reed, FSEGD and Carol Mayer-Reed, FASLA. Their passion for design and equitable public spaces has shaped communities and defined the design studio of Mayer/Reed.

Throughout the year leading up to our Founders Month, we unearthed archived drawings and sketches from significant projects of the last four decades. We marveled at the work, along with the reminder that although tools and technology have changed, the core of good design remains. Earlier this year, Carol and Michael shared reflections on how key projects and creative design staff influenced their careers and the firm over time.

Today, Owners/Principals Jeramie Shane, ASLA and Kathy Fry, SEGD lead the studio along with Associate Principal, Shannon Simms, ASLA. We are rooted in the values of environmental stewardship, collaboration and community upon which Michael and Carol established our practice. As we forge ahead, we celebrate the importance of passing down our rich firm history. We hope you’ve enjoyed this look back with us.

Congratulations to Mayer/Reed landscape architect, Laura Hartzell, the newly named President-Elect of ASLA Oregon, the local branch of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Laura will work alongside the current president and executive committee throughout the year, increasing member engagement and implementing ASLA’s Climate Action Plan. She’ll further these ASLA initiatives in the role of president the following year. 

Also serving ASLA Oregon, Mayer/Reed landscape designer Taylor Bowden maintains her term on the executive committee as VP of Chapter Services, and principal Jeramie Shane continues to represent ASLA as the landscape architect on the multi-disciplinary AIA/ASLA/APA Portland Urban Design Panel. 

We appreciate the time and effort it takes to stay active in the professional community. Thank you to our staff for their dedication to ASLA!

Lincoln High School held the first official game on their newly opened, state-of-the-art athletic facilities on August 28, ushering in a new era for Portland’s downtown public high school. With construction now complete on the two-phased rebuild, students and staff are celebrating the full use of their modern, reimagined campus. We’re thrilled to see the design come to life. As the project’s landscape architects, Mayer/Reed is cheering right along with the Cardinals!

The campus completion adds sports facilities, a concessions plaza and a teen parent center to complement the mid-rise school building and commons plaza that opened to students last year.

As part of the Bora Architects-led team for both phases and master plan, Mayer/Reed designed the exterior campus spaces to fit desired elements within the confined 11-acre site. While densely programmed, the new campus also provides well-considered open space with heritage trees and flexible lawn. Green spaces extend up onto the academic building and teen parent center as the Portland Public Schools’ first ever ecoroofs.

The athletic fields, designed in conjunction with consultants Atlas and HHPR, use an innovative wood-based fill – instead of the traditional rubber particles – which will keep the playing surfaces noticeably cooler. The running track even meets standards for worldwide qualifying events.

We hope returning students and alumni are delighted as they discover relocated artifacts of the former campus – such as a rose garden honoring LHS Rose Festival queens, a Tom Hardy bird sculpture and sidewalk graffiti of Lincoln alum Matt Groening’s Bart Simpson character. These special touches incorporated throughout the campus connect the new Lincoln High School to its history while it grows into the future.