At the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Oregon, massive granite boulders emerge from the landscape, artfully carved by master masons and precisely placed to help tell a powerful story of Indigenous voices. As landscape architect on the new universally accessible main entry and plaza, Mayer/Reed’s work began long before a single stone was craned into place.

Mayer/Reed’s vision for the entry plaza integrates a series of boulders that intentionally interrupt the formal design elements of the landscape, carved in close collaboration with artist and linguist Dr. Phillip Cash Cash. Guided by our preliminary sketches, we traveled to the source to hand-select each boulder. At the quarry, we used LiDAR technology to create photorealistic 3D scans, which we then incorporated into our working design model.

Boulders have unique “personalities.” The digital scans captured the exact dimensions and character of each boulder and allowed us to accurately communicate these intricacies to our collaborators — from the stone masons to the crane operators. The vision came to life through thoughtful design, technical precision and hands-on collaboration.

In addition to main entry, Mayer/Reed is part of a multidisciplinary team (led by CannonDesign and Hoffman Construction) designing several phases of major improvements at the Oregon State Capitol. Together, these improvements build upon the Capitol’s symbolic significance as a place of collective memory, civic engagement and democratic expression. The project has been constructed in three phases. The final phase is currently under construction with completion expected this year.