Portland Parks & Recreation has selected Mayer/Reed to lead the design of Mill Park in East Portland’s Mill Park neighborhood. The design will activate 5.66 acres of currently undeveloped land as a recreation focal point for the racially and culturally diverse community, creating a welcoming destination for year-round activities. A 2017 approved master plan identified publicly desired amenities such as gathering and picnic spaces, a shelter, sports fields, splash pad, community gardens and a playground.
The Mayer/Reed team will advance a design that celebrates the growing neighborhood. Our team, led by Jeramie Shane, ASLA and Tim Strand, ASLA, includes local artist Alex Chiu in support of art and community representation. Alex is an illustrator, educator, painter and muralist whose colorful work evolves from engagement with community members. The balance of the consultant team comprises minority-owned, woman-owned and emerging small business firms.
The team has started public involvement and technical investigations for the park which is expected to open in the summer of 2024.
Mayer/Reed has named experiential graphic designers Mike Hawks and Bryan Stevens Associate and hired senior designers Emily Morishita and Robbie Maki.
Mike Hawks, SEGD specializes in multi-family housing identity, wayfinding and branded interiors. Recent projects include Prometheus residential developments; Saltwood, Raleigh Slabtown and The Carson. His public work includes significant community resources, the Oregon Convention Center renovation and the Multnomah County Central Courthouse (all in Portland, OR). In 2012 he co-founded the SEGD Portland Chapter and currently co-organizes Mayer/Reed’s studio education gatherings and provides mentorship to emerging professionals. Mike earned a BFA in interior design from Marylhurst University.
Bryan Stevens, SEGD is currently managing the signage and wayfinding design for PDX Next throughout the Portland International Airport Main Terminal, Concourse B, Rental Car Facility and Transportation Center (Portland, OR). He leads complex public projects with a collaborative approach to facilitate consensus building and consistent decision making. In addition, Bryan is an outdoor enthusiast and thrilled that his past work includes inviting others to do the same through his work on the Travel Oregon Welcome Center (Ashland, OR) and the Travel Oregon office (Portland, OR). Bryan holds a BFA in visual design from the University of Oregon.
Emily Morishita, SEGD is the first Mayer/Reed employee to be based full-time in Seattle, WA. She joined Mayer/Reed as a senior experiential graphic designer and project manager and brings 15 years of experience with a focus on transportation related projects. Emily was previously with Hunt Design in Pasadena, CA. Her current work with Mayer/Reed includes SeaTac Building C-1 and the Behavioral Health Teaching Facility at the University of Washington (both in Seattle, WA). She earned an MFA in graphic design from the California Institute of the Arts.
Robbie Maki, SEGD joined Mayer/Reed as a senior project manager and experiential graphic designer. With a background in interpretive exhibits and wayside signage, she is skilled in communicating complex information to diverse audiences through accessible, educational design. Robbie is currently managing Mayer/Reed’s work for Fairbanks Hall at Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR) and Jesuit High School (Beaverton, OR). Robbie holds a BFA in visual design from the University of Oregon.
This Wednesday, May 26th, Portland’s Morrison bridge will illuminate with joyful spring colors. In support of the Willamette Light Brigade, Mayer/Reed is sponsoring the bridge lighting to celebrate Northwest parks, open spaces, forest, trails and gardens in bloom. We invite you to catch the Wednesday night bridge glow and explore the outdoors to discover spring delights – rain or shine!
During April, we reflected on the significance of the month in the Pacific Northwest. Nature has shaken off its winter rest and has fully awakened, treating our senses to an explosion of color, scent and birdsong. The month also features a convergence of green celebrations. These acknowledgements honor ideas that are essential to our work but are not limited to a certain month. Together, Earth Day, Arbor Day, World Landscape Architecture Month and Frederick Law Olmsted’s birthday form a tapestry of ideals that we put into practice every day throughout the year.
Mayer/Reed is dedicated to upholding the principles of sustainability and green design as well as advancing our understanding and practices as new strategies emerge. Social sustainability in its many forms, though difficult to measure, also remains a focus of our firm. We recognize that a sustainable design ethic is not static, but constantly evolving. It demands our advocacy, exploration and willingness to consciously lead and adapt.
We are fortunate to work together with forward-thinking clients and partners who are devoted to addressing climate action plans, reducing our carbon footprint, preserving natural resources and wildlife habitat, enhancing water quality and creating healthy, equitable places for people. We thank these clients, partners and consultant teams for their commitments to addressing environmental and social challenges as we foster sustainable design. So much is necessary and, with teamwork, so much is possible.
