GGN

Owámniyomni Okhódayapi (formerly Friends of the Falls) announced last week the selection of the design team to support the Dakota-led nonprofit in the restoration of five acres of property at Owámniyomni (St. Anthony Falls), adjacent to the Upper Lock on the Mississippi riverfront in Minneapolis.

GGN is honored to have been selected to continue the important work of designing this site under the guidance of Owámniyomni Okhódayapi and the Dakota Knowledge Keepers, and in partnership with the other experts and consultants involved. Full Circle Indigenous Planning + Design will provide project strategy and Tribal engagement.

The Dakota Knowledge Keepers include Jewell Arcoren, Travis Bush, Vanessa Goodthunder, Erin Griffin, Samantha Odegard, Mona Smith, Ramona Kitto Stately, Cole Redhorse Taylor, Glenn Wasicuna and Gwen Westerman.

“The structure of this design team emphasizes that while transforming the physical land at Owámniyomni will be important, restoring relationships to the land, Dakota culture and language are at the heart of this work,” said Barry Hand, Owámniyomni Okhódayapi program director.

“This project is rooted in the idea that what is most important about Owámniyomni is already here. Now is the time for the cultural and environmental restoration that have always been one and the same for the Dakota who know this place best,” said David Malda, principal,

Additional firms and consultants offering design and technical support for the project include HDR, EOR, John Koepke with Urban Ecosystems, TLÂL-LI Collaborative, Loeffler, ETM and Schuler Shook.

Rendering:
Historic images courtesy

This is a time in the season when the pastels of native meadow flowers and freshly unfurled foliage can be seen at the meadow. In bloom now are aka and others.

The meadow and its seating steps are immediately accessible from the Museum’s parking lot, called the Burke Yard. Graded and designed as a simple, low budget, yet flexible space that can evolve over time, the parking lot is detailed with sharp paint patterns and squared framing, to emphasize a precise pedestiran scale and harmonize with the Museum architecture by

Darwing by

to our longtime love of axes and vistas — which assert landscape — or simply space — as the focus / organizing figure. The axis is a formal device that can celebrate and protect the bare ground, in an inversion of the compulsion to decorate or build upon the ground in order to increase its perceived value or importance.

Even in complex urban contexts, clamoring with an ever-escalating competition between objects and architecture, formal devices like the simple, grand axis can empower the underrepresented notion of doing less to have more….or of simply reminding us that the ground is big and flows beneath all of this accoutrement. All we need to do sometimes is reveal it.

Pictured here are two examples of our work in the realm of axial formality and in strengthening the clarity and indelible performance of historic malls.

The first images are from our winning design for the Unified Ground: Union Square National Mall Competition. The project stalled when a political shift ensued shortly after the competition, so it was never built….but we remain optimistic that this important American space and preserved piece of ground will be treated with the reverence it merits. This design clarified the hierarchy of the National Mall’s influence through the multi-faceted (and visually confusing) junctions of this space, while strongly connecting the visual and walking experience of several major streets of Washington, DC that converge upon this space.

The second set of images are from the Rainier Vista project on the University of Washington campus. In this project — which was built! — we extended and emboldened the Olmsted-brothers-designed vista and mall, incorporated a new, collegiate-gothic-arch-themed pedestrian land bridge, integrated an interchange of regional bicycle and bus connections, and connected newly arrived Sound Transit riders into the heart of this historic campus and neighborhood.

We are excited to see this next piece of .malda studio furniture coming to life this week in our studio!

David is creating this windowsill bar counter from locally native Big Leaf Maple which complements the nearby drawing table of local Red Alder .

The bar needed floor support as David avoided any connections that would pe*****te the historic concrete walls / windowsill of this 1920s warehouse . Each of the “L” supports sports an adjustable foot to enable them to hold a paralllel/level position with the bartop while contacting the floor, which, having been here for a century, slopes almost 3” across this short distance.

We look forward to many happy hour chats and quiet daylit drawing and reading moments at this latest of David’s contributions to our space!

Register at Link in Bio ⬆️

Our India Basin design team and client partners are looking forward to participating in this May 21 event at the in San Francisco. Katherine Liss will represent GGN alongside our collaborators and client partners in this integrated form of design and process.

Design for Equity: Two New Parks Prioritize the Community

Two new parks under construction in the Bay Area – India Basin (San Francisco) and Mosswood Park (Oakland) – have the specific mandate to create equity in their communities.

What lessons do these projects have for architects, designers, and city change-makers seeking an inclusive approach to the design process?

Come learn from the clients, the community members, and the design team about the design process and how the projects benefited from this new approach.

Join us on May 21st, 5-7pm at the Center for Architecture & Design in SF. Event registration is linked in the bio.

Event Registration Link:
https://aiasf.org/event/designing-for-equity-new-parks-prioritize-the-community/

We are hiring a marketing coordinator to join our small, creative team of visual communication and publication wizards/collaborators. Alternative paths and oddballs always welcome

See link in bio for more information, attn Cheryl dos Remedios.

to 2018 and when Seattle was to extend/restore a streetcar network around its central downtown, including historic First Avenue.

What if a streetcar route took the design approach of “quiet integration” and simply laced the tracks and station essentials into existing streets in a lightweight manner, while restoring and even amplifying each block’s existing historic finishes and character?

SEATTLE STREETCAR: CITY CENTER CONNECTOR

This segment of the Center City Connector streetcar passes through the historical districts of Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market. GGN’s approach to this project recognizes that in recent decades, North American streetcar systems have often been implemented as themed corridors that connect points along a route and impose the branded identity of the transit system. That strategy would risk diluting and undermining the existing character of the very neighborhoods we seek to connect.

Therefore, in rethinking how to reinsert streetcars into Seattle’s existing urban fabric, the Center City Connector project proposes to quietly integrate the streetcar infrastructure into a series of distinct streets, while reinforcing each neighborhood’s unique identity.


DETAILS
Location: Seattle, WA
Size: 20 city blocks
Client: Seattle Department of Transportation
Completion Date: 2018

PROJECT TEAM
Parsons Transportation Group, Lead Engineer
Chudgar Engineering, Structural Engineer
GGN, Urban Designer, Landscape Architect
Harrison Design Group, Arborist
HDR, Track Engineering
Perteet, Civil Engineer
Ron Wright Associates, Historic Consultant
Shannon & Wilson, Geotech

SERVICES PROVIDED
Urban Design, Schematic Design

John Treviño Jr. Metropolitan Park vision plan:

This 330-acre former ranch in Austin, Texas connects historic Blackland Prairie to the Colorado River Basin.

The park bears the name of John Treviño Jr., who dedicated his life to public service and helped bring access to health care and other importance resources as the city’s first Latino council person.

The vision plan for the park seeks to advance Treviño’s legacy by envisioning the land as a community resource, with access to healthy ecology and recreational opportunities that have been lacking in East Austin.

The plan celebrates heritage of the site within the rapidly developing context and employs an adaptive management approach to a number of unique upland prairie and savanna ecologies and large-scale reforestation within the floodplain.

Rather than positioning the master plan as a guide for a future park, the approach focuses on supporting an ongoing process of building a community of advocates and expanding an understanding of and connection to this place.

Location: Austin, TX
Size: 330-acre
Client: Austin Parks and Recreation Department
Completion Date: 2020

PROJECT TEAM
GGN, Design Landscape Architect
DWG, Local Landscape Architect
Pink Consulting, Community Outreach
Siglo Group, Ecological Planning
Sherwood, Site Sustainability
Nelson\Nygaard, Transportation Engineer
HR&A, Economic Analysis
DAVCAR Engineering, Civil Engineering
Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, Architect Theater DNA, Event Planning
HBJ Associates, Cost Estimating

Drawings shown here: .malda

Yesterday .malda shared the work of with the Garden Club of Greater Milwaukee. His talk explored the design and broader context for the garden at the new . This garden will be constructed on land that has been home to Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. In the 1800s it became a hay market where the agricultural transformation of the surrounding landscape fueled the brewing and other local industries. Following years of redlining, the urban renewal program of the 1960s razed the surrounding African American neighborhood of Bronzeville and constructed a highway. This land is shaped by all of these pasts and many more still waiting to be told. They are a part of this ground.
 
The new museum garden is envisioned as a place for building connections between the daily life of the neighborhood,  school visits,  citizen science, and other community and museum events and this specific moment in the land. For some, it will be a first introduction to Milwaukee and the neighborhood. For others it will be a first experience of native plants close to home. The garden orients to adjacent housing and numerous community services. Planting strategies draw from restoration and early successional ecologies on this disturbed site. Our hope is that it will offer kids a connection with nature they so desperately need at this time. While small in footprint, the lessons of these plants and the voices of community partners hosted here can have much broader impacts. A museum and a garden are a place to challenge our understanding of the world around us, take those lessons home, and support broader change. 
Drawings by .malda and
 

On October 27, Shannon Nichol will give a lecture on "Good Problems" at the Weitzman School of Design as part of The Weitzman Fall 2022 Lecture Series. The talk will focus on:⁣
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*drawing and diagrams as problem-solving tools⁣
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*individual intellectual ownership and risk-taking in the face of high expectations for perfection, replicated designs, and auto-generated content⁣
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*(re)embracing the designer's pleasurable mindset toward problem-solving⁣
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This event is open to the public — please see the link in our bio for details.⁣
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Wonderful to see the Gardens District project highlighted in the this week! ⁣
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Already a central place in the region for people to enjoy the seasons, Molbak's is at the heart of a vibrant new district in downtown Woodinville. The Gardens District will bring a walkable, central village to Woodinville, within an urban network of native gardens. ⁣
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Experimental and beneficial urban forestry will be demonstrated that showcases the region’s seldom-used native trees — including lush groves of Red Alder to support the reconditioning of disturbed soils.⁣⁣
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The Gardens District experience intends to be immersive and educational, offering visitors a window in locally authentic, native planting palettes and place-specific connection to the landscape and community.⁣
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Follow to link in our bio to read more about the project goals and the history + traditions of the Molbak’s space 🌲

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Makie Suzuki was recently interviewed alongside project partners, Nikken Sekkei and Hankyu Hanshin Real Estate, about the design inspiration for Umekita Park in Osaka. Their discussion focuses on Osaka’s deep connections to water and the design team’s goal to create spaces within the park that are deeply evocative of Japanese tradition, nearby landscapes, and attention to seasonality. ⁣
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The interview is conducted and published in Japanese, though Google will give an approximate translation if you’re not a Japanese speaker. ⁣Link is in our bio.
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Image: Umekita 2nd Project Developers ⁣
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University of Washington Founders Hall held its ribbon cutting this week after planting installation began this month. The planting palate is centered around native Pacific Northwest plants such as Douglas fir, yarrow, tufted hairgrass, camas, and Oregon sunshine. Enveloping seating uses Restoration Juniper to bring warm, welcoming notes and recall fallen trees that offer ecosystem-wide support in the forest landscape. Outside the entry sits the fountain originally created by George Tsutakawa and restored by his son, Gerry. We look forward to seeing the landscape flourish and to provide a space for reflection, connection to our regional landscape, and just perhaps some last minute studying.⁣
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Architect: LMN⁣
Civil: Mayfly Engineering⁣
General contractor: Hoffman Construction⁣
Landscape contractor: Out West Landscape⁣
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GGN is now accepting applications for paid internships at our Seattle studio for spring 2023. ⁣
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This internship program offers exposure to many different facets of a landscape architectural practice: from drawing and digital models to site visits and client presentations. We strive to make intern experiences convivial, fun, and diverse, opening up opportunities for you to work on varying projects, visit construction sites, expand your skills through portfolio review, and to utilize your unique perspective and background within our project teams.⁣
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✨ Reach out to [email protected] with any questions and see the link in our bio for how to apply! ✨

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GGN is actively hiring to fill several positions at varying levels of experience within our Seattle and DC studios. If you want to work alongside a stellar group of designers and professionals, love to draw, embrace research and testing, and want to design and/or manage projects that are founded on a deep connection to the history and stories of a place — we might be the place for you! ⁣
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To read more about GGN and our open positions, visit ggnltd.com/jobs.⁣
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We are delighted to share that Paul Bauknight, founder of the Center for Transformative Urban Design, will be joining GGN for a yearlong Spatial Justice and Social Equity (SJSE) Residency! We expect this to be an expansive, creative year partnering with Paul as we build on our SJSE Action Plan to focus on racially equitable, socially inclusive, and impactful practices that create and support healthy, accessible landscapes. ⁣
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“My goal for the GGN SJSE Residency,” said Paul, “is to amplify opportunities to transform cities, neighborhoods, and the public realm by empowering communities to rethink urban design systems and policies so that we can create genuinely equitable community development. I am excited to partner with GGN because of their commitment to moving this change forward.”⁣
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Join us in welcoming Paul! We look forward to seeing what this year holds and will share more. You can view GGN’s Spatial Justice and Social Equity Action Plan at www.ggnltd.com/sjse-action

A lushly planted public garden, interpretive roof terrace, and re-envisioned streetscape will characterize the outdoor spaces surrounding the new Milwaukee Public Museum. In close partnership with architects Ennead and Kahler Slater, exhibit designer Thinc, and the wonderful MPM team, GGN is honored to put forward a design that will bring captivating, open-access spaces to the Haymarket neighborhood and offer visitors and passersby alike a chance to observe the region's local ecological systems and to engage in museum programming that will illuminate the lifecycle and cultural meanings of native species. ⁣
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These learning spaces will provide ongoing opportunities for citizen science, public observation, and will delight in the stories of the state of Wisconsin. We look forward to continuing to engage with communities both locally and statewide and our design partners as the Future Museum develops.⁣
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GGN is excited to host our biannual Portfolio Review for landscape architecture students and emerging professionals who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx, or People of Color. This is an opportunity to receive feedback on your completed or in-process portfolio and gain experience sharing and speaking about your portfolio with other professionals. This is one of the highlights of our year!⁣
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Our Portfolio Review event is meant to serve students and emerging professionals pursuing or holding a degree in landscape architecture at any level in their design journey. Participants are encouraged to have a minimum of 3-5 portfolio pages for review.⁣
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Appointments are limited and are on a first-come, first-serve basis.⁣
RSVP by September 16, 2022.⁣
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Registration Link in Bio⁣
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For questions regarding this workshop, please email [email protected].⁣

GGN has been delighted to partner with the Lurie Garden in Chicago for the sixth year to sponsor the 2022 Public Horticulture Apprentice. Casey Beidelman has built upon her degree from Northwestern to gain practical experience balancing design intent with garden realities and climate shifts. Her affection for native Midwest plants drove her research on plants that reflect current climate and weather patterns, that have conservation value, and aesthetically complement the original planting design. Thank you, Casey, for your sharing your passion with garden visitors and the GGN team! As always, we are in awe of the Lurie Garden horticultural team who provide support, teaching, and infectious ardor for the plants and design in their care.⁣
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Lush PNW forests, a seasonal wetland, and sweeping views to Mt. Tahoma: these are just a few of the features that drew Gathering Roots to this stunning place situated on Coast Salish land. We are thrilled to partner with them as they envision a farm and wellness center for BIPOC people that will provide access to healing land, offering respite and joy with the intent to alleviate generational trauma. Future programming will include agriculture rooted in ancestral practices; a yoga and meditation center; and a safe space for a confluence of faiths, cultures, and rituals. Gathering Roots' journey toward this vision is grounded in their commitment to Leading with the Land: prioritizing the synchronicities between the needs and health of this land and the future wellness center. We got to know the site on an unseasonably snowy day in April and are honored to walk this journey of learning and stewardship alongside Gathering Roots. ⁣
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Reposting photos of their beautiful masonry work on last week’s mock-up for the stone water features at . It was a pleasure to see and learn from this glimpse of the work to come at this large civic park and redevelopment in San Antonio.

We are fortunate to work with such caring and skilled craftspeople and partners on our projects!

United States Consulate General, Nogales, Mexico
8.4 acres



The Nogales landscape is defined by the surrounding hills of desert pine-oak grasslands. That rich native landscape and habitat has been largely lost within the densely developed city, but the Consulate design seeks to restore a relationship with this local landscape, integrating the diplomatic community into the larger Nogales place, culture, and ancient ecology.

The region’s materials are striking in color, and its native plants are both drought tolerant and sculptural. Shrubs and wildflowers, selected in collaboration with RECON Environmental provide food and habitat for migrating butterflies and hummingbirds.

Sculpted slopes inspired by the layered landforms of the area integrate universal access through the dappled shade of Mexican oak, pine, mesquite, and junipers. A native grassy understory suppresses weeds and brings fine texture at all scales and along path edges.

Nogales’ namesake walnut tree is also featured prominently in the design.

Client: U.S. Department of State

PROJECT TEAM
Ennead Architects, Architect GGN, Landscape Architect
RECON Environmental, local planting consultant

Spot the Bombus voz in these pics by photographer . Kelli recently visited the landscape and, among other shots we will soon share, captured these aka Yellow-Faced Bumblebees showing off their urban-adapted foraging versatility on Fireweed (yes we did) , Riverbank Lupine , and Showy Fleabane .

Bombus voz is our most common bumblebee in the Seattle metro region, largely due to its unique adaptability to urban development and, unlike many native insects, its ability to utilize a wide range of non-native plant-food sources and human-disturbed reproduction conditions.

These gentle giants are out early each spring with the blooms of native Mahonia.

plants
photos 📸
Burke architects

.c.a recently captured this moment while visiting at in the revitalized, historic modern architectural Halo / Wells Fargo complex on Grand Avenue, downtown Los Angeles.

worked with SOM, , 𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗛𝗔𝗠 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢] , and the property owner, to preserve and highlight the striking 1980s architecture and outstanding art accessible to the public by .nevelson 𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗛𝗔𝗠 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢] and more.
The architecture throughout the site was sensitively opened up to connect with the outdoors, and the granite-clad site design was strategically opened up to welcome people from the surrounding streets in this increasingly butane and pedestrian oriented neighborhoods.
In place of rows of Ficus trees and pots with annuals, larger garden areas and plantings such as this one were integrated into the rooftop-plaza’s historic structural profile beneath the pavement.
A planting palette heavy on regional natives and drought-tolerant selections brought a softer, more authentically local, and inviting feeling to this special property.

GGN is currently hiring for a Project Designer. Those in love with plants, drawing, and collaboration with some truly incredible folks are encouraged to apply!
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Follow the link in our bio to send your materials or visit ggnltd.com/jobs.⁣
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Image: Kyle Johnson⁣
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"Similar to Osaka, Chicago is a city built on a marsh, and Lurie Garden has things in common, too, with the Umekita Project. Both have the theme of revealing the unique energy of their city. Lurie Garden tells the story of the people who created Chicago in all its elements—its forms, landforms, layout, shapes, etc.—and expresses the upward energy of the city, in this naturalistic garden that stretches across what is really a rooftop. Also, we realized we wanted the original marshy landscape of Chicago to come back in the middle of the present-day city landscape—expressing the region’s history and leaving a message for the future."⁣
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Thanks to Yoshinao Yamada and Life with Green for the feature on the Lurie Garden this month! We love this space so much not least because of the incredible dedication from the horticultural team who continue to evolve and care for the garden alongside the wonderful Millennium Park Foundation. To read the full article, click the link in our bio.⁣
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Image: Catherine Tighe⁣
Planting design: Piet Oudolf⁣
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On Saturday (link in bio), will participate in Daniel Burnham’s Mall Symposium, Part of 2022 Cleveland History Days.

Shannon will review GGN’s 2009-2011 Revitalization Vision for the 1903 Group Plan district (a collaboration with our friends ). The GGN-LMN Revitalization Vision involved studying, reprogramming, greening, and clarifying the original concepts and physical features of the 1903-designed Group Plan district and Historic Mall space.

Today, Placemark Collaborative is leading an effort to designate Cleveland’s Group Plan and Historic Mall as a National Historic Landmark – the highest designation by the .

The Symposium will share this work along with GGN’s key thoughts about the Group Plan’s continued relevance and potential as a model neighborhood for the future.

Cleveland’s Group Plan district is arguably the only enduring, built example of Burnham’s “Court of Honor” concept, which is most well-known from the temporary “White City” of Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair. This concept has been again in popular dialogue since Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City book was released. (Rumors continue to circulate of a Scorcese/DiCaprio/Reeves film adaptation of the book that will surely draw many viewers merely there for depictions of Burnham and Olmsted, but we digress…)

Cleveland’s Group Plan district is a living, City-Beautiful monument to the movement’s ideals of bringing “Circulation, Hygiene, and Art” into cities that were newly suffering from health and livability affects caused by the impacts of the industrial revolution and concurrent livability trends. As industrial pollution, unplanned growth booms, and worker housing crises (with lack of safety and health regulations) made cities increasingly chaotic and unhealthy, the Group Plan’s designers touted a solution of “Order, System, and Reserve.” The district’s wide streets, generous green spaces, assertively permanent civic buildings, and symmetrical layout all continue to offer a striking framework for urban ecology, human health and fitness, civic events, and public access to art, education, government, and dialogue.

See you in Cleveland !

We are filled with happiness to have our GGN DC folks with us this week in Seattle! Our two studios work diligently to seamlessly share projects, knowledge, and expertise, but seeing them in person is always 💯⁣
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We are so honored to see the AirPark Columbus campus in the March issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine! Designing a connective space that links three existing schools is a unique challenge for our GGN team but one we enormously enjoy. Our entire studio has been excited to watch this process unfold and to learn about the exceptional place (geographically and within the wider design community) that this site resides in. Thank you, Zach Mortice and for this insightful introduction into the design for this integrated landscape.⁣
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"The new campus will reconstitute Columbus's native ecology, the beech-maple forest. The idea of 'doorways' is echoed by other domestic motifs. In order to offer seasonal indoor and outdoor social spaces that provide a more immediate experience of the landscape in a terrace-like setting, the GGN plan is "putting porches on buildings", Nichol says, and creating circular, living room-like meadows in the forest."⁣
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Read the article via the link in our bio or in your own copy of LAM!⁣
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Specificity plays many roles within architecture. The more specific one can be in developing and documenting a design for building, the greater confidence one can have in the results. Standardization of materials and practices allows a success in one project to be repeated in another. As an extension of architectural practice, such approaches are common within landscape architecture. But contemporary landscape architecture also has roots in horticulture, ecology, and community development. Here specificity plays a very different role as it relates to a particular moment or set of relationships in natural systems that are ever changing. ⁣
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As the keynote speaker at CSI PROSPEC 2022, David Malda will explore the tension between these two ideas of specificity—that of the universally applicable and the unique and particular in landscape architecture through the work of GGN. Through several recent projects, David will discuss how specificity in place, design process, and engagement are central to GGN’s work and future practice. ⁣
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Although this is a singular talk, the motifs of change, ecological and regional variance, and the intricacy of community needs are something we love to engage with within our Instagram and wider design community. ⁣
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