SOUTH WATERFRONT
PORTLAND OREGON

From my third floor balcony on the south side of Meriwether West, I am absorbed into the pedestrian energy and flavor of Pennoyer street by proximity. Even in the winter, with views of Dana Lynn Louis’ light installations or the recent red carpet party I oversaw from my perch last month, the thoroughfare is alive year-round.

It’s spring and summer, however, when the pedestrian-scale street really comes to life. During those months the sing-songy noises of bikers, runners and random passers-by, conversations between neighbors, dogs playing, the annual art exchange and the occasional live band playing below at Bella Espresso fills the air. The festive energy spills into my space through an open balcony door and I can imagine I’m in any city in the world.

Turning my attention to the view and the architecture, however, there is no question I am in a unique setting.

This spring we will all enjoy a newly remodeled Pennoyer Street and surrounding area, thanks to the green vision of developers Homer Williams, Gerding Edlen and Thomas Hacker Architects, Inc.

It’s been fascinating to see the landscaping take form between my building and the Atwater. Now that it’s all in place I wait, in eager anticipation, for the newly planted River Birch trees to show their leaves and the smaller plants to thrive and bloom over the next few months (if weather cooperates).

Interested in learning more, I contacted the exterior project architect with Thomas Hacker Architects, Inc. (www.thomashacker.com), Nick Hodges, for more insight into the creation and implementation of ‘my new front yard’…

The following interview (conducted by email) is an exchange between Nick and I.
Q. Landscape, both man-made and natural, is such a strong element in the newly forming South Waterfront area. What kind s of questions did you ask w hen defining how the design will integrate with the rest of the community?
A. Every side of the site for Atwater Place has conditions that make it unique. River Parkway and Gaines have a reasonably close relationship in that both are more traditional street sections with sidewalks, street trees, curbs and two-way traffic. With that in mind we worked to establish a traditional pedestrian oriented street edge for the building. Pennoyer and the waterfront edges have a completely different set of conditions. Pennoyer as a “green street” is a pretty incredible asset for the district and we worked very hard to orient the building in such a way as to enhance what that notion. By pulling the tower portion of Atwater Place to the south, we allowed the plaza to spill out and open up onto Pennoyer. The east side facing the river is a wonderful space that will only be improved upon once the park area gets developed. In the meantime we oriented a significant portion of native landscaping and bioswales that soften the edge of the building as it meets this future park.

Q. Is this a particularly difficult or elaborate design compared to your other projects. A. This is a relatively new project type for Thomas Hacker Architects and creating some fun and challenging design problems. Personally, I was most excited with understanding the scale of the buildings and how the exterior materials went together. In particular, the unitized curtain wall system provided by Benson Industries was probably the most exciting aspect of the project for me.

Q. What is your favorite element of this particular design? Least favorite? (either from a design or development perspective). A. I am sure in time there will be things I might have done differently.

Q. Is there anything interesting going on that we, as residents, can not see? Something behind the scenes or under the cement that would be of interest? A. As you know and most residents would know, all parking is located underground, including the plaza area along Pennoyer. All the landscaping of the plaza along Pennoyer is located above parking.

Q. How much on-going maintenance will occur in order to keep everything running smooth and green? A. This building is similar to the other buildings in South Waterfront. Upkeep is always important and ongoing.

Q. Are you happy with the final result? A. We are very happy with the results and hope the district feels the same way.
As always, your comments are welcome. -HM

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 at 9:46 am and is filed under Art & Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Pennoyer street landscape architecture. An interview with Nick Hodges of Thomas Hacker Architects, Inc.”

1. Pennoyer street landscape architecture. An interview with Nick … Says:
   February 26th, 2008 at 11:03 am

   […] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptIt’s been fascinating to see the landscaping take form between my building and the Atwater. Now that it’s all in place I wait, in eager anticipation, for the newly planted River Birch trees to show their leaves and the smaller plants to … […]

2. Craig Says:
   March 3rd, 2008 at 10:21 am

   <p>Any reason that conifir trees are not used in these new landscapes? Seems rather bare in the winter with the over reliance on deciduous trees.</p>
   <br>
   <br>

   Hey.. thanks for the great question. (comments always welcome)

   Here is the answer from Nick Hodges:

   We do have one conifer tree in the landscape but focused on deciduous trees to take advantage of views and especially enhanced light quality in the winter months. We also have a fair amount of deciduous vegetation such as bamboo, strawberry tree and various evergreen shrubs and ground cover that once they get established will be more substantial and visible for the winter months.

   - HM

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