PACIFIC NORTHWEST
DESIGN STRATEGIES
Submitted in partial fulfillment for the
Master of Landscape Architecture
Noah Guadagni
Department of Landscape Architecture
University of Oregon
Spring 2015
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
DESIGN STRATEGIES
Submitted in partial fulfillment for the
Master of Landscape Architecture
Noah Guadagni
Department of Landscape Architecture
University of Oregon
Spring 2015
Approval
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
DESIGN STRATEGIES
By Noah Guadagni
Submitted in partial fulfillment for the Master of Landscape Architecture
Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Oregon
Master’s Project Committee
__________________________________________
Mark Eischeid: Master’s Project Chair
__________________________________________
Dr. Chris Enright: Master’s Project Committee
__________________________________________
Dr. Rob Ribe: Master’s Project Committee
iv
Approval
Acknowledgements
This project is dedicated to:
My parents, Dave and Linda Guadagni.
For your unwavering support all my life, and for planting me in the Pacific Northwest.
Jessica,
For your patience, love and blueberry pancakes, I couldn’t have finished without them.
To Mark Eischeid, my project chair and eagle-eyed editor. Your influence and enthusiasm for
this project has made it immeasurably more concise, precise and eloquent.
To the brilliant, challenging and inspiring landscape architecture faculty at the University of
Oregon, who have helped me to see the landscape with new eyes.
And to the friends and colleagues made along the way, this has been a journey with the most
excellent traveling companions.
Acknowledgements
v
Abstract
R
egionalism in the design disciplines is the idea that design can and should derive from abstractions
and celebrations of the immediate context, both natural and cultural. Because the Paciic Northwest
(PNW) has an ill-deined regional style in landscape architecture, there are often an inconsistent variety
of imported or derivative design applications across many regional landscape scales which can result in
generic, homogenizing, and ecologically pernicious landscapes that are inappropriate to the PNW region.
his research develops a guiding framework for PNW regional landscape design that is derived from a
case study method of evaluation. he case studies proile, document, and analyze two emblematic regional places:
Bloedel Reserve (Bainbridge Island, WA) and Salishan Lodge (Gleneden Beach, OR) which were designed by iconic
PNW regional landscape architects, Richard Haag and Barbara Fealy, respectively.
he analysis of these sites was structured by a list of general regionalist design strategies documented in
Hani Attia’s University of Oregon master’s thesis (2006). Documentation of the successful applications of these
strategies through photographs, drawings and direct experience at the two case study sites led to the reinement of
Attia’s generalized strategies into a list of 10 principles and 36 strategies that have enough speciicity to be useful to
design application in the PNW. hese regional principles and strategies are illustrated and described in a guide that
can be used by landscape architects to evaluate and create authentic and regionally appropriate PNW landscapes.
Note:
All images are by the author unless otherwise noted
vi
Abstract
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................2
1.1 Context
1.2 Problem & Problem Statement
1.3 Response
1.4 Purpose & Significance
1.5 Limitations
2. METHODS.........................................................................................................6
2.1 Methodological Approach
2.2 Process
3. REGIONALISM..................................................................................................16
3.1 Regionalism in Landscape Architecture
3.2 The Prairie Style
3.3 The California Style
3.4 The PNW Region
4. CASE STUDY PROFILES.....................................................................................28
4.1 Emblematic Regional Designers
4.2 Emblematic Regional Designs
4.3 Bloedel Reserve
4.4 Salishan Lodge
5. RESULTS ........................................................................................................34
5.1 Principles & Strategies of PNW Landscape Design
6. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................. 86
6.1 Conclusion and Discussion
6.2 10 Principles and 36 Strategies
7. APPENDIX ..................................................................................................... ..90
7.1 Strategy Deconstruction
7.2 Case Study Template for Analysis of Existing Sites
7.3 Case Study Template for Evaluation of New Sites
8. WORKS CITED ...............................................................................................102
Table of Contents
vii
1.0
Introduction
1.1 Context
T
Figure 1.1 Pacific Northwest bioregion as defined
by watersheds. Darkest color green indicates most
characteristic PNW landscape: Coastal temperate
rainforest. Image: Ecotrust.
2
Introduction
he Paciic Northwest (PNW) region stretches
from Northern California to Southern Alaska
along the Paciic Ocean, west of the Cascade
mountain range. (Figure 1.1) his region is
united by a common climatic, hydrological, geophysical,
ecological, historical and cultural context that informs site
design goals and decisions, and it is this palette of similar
features and conditions that is the essence of regional
character. his research deines the regional boundaries of
the Paciic Northwest using the Environmental Protection
Agency’s deinition of ecoregions, which are “areas within
which ecosystems (and the type, quality, and quantity of
environmental resources) are generally similar. hey are
designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research,
assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems
and ecosystem components” (EPA 2013). his framework
was chosen because it builds on decades of work on the
type, quality and quantity of regional resources from
international and multidisciplinary sources.
To focus this study within the broader PNW
region, this research will address only the Level III
ecoregions that exist between the Paciic Ocean and the
Cascades Mountain Range in the states of Washington
and Oregon, which include the Coast Range, the Puget
Lowland, the Willamette Valley, and the Cascades
regions. (Figure 1.2) hese ecoregions were created by
“...analyzing the spatial patterns and the composition
of biotic and abiotic phenomena that afect or relect
diferences in ecosystem quality and integrity. hese
phenomena include geology, physiography, vegetation,
climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology” (EPA
2013). he goal of this research is to establish a list of
regional design principles and strategies that derive from
emblematic Paciic Northwest landscapes and which can
be applied at a variety of scales in regionalist landscape
design.
Regionalism, according to Oregon State University
historian William Robbins, is largely a mental construction,
but one based in physiological fact. It “implies a broadly
based common perception of social reality which, while not
simply and lucidly deined, directs attention to the shared
particularisms of one’s roots, values, and sense of purpose”
(Robbins 1983). It is a topic that has been addressed by
many disciplines, including the humanities, the sciences,
and design. Regionalism is an especially relevant topic in
landscape architecture given the signiicance of existing
natural and cultural referents that the profession uses
in crafting meaningful and appropriate outdoor space.
Regionalism, however, is not a single concept and there
is not just one single type or approach to consider. In his
University of Oregon landscape architectural master’s
thesis Expressing Regional Identity in Urban Parks, Hani
Attia identiies nine distinct types of regionalism that
have emerged since the 17th century. his paper will
familiarize the reader with each of these branches, with
special attention paid to Critical Regionalism, the type
that appears to have the most theoretical heft and useful
application to design.
While regionalist principles and strategies of
landscape design have been formulated for other places,
such as the American Midwest and California, there does
not seem to be a deinitive typology or classiication for
the Paciic Northwest region. he Prairie Style regionalist
landscape movement of the American Midwest was
developed, described and practiced in the late 19th and early
20th centuries by designers such as Jens Jenson and O.C.
Simonds under the auspices of landscape horticulturist
professor Wilhelm Miller of the University of Illinois
(Grese 1995). Jenson and Simonds were contemporaries
of Frank Lloyd Wright, who spearheaded a parallel
regionally-inspired movement in architecture. here is
also a California Style regional landscape movement
which was practiced by homas Church, Garett Eckbo
and Lawrence Halprin, among others. his style fuses
Mediterranean forms and materials with modernist
sensibilities and an American lifestyle.
While these styles have been inluential in the
development of regionalist practice in the PNW region,
there is relatively little scholarship or direction regarding
the goals, objectives, strategies or principles of a PNW
landscape regionalist style. his research attempts to add
Bloedel Reserve
Bainbridge Island, WA
Salishan Lodge
Gleneden Beach, OR
Figure 1.2 PNW Region as defined in this study using
United States EPA Ecoregions. Bloedel Reserve and
Salishan Lodge, the case study locations are shown.
to the existing lexicon of regionalist styles and to address
this lack of deinition by suggesting appropriate, authentic
and meaningful strategies for PNW landscape design.
hese strategies are intended to address the problems of
generic, derivative or ecologically pernicious landscape
designs that are inappropriate the PNW region.
1.2 Problem & Problem Statement
A
s the modern world becomes more globalized
and hyper-connected, there are many great
advantages to society in the access, availability
and quality of goods, services and information.
here are also signiicant problems of a globalized world:
among these are the loss of local identity, traditions and
culture, the loss of plant and animal communities, and
the loss of meaningful and fulilling connections to a
speciic place. Regionalism, as a conscious approach to
landscape design, can be an antidote to these losses and
to the homogenized ‘placelessness’ described by critical
regionalists.
Introduction
3
To combat the forces of conformity and
homogeneity in landscape design we can take cues from
the designers and places that embody an intelligent and
authentic distillation of regional character, and which have
successfully relected both natural and cultural values
of a place back into the wider community. his research
seeks to reveal the speciic design strategies of two such
places and to formulate a transferable approach to both
evaluate the regionalist character of built places, and to
guide new design work to more authentically relect a
speciic PNW regionalism.
his research focuses on the formulation and
application of a case study method that qualitatively
tests the degree to which regional character is expressed
at two separate sites that are demonstrably emblematic
of a PNW regional landscape style. he irst site is the
Bloedel Reserve, located 30 miles outside of Seattle on
Bainbridge Island, Washington, which was designed
by Richard Haag, FASLA. he second case study site,
Salishan Lodge, is located on the central Oregon coast
and was designed by Barbara Fealy, FASLA. (Figure
1.2) Both of these designers are widely considered to be
leading igures in PNW regional landscape architecture.
he primary goal of this research is to extract
transferable design lessons from a case study analysis of
Bloedel Reserve and Salishan Lodge in order to develop
a list of regional design strategies which derive from
emblematic PNW landscapes and can be applied to
landscape design across scales.
1.3 Response
B
y connecting the global context to the local
place via regionalist design, the genius loci,
or ‘spirit of the place’, can be revealed, and
universal principles of design can be funneled
into site-speciic applications. he output of this project is
a guide to authentic PNW regionalist design that, when
applied, can make a signiicant positive impact on the
region’s livability, beauty and sense of place.
he validity of this research rests in a constructivist
approach whereby knowledge is acquired and classiied
through the interactions between the objective landscape
and the subjective researcher. his approach yields new
4
Introduction
Figure 1.3 “Mother and Child” by PNW native artist
Keith Tait. The symbols and stories of a region offer
powerful messages about the values, history, and
spirit of the place that can be imbedded in design.
knowledge about the landscape through a case study
method developed by Mark Francis for the Landscape
Architecture Foundation, which is an established and
common method of research in the discipline of landscape
architecture (Francis 1999). he precise path through
this case study was guided by Robert Yin’s linear but
iterative process of Plan, Design, Prepare, Collect,
Analyze, Share (Yin 2009), which was modiied to
include a Synthesize step where the information that
was gathered on site was classiied into a inal list before
being shared. his entire process was organized by the
framework of Elen Deming and Simon Swaield’s nine
strategies of inquiry, which housed the process within
known epistemological positions (Deming and Swaield
2011).
1.4 Purpose & Signiicance
T
he motivation for developing a regionally
appropriate and culturally signiicant design
guide is to inform and inspire PNW landscape
architects, designers, and those interested in
authentic regional landscapes to create places that are
appropriate and meaningful to the regional context
through the use of artistic expression of place. (Figure 1.3)
his research aims to develop a rigorous and defensible
position on regional landscape design that will serve not
just as a foundation for professional practice, but also as
a clear framework that can communicate complex ideas
to others in a useful and relevant way.
here are many prominent and inluential landscape
architects, designers and academics that work in the
PNW, and who attempt to design in ways that respond
to and celebrate the local region at a variety of scales.
his project will focus on elucidating the ways in which
two of these regional design experts found solutions to
design problems particular to the PNW. By analyzing
and organizing these solutions into regionalist design
principles and strategies they can then be applied across
scales.
As a landscape designer with aspirations to work
in the PNW region, I am motivated to delve into the
essence of this region, to express its character through the
medium of landscape design, and to produce appropriate,
authentic, beautiful and meaningful places for people.
his research attempts to understand and communicate
authenticity of place and spirit, which is an elusive yet
crucial part of the best landscape designs.
he audience for this work is anyone interested
in designing landscapes in the PNW. he ideas that have
emerged are useful for not just the celebration of our
unique regional character, but also for practical problem
solving that addresses PNW climate, soils, plant palette
and other speciic conditions.
he people that would most beneit from this
research are: landscape architects that either practice in
the PNW or are interested in regionalism as a concept
or guide, landscape or garden designers that work at the
residential scale in the PNW, and homeowners or local
residents that desire easily digestible design strategies,
examples of appropriate uses, and a clear understanding
of the relationship between the regional, landscape and
site scales.
he inal product of this research is a list of
10 principles and 36 strategies that are intended to be
scalable, transferable and intellectually accessible so that
they can be a resource for others attempting to design
or evaluate landscapes in the PNW. Clearly the full list
will have more information and options than would be
possible or appropriate to apply to a single site. However,
based on the existing conditions, desired uses, or other
programmatic concerns, one could use these PNW design
strategies as a resource to address speciic opportunities
or constraints.
1.5 Limitations
T
here are many ways in which regional character
can be infused into landscape designs and there
are just as many interpretations of the same
landscape as there are interpreters. Just as a region
does not have clear boundaries, neither does the concept
of regionalism. Regionalism is diferent depending on
where you are, when you are, who you are, how you are
perceiving the region and what you are perceiving the
region with. Also, the motivation, the ‘why’, will color
perception, judgments and results. While this research
attempts to study and extract the idiosyncrasies of the
PNW landscape, that does not mean that this knowledge
is complete or universally applicable for every project
within the region.
he full list of 10 principles and 36 strategies
of PNW regionalist landscape design are an attempt to
clarify and contribute to the emergence of a PNW Style
in landscape architecture, which is the result of universal
design principles and precedents being applied critically
to the regional context of the PNW. In this emerging
style the region’s natural and cultural forces converge
with history and innovation to generate new meanings,
media, and methods of design.
Introduction
5
2.0
Methods
2.1 Methodological Approach
Collect
Prepare
Analyze
Design
Synthesize
Plan
Share
Figure 2.1 Steps of the case study methodology used
in this research. Case Study research is a linear but
iterative process. Diagram adapted from Yin (2009)
6
Methods
T
he principle methodological approach used
for this project was the case study method as
outlined by Mark Francis for the Landscape
Architecture Foundation. Regarding the use
of a case study approach for academic and professional
practice, Francis asserts that “the case study method is
a highly appropriate and valuable approach in landscape
architecture,” since “he primary body of knowledge in
landscape architecture is contained in the written and
visual documentation – that is, stories – of projects ... hese
cases provide the primary form of education, innovation,
and testing for the profession. hey also serve as the
collective record of the advancement and development
of knowledge in landscape architecture”(Francis 1999).
Robert K. Yin outlines in his text Case Study
Research an established six-step approach to case study
research which is a linear, yet iterative process, in that
the products of research feed back into the design of the
method at various points (Yin 2009). he basic approach
according to Yin is Plan, Design, Prepare, Collect,
Analysze, Share, however, for the purposes of this
research it was necessary to add an additional seventh step
(Synthesize) where the research analysis was combined
and classiied before being shared. (Figure 2.1) hese
steps, which are valid in general case study research, were
integrated and carried out using a set of research strategies
that are speciic to the ield of landscape architecture.
In the text Landscape Architecture Research: Inquiry,
Strategy, Design, M. Elen Deming and Simon Swaield
assert that the complexity of landscape research often
make case study methodologies a preferred approach:
“Case studies are particularly well suited to landscape
architectural research, as the focus of interest of the
discipline is typically complex, multidisciplinary, and
embedded in a wider context, and thus hard to separate
into discrete factors”(Deming and Swaield 2011).
Figure 2.2 Suggested Format of Case Study Method
for Landscape Architecture research (Francis 1999).
Topics in bold are explicitly covered in this project
for one or both sites.
his research attempts to analyze the ways in
which two emblematic PNW landscapes apply a set of
general regionalist strategies. Because the chosen sites
at Bloedel Reserve and Salishan Lodge are amalgams
of historical, biophysical and cultural components, the
case study method appears well suited for this research
and appropriate for generating new knowledge out of a
rich layering of existing conditions. he question then
becomes: how does one parse and pry open these layers
and extract relevant lessons from them? How do complex
places yield concrete understandings, and what are the
strategies used to describe them?
Deming and Swaield outline four descriptive
strategies that are employed in landscape architectural
research to derive meaning and knowledge from a site:
observation, secondary description, descriptive social
surveys and complex description (including case studies).
hese types of descriptive research strategies are seen as
empirical, if they contain “...knowledge gained from
direct observation and experience of the physical senses.”
Furthermore, these strategies “...produce new knowledge
by systematically collecting and recording information
that is readily available to the investigator and does not
require complex analysis in order for it to be understood”
(Deming and Swaield 2011).
his case study analysis of Bloedel Reserve and
Salishan Lodge uses a “complex description” approach to
underpin the validity and value of the indings. he basic
approach, after Deming and Swaield, is the following:
1. Critically review previous academic research
2. Synthesize with empirical investigations
3. Use a range of complementary sources
4. Geographically deine research area
5. Consider implications for the future
Each site visit is broadly directed by these ive
components of the descriptive strategy and will be further
explained in following sections. hese components help
frame the extent to which research is carried out during
a case study; the next issue is the depth of information
that is gathered.
Level I
PROJECT ABSTRACT
• Photo(s)
• Project background
• Project significance and impact
• Lessons learned
• Contacts
• Keywords
Level II
FULL CASE STUDY
• Project name
• Location
• Date designed/planned
• Construction completed
• Cost
• Size
• Landscape architects
• Client
• Consultants
• Managed by
• Context
• Site analysis
• Project background and history
• Genesis of project
• Design development and decision making
processes
• Role of landscape architects
• Program elements
• Maintenance and management
• Photographs
• Site plants
• User /use analysis
• Peer reviews
• Criticism
• Significance and uniqueness of project
• Limitations
• Generalizable features and lessons
• Future issues /plans
• Bibliography of project citations/references
• Web sites /links
• Contacts for further information
Level III
IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS
• Archival research (project records, newspaper
articles, etc.)
• Awards or special recognition for project
• Copies of articles or reports on project
• Interviews with client
• Interviews with managers and maintenance
people
• Interviews with users
• Interviews with non-users
• Longitudinal studies of the place over time
Methods
7
Reflexive
(theory/practice
interactions)
Inductive
(theory building)
Objectivist
Constructivist
Subjectivist
Deductive
(theory testing)
Description
Modeling
Experimentation
Classification
Interpretation
Evaluation
Engaged Action
Projective Design
Argumentation
Figure 2.3 Strategies of Inquiry in Landscape Architecture Research (Adapted from Deming and Swaffield
2011). A Strategy is “an agenda of thought and action for knowledge formation”
Depending on the scope of the project and the
desired speciicity in describing it, Francis suggests at
least three levels of information in a case study analysis,
as shown in Figure 2.2. he irst, and simplest, is a
project abstract containing basic information and facts
about the site. he second level is a full project case study,
where a broad suite of relevant information is included.
he third level is an even more in-depth examination
with contextual or specialized material included, such
as archival research or interviews (Francis 1999).
For the purposes of describing and analyzing
Bloedel Reserve and Salishan Lodge, this research focused
on the second-level scale that Francis describes as a “full
case study,” however the degree to which each topic was
covered did vary from site to site.
STRATEGY OF INQUIRY
In addition to choosing an appropriate method
for landscape architecture research, it is also important to
identify an epistemological position that situates the work
within established theories of knowledge. By stating the
philosophical assumptions for this research it is easier to
demonstrate that any claims of knowledge are derived from
a particular, well founded position. Deming and Swaield
outline nine broad “Strategies of Inquiry” that academic
work in landscape architecture typically falls into, shown
in Figure 2.3. Each strategy, which is presented as “an
agenda of thought and action for knowledge formation,”
is presented as existing somewhere along two continua,
from Objectivist to Subjectivist, and from Inductive to
8
Methods
Deductive. he beneit of this classiication system is that
it ofers a concise framework within which the student,
researcher or practitioner can place their research, as well
as communicating the limits of their intent.
An “objectivist” position in this matrix is concerned
with maximizing internal and external validity, by reducing
outside inluences and the number of variables under
consideration. his is the position taken by scientiic
researchers. A “subjectivist” position, on the other hand,
is associated with the ine arts and social sciences and with
topics that are not so easily quantiied or reduced. Located
between these two poles, Deming and Swaield recognize
an epistemological position termed “constructivist,”
which assumes that “...knowledge is generated through
the interaction between the investigators (and their
society) and a reality (or realities) that exists but that can
never be known independently of the presumptions of
the investigators” (Deming and Swaield 2011). hus,
landscape knowledge is never “found or discovered,” but
is instead “actively constructed ... and must always be
interpreted in its context.” his constructivist formulation
allows room for the subjectivity of our senses to interpret
the objective reality of the world we are a part of. In a
McMaster University report on case study methodology,
Pamela Baxter and Susan Jack note that, “Constructivists
claim that truth is relative and that it is dependent on one’s
perspective. his paradigm recognizes the importance of
the subjective human creation of meaning, but doesn’t
reject outright some notion of objectivity. Pluralism, not
relativism, is stressed with focus on the circular dynamic
tension of subject and object” (Baxter and Jack 2008).
Reflexive
(theory/practice
interactions)
Inductive
(theory building)
Objectivist
Constructivist
Description
Interpretation
Classification
Subjectivist
COLLECT
• Empirical Observations
on site
• Documentation with
Photos, Sketches,
Writing
SYNTHESIZE
• Organization of 10
PNW Principles from 36
Strategies
Deductive
(theory testing)
Evaluation
Argumentation
PLAN
ANALYZE
• Literature Review
• Interpretation of
Regionalism / Region /
Designers / Sites
• Extract 36 Strategies
From Case Study
Observations
DESIGN & PREPARE
SHARE
• Deconstruction of
Attia’s General Strategies
• Generation of Case
Study Questions
• New Illustrated Guide
with Logical Application
at the Site Scale
Figure 2.4 The seven steps of this project’s case study method (Plan, Design, Prepare, Collect, Analyze,
Synthesize, Share)are linked to positions within Deming and Swaffield’s ‘Strategies of Inquiry’ framework,
which identifies valid research strategies in landscape architecture.
Along the x- axis Deming and Swaield describe
“inductive” research as grounded in the world of experience
and empirical evidence, while “deductive” research
is the “development of explanations from theory and
the systematic testing of these explanations through
formal processes of experimentation, evaluation and
argumentation.” Between this conventional dichotomy
there also exists a “reflexive” approach where the
researcher oscillates between perspectives – modifying
theoretical propositions in light of evidence and revising the
understanding of evidence in light of theory (Deming and
Swaield 2011). he seven steps of the case study method
previous discussed are placed within this framework to
highlight the research strategies undertaken at various
stages of the project. his research required the use of
ive strategies of inquiry: Description, Classiication,
Interpretation, Evaluation and Argumentation. he fact
that this case study method used strategies of inquiry that
exist both along the inductive – deductive continuum and
along the objectivist – subjectivist continuum demonstrates
the need for a lexible and diverse epistemological approach
to landscape architectural research. (Figure 2.4)
RESEARCH QUESTION
Deming and Swaield suggest framing research
questions within a four-step narrative sequence, so that
the logic of the research is evident and the purpose,
Methods
9
10
method and motives are clearly and simply deined. his
narrative is outlined below, followed by the researchable
question, which guides and glues the narrative and the
research project together.
1. Topic: I am investigating Rich Haag’s Bloedel
Reserve and Barbara Fealy’s Salishan Lodge as case
studies of PNW regionalist landscape design.
2. Question: Because I want to ind out ‘how do these
emblematic PNW sites express regionalist design’?
3. Strategy: I am using a “complex description” case
study method to determine the extent and depth to
which these sites demonstrate regionalist strategies.
4. Motive: To contribute to the understanding and
practice of PNW regionalist landscape architectural
design.
USTRATED GUIDE
SYNTHESIZE
10 PRINCIPLES & 36 STRATEGIES
ANALYZE
EXTRACT CASE STUDY EVIDENCE
DOCUMENT CASE STUDIES
53
PREPARE
GENERATE 53 CASE STUDY QUESTIONS
1
3
LAT
7
12
Informing this case study method were four
categories of literature review that nest in a hierarchy
under the larger ield of landscape architecture. hese
categories are regionalism as a general subject, the PNW
region as a particular type, the two case study designers,
and their sites as representatives of the PNW region. he
relationship of these to each other and to the research
as a whole is shown in Figure 2.6. he foundational
knowledge that was built within these four major categories
is what forms the theoretical basis of the project. hese
categories also structured the approach and constrained
the focus and scope.
10
Methods
COLLECT
SALISHAN
2.2 Process
T
BLOEDEL
53
Research Question: What is a list of regional design
strategies that derive from emblematic PNW landscapes?
o answer the research question a combination
of literature review, case studies, ield work
analysis and the synthesis of indings have been
combined to arrive at an understanding of PNW
regionalist landscape design, which is then illustrated
into a transferable guide. he relationship of parts and
products for this research is shown in Figure 2.5.
SHARE
2
4
8
13
9
14
6
5
10
15
DESIGN
11
16
17
DECONSTRUCT ATTIA’S 17 STRATEGIES
BLOEDEL
RICHARD HAAG
SALISHAN
BARBARA FEALY
PNW REGION
PLAN
REGIONALISM
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
REVIEW LITERATURE
F e
Research diagram showing relationship of
project parts and products. The Literature Diagram is
seen in greater detail in F e .
BLOEDEL
RICHARD HAAG
SALISHAN
BARBARA FEALY
PNW REGION
REGIONALISM
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
! Nested research hierarchy describing the project literature review and background research. Each
level is a representative and subset of the level beneath it
C Y:
his case study is supplemented with background
research and information about Bloedel Reserve and
Salishan Lodge as well as their histories, contexts and
designers, however the heart of the case study is organized
by 17 regionalist strategies recognized by Hani Attia in his
2006 MLA thesis “Expressing Regional Identity in Urban
Parks,” from the University of Oregon. Attia’s strategies
were derived from a synthesis of the nine previously cited
types of regionalism, as well as lessons learned from six
international precedent studies, interviews with regionalist
landscape designers and analysis of published works by a
variety of 20th century regionalist designers, critics and
thinkers, including Laurie Olin (1995), George Seddon
(1997), Michael Hough (1990), Suzanne Turner (1995),
William Curtis (1986), and Norberg-Schultz (1980).
hese design strategies served as a framework for:
1. Qualitatively evaluating the two case study sites.
2. Guiding future design on PNW sites.
Using Attia’s 17 design strategies to qualitatively
evaluate Haag’s and Fealy’s site designs required visiting
these sites as well as analyzing the published documentation,
design intentions and critiques. Using these design strategies
to guide future site design simply requires rewording the
strategies into the form of questions that can be asked
and answered in the site analysis and conceptual design
phases. Attia’s strategies are speciic measures toward
achieving local/regional identity – however they are not
tailored to any particular locality or region, and thus
still require local interpretation. For example, part of
one strategy: ‘Celebrate the local weather,’ will mean very
diferent things in Tucson compared to Tampa Bay or
Tacoma.
In order to tailor Attia’s general strategies to
the PNW region, the language was irst deconstructed
into conceptual parts and then rephrased using regional
details. he aim was to test the ways that Bloedel Reserve
and Salishan Lodge apply landscape design strategies of
not just regionalism in general, but PNW regionalism
in particular.
See the “Case Study Template for Analysis of
Existing PNW Sites” (Section 7.2) in the appendix
for the full case study form used in this research. his
form can also be used by other landscape designers to
analyze and understand the regionalist qualities and
conditions of PNW sites, which ideally will lead to more
regionally appropriate and authentic landscape architecture.
Additionally, the “Case Study Template for Evaluation
of Regional Characteristics” (Section 7.3) is a guide that
can be used by the designer in the initial phase of site
analysis as a way to organize and understand the regional
context of any site, regardless of the region. his template
is a variation of the one employed in this research and is
designed to guide future regionalist landscape architecture
projects, not necessarily just ones in the PNW.
Below is a 5-step process that illustrates how
Attia’s 17 regionalist strategies were deconstructed,
deined and rephrased into questions for use in the case
study analysis.
Methods
11
Attia’s 17 Strategies
FOR REGIONALIST LANDSCAPE DESIGN
1. Interfere as little as possible with landform,
hydrology and soil
12. Thoroughly research the plant palette for a
regionalist open space:
2. Celebrate the local weather and seasonality
and provide protection from it using
hardscape/softscape.
•
Use locally grown plant material,
favoring native plants or adapted non-invasive
exotics that offer similar experiential qualities
as the natives.
3. Preserve, reuse and celebrate significant
features, aspects or cues on the site, when
available, which tell a story about the place/
region.
4. Preserve typical regional scenery when
possible, and enhance the ecological function
of the site, and around it if possible.
5. Find a place-specific solution for a placespecific problem.
6. Choose one or two key representative
elements or processes (natural/cultural) as
a basis for a regionalist open space design
concept. This will act as a unifying umbrella,
boldly conveying the essence of the place/
region.
7. Repeat the most dominant natural attributes
and experiential qualities of a place that make
it unique, after analyzing and distilling them.
•
Don’t assume that all local nurseries’
plants are locally appropriate.
•
Use plants that give clues to the
environment in which they are planted.
•
Identify and avoid the excessive use of
homogenizing plants.
•
Experiment with endemic plants.
•
Acknowledge benign exotic trees that
have become iconic of a place.
•
Respect dominant natural and cultural
regional colors.
13. Refer to geology of place/region by using
local stone, geological form interpretation or
preserving onsite geological features.
14. Welcome and attract local wildlife.
8. Use meaningful local/regional elements,
historic and contemporary, in a new context
(defamiliarization).
9. Use narrative devices and metaphor that
can creatively tell a story and provoke critical
thought about the place/region.
10. Establish strong visual and physical
connections between the urban open space
and its surroundings for improved public
access and ecological benefits.
11. Direct user attention and thought to an
existing local/regional feature or icon and
compliment this, when appropriate, with
interpretive information.
12
Methods
15. Use sustainable materials that will preserve
regional resources
16. Encourage, highlight and celebrate local/
regional detail.
17. Record design intentions, clarify them with
management, devise maintenance plans and
conduct/encourage post-occupancy evaluation
so the identity of the place can be preserved in
the long term.
Figure 2.7 Hani Attia’s 17 Design Strategies for
Regionally Responsive Urban Space. These strategies
indicate ways to achieve regionalist landscapes,
without specifying any particular region. (Attia 2006)
-STRATEGY DECONSTRUCTION EXAMPLE-
1. Take Attia’s original strategy
4. Replace original wording with new deinitions
that make the strategy speciic to the PNW region
and operational for a case study analysis
“Celebrate the local weather and seasonality and
provide protection from it using hardscape/softscape”
he original strategy:
2. Deconstruct and reduce the strategy into its
component parts
“(Celebrate) the (local weather and seasonality) and
provide protection from it using (hardscape) and (softscape)”
Clearly this strategy is about two separate ideas: Celebrating
the local weather and seasonality and providing protection
from it. hese two ideas are also to be considered using
hardscape and softscape, which makes a total of four
distinct ideas in this one strategy.
Becomes...
All four of these ideas need to be separated and deined
in a PNW context to make this strategy operational.
1. Celebrate local weather and seasonality using hardscape
2. Celebrate local weather and seasonality using softscape
3. Provide protection from the local weather and seasonality
using hardscape
4. Provide protection from the local weather and seasonality
using softscape
3. Deine keywords and make them PNW speciic
hese deinitions come primarily from Attia and his
source material, but also from authors who ofer insight
into how his deinitions can be speciied to the PNW
region, or from the dictionary.
“Celebrate”: Honor publicly
“Local (PNW) Weather and Seasonality”: Mild average
temperatures; spring, fall and winter rains and summer
drought.
“Hardscape”: Hardened or paved surfaces for circulation
and gathering as well as landscape structures such as
breezeways, pergolas/arbors, fencing, seatwalls and similar.
Also landscape furnishings such as benches, playground
equipment or similar that are intended for long term
outdoor use on site.
“Softscape”: Physical plant material or naturalistic landscape
elements such as ponds/streams or landforms.
“(Honor publicly) the (mild average temperatures;
spring, fall and winter rains and summer drought) and
provide protection from them using (hardened or paved
surfaces for circulation and gathering as well as landscape
structures such as breezeways, pergolas/arbors, fencing,
seatwalls and similar. Also landscape furnishings such
as benches, playground equipment or similar that are
intended for long term outdoor use on site) and (Physical
plant material or naturalistic landscape elements such as
ponds/streams or landforms)”
5. Separate the distinct ideas in the deconstructed
strategy and re-phrase in the form of questions
Now that the original strategy is deconstructed, speciic
questions can be formulated from it and answered on
site. By more clearly deining the concepts of the original
strategy and breaking the strategy up into as many
sub-questions as necessary one can now use them to
evaluate how sites such as Bloedel Reserve and Salishan
Lodge use each strategy in a PNW context.
his particular example generates four separate questions
to be answered on site, each of which could be answered
with (N/A) if not applicable or not possible to determine.
1A. In what ways does Salishan celebrate mild
temperatures, spring, fall and winter rain and summer
drought using hardscape?
1B. In what ways does Salishan celebrate mild
temperatures, spring, fall and winter rain and summer
drought using softscape?
Methods
13
1C. In what ways does Salishan provide protection
from spring, fall and winter rain and summer drought
using hardscape?
1D. In what ways does Salishan provide protection
from spring, fall and winter rain and summer drought
using softscape?
Using this approach Attia’s original 17 strategies
generated 53 regionally speciic questions. hese were
answered on site as possible using the aforementioned
empirical descriptive strategies advocated by Deming
and Swaield (2011) and were constrained by the general
outline of a case study method given by Yin (2009) and
Francis (1999).
he full listing of all 17 deconstructed regionalist
strategies and their conversion into 53 case study questions
is compiled and presented in Section 7.1. hese are
displayed in the template form that was used for this case
study research, and which can also be used by others in
similar work.
"#$% $&'()* %+%" UTION
During the week of March 22, 2015, case studies
were conducted using the case study template to gather
information on Bloedel Reserve and Salishan Lodge. he
goal was to determine if and how these sites demonstrate
regionalist strategies in the ield of landscape architecture.
Documentation from the site visits involved illing out
the case study templates (Figure 2.8), photographing
instances of the case study questions, and sketching on
site. Published research elaborated on or reinforced direct
observations.
Approximately 384 photographs were taken for
analysis at Salishan Lodge and 370 photographs at Bloedel
Reserve. (Figure 2.9) his site documentation was then
organized into a database where various site attributes
from the case study could be tagged and analyzed. For
example, all observed uses of hardscape that provided
protection from PNW weather conditions at Salishan Lodge
or Bloedel Reserve were tagged together in the database
since these photographs addressed case study question
1C in the above example.
14
Methods
Some observed examples of hardscape that provides
protection from PNW weather conditions are the breezeways
that link all of the buildings at Salishan Lodge, which
provide protection from rain and sun. Others are the
non-slip textured hardscape at Bloedel Reserve and the
transparent awnings at Salishan Lodge which protect
from rain while allowing in light.
CASE STUDY: ANALYSIS & SYNTHESIS
Once all of the case study questions were
documented in the ield with photographs and these images
cataloged according to their attributes, the speciic design
solutions that Richard Haag and Barbara Fealy used at
Bloedel Reserve and Salishan Lodge, respectively could be
isolated into a list of speciic, observable precedents. hese
observations were evaluated irst for their applicability to
Attia’s general strategies and secondly for their speciicity to
the PNW region as deined. he resulting list of strategies
are regionalist design solutions that have precedent in
emblematic PNW landscape architecture. hese strategies
were then classiied and grouped under broad principles
which organized the list of strategies into categories. he
documented design solutions that these PNW designers
used to solve PNW design challenges led to a list of 10
principles and 36 strategies which aim to communicate
a regionally appropriate PNW landscape design style.
Chapter 5: Results, demonstrates the fully detailed
and illustrated list of these 10 Principles and 36 Strategies
of PNW landscape design. Precedent images from the case
studies are used to demonstrate the successful application
of each strategy. hese precedent images are then each
tagged with a code (1A, 3C...) that relate them back to
the case study template so that each PNW strategy is
linked to Attia’s original set of 17 regionalist strategies.
his linkage demonstrates how the inal list of speciic
regionalist strategies was guided by general regionalist
strategies, clariied by the dominant natural attributes and
experiential qualities of the PNW, and then iltered by
the designs and designers of two emblematic and iconic
PNW landscapes.
,-./01 235 The completed ‘Case Study Template for Analysis of Existing PNW Sites’ for Salishan Lodge. This
template consists of 53 questions for the analysis of regionalist conditions of PNW sites. These questions can
be answered in written form, but are more effective if also sketched and documented with photographs. The
coding system used in this template makes the organization of site photographs and initial impressions easy
to access and file.
,-./01 234 Approximately 384 photographs were taken at Salishan Lodge and 370 photographs at Bloedel
Reserve. These photographs were tagged and organized into a database and used to illustrate the regionalist
design strategies employed at the case study precedents.
Methods
15
3.0
Regionalism
3.1 Regionalism in Landscape
Architecture
W
6789;< =>? EPA Level I Ecoregions of North America.
“Each area can be viewed as a discrete system
which has resulted from the mesh and interplay of
the geologic, landform, soil, vegetative, climatic,
wildlife, water and human factors which may be
present. This holistic approach to land classification
can be applied incrementally on a scale related basis
from very site-specific ecosystems to very broad
ecosystems” (Wiken 1986).
16
Regionalism
hat makes the PNW landscape regionally
distinct from, say, the American Midwest,
the Southwest, or the Northeast? Which
factors fuse people and place into a discrete
unit, or conversely, excludes others from consideration?
In the identiication of regional style there is always a
simultaneous merging of past and present – of building
upon the conventions of the past with new and emerging
technologies, events, inluences and values. An ecological
division of the world can be an appropriate starting
point for regionalist landscape design, since landscape
design responds directly to the context of the place. EPA
ecological regions, or ‘ecoregions’ (Figure 3.1) are used
in this research and are deined as, “areas of general
similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and
quantity of environmental resources. hey serve as a spatial
framework for the research, assessment, management, and
monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components”
(EPA 2013).
In his essay Aspects of Regionality and the Modern(ist)
Garden in California, Marc Treib prefaces his discussion
of regionalism by organizing the conceptual boundaries.
“First, we need to accept that regionalism is a dynamic
rather than a static entity; that is, it evolves over time.
Second, regionality cannot be ascertained by examining
garden form and materials alone; on the contrary, it
encompasses cultural and aesthetic concerns as well as
ecological and environmental parameters”(Treib 1995).
he very idea of regionalism is debated by many
diferent academic and professional ields, but has special
importance to landscape architecture, the ield that often
works most directly with those factors that determine
regionalism in the irst place: the living landscape of
stones and soil, plants, people and culture. Landscape
architecture deals with the creation of meaningful space
Strongest Suggestions for a Designed Regional Garden: (Treib 1995)
Indigenous Materials
vs. Design Order
Natural Ordering
Non-Natural Ordering
Native Materials
Existing site;
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Plants
in Formal Arrangement
Non-Native Materials
Landscape Garden
with Specimens
Botanical Gardens;
Patio de los Naranjas
Figure 3.2 Matrix of Indigenous Materials / Design
Order. Checked boxes most strongly suggest a
regionalist garden using ecology. (Adapted from Marc
Treib 1995)
from places that are almost always steeped in history,
politics and an endless debate about what belongs here
and what doesn’t.
Regionalism confronts landscape designers and
theorists most directly since every element in a landscape
represents a choice by the designer, a choice backed by a
non-arbitrary reason to add, subtract, divide or discount
landscape elements that are in our repertoire or that
exist already on site. And design choices that ignore
the particulars of the region generally don’t or won’t
last long in the time span with which regions operate,
sometimes called ‘landscape time’. he question is then
how designers can tap into the spirit of the place, or the
genius loci, that lies at the heart of regionalist landscape
design.
Treib ofers four broad aspects of regionality
that can help guide our decisions. he irst is Ecology,
encompassing not just living systems of materials and
relationships, but also their use within design order.
According to Treib, native materials in a non-natural
ordering, or non-native materials in a natural ordering,
most strongly suggest a regional garden. (Figure 3.2)
Second is Idea, or the cultural considerations of not just
where regional references are made but also when they are
made – which time period is relected, and why? hird
is Function, and the speciic uses or activities that take
place in a particular region. Fourth is Aesthetics and
Style, aesthetics providing the inal sensory experience,
and style being “taken as both the concrete expression
of values as well as the speciic characteristics of form”
(Treib 1995).
his multivariate approach reveals some of the
complexity that exists when designing in a regionalist
manner; clearly the next issue is how to prioritize which
aspects to include or reference. A design that attempts to
signal or celebrate all of the ecological, cultural, functional
and aesthetic properties at once will be overwhelming
or confusing, so how does one choose? Often it is the
aspects of the region that are most relevant to the group
in charge of design, and can be used to further a sense of
identity within this group in the face of outside forces.
Laurie Olin explains that “...regional development in
broader movements often was (and still is) motivated
by the desire of some local group to express their own
identity and to resist being overrun by the personality
or expression of others or from distant centers of power
or inluence, Los Angeles and New York, for example”
(Olin 1995).
Not only are there diferent stakeholders and their
agendas to consider, but there are also many diferent
lavors of regionalism itself to understand. Attia identiies
9 variants of regionalism in Landscape architecture,
described in Figure 3.3. hese are drawn primarily from
architectural theory, but are highly relevant to the ield
of landscape architecture.
CRITICAL REGIONALISM
Perhaps the most relevant type of regionalism to
the contemporary ield of landscape architecture is critical
regionalism, since it has considerable theoretical heft and
a clear application to design. his term was coined by
Alexander Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre, who were upset by
the aimless direction of un-anchored modernism, and the
“anomy and atony created by placeless, homogeneous,
endless megalopolitan developments of the modern,
functionalist and consumer culture era” (Tzonis and
Lefaivre 2001). Architectural critic Kenneth Frampton
then popularized the idea in several inluential papers in
the 1980s. According to Frampton, critical regionalism
grew out of a resistance to the tabula rasa approach
toward place-making wherein both site and possibility are
leveled by a “universal civilization.” He advocates instead
to use elements “derived indirectly from the peculiarities
of a particular place” and to “deconstruct the overall
spectrum of world culture which it inevitably inherits”.
he tactile, experiential qualities of the place and its
distinctive qualities should also be addressed instead of
relying solely on visual and perspectival devices for our
understanding of region and place (Frampton 1983).
Regionalism
17
P@B TURESQUE REGIONALISM
D EG tH IJKMNOy JQRKISURMoOy IRaa V or design to
draw from the “natural topography and the
specific location, rejecting the illegitimate,
alien rule enforced by unjust princely authority”
-William Temple (1628-1718).
ROMANTIC REGIONALISM
Reacting to the wave of industrialization at the
end of the 19th century, romantic and sentimental
images and elements are used to evoke a bygone
era and to reaffirm group identity, e.g. sheep
pastures, town fountains.
OVER-FAMILIARIZING REGIONALISM
An extreme form of romantic regionalism used
by totalitarian regimes to combat modernist
trends and assert regional identity. Commercial
regionalism that only offers a phony simulacrum
of regional experience also fits this category.
CRITICAL REGIONALISM
A strategy that embraces modernism while still
retaining regional character. This regionalism
accepts changes in society and seeks to infuse
design with intellectual metaphors in addition to
sensory qualities. Foreign and local are fused.
FOLKLORIC REGIONALISM
A vernacular regionalism inspired by the
archetypes of the pastW XJw QRM erials and
techniques are not encouraged or valued.
IDEOLOGICAL REGIONALISM
A vernacular regionalism filtered through
modernist ideologies, especially freedom of
expression and radical rationalism.
EXPERIENTIAL REGIONALISM
A regionalism that recreates past vernacular
spatial and material qualities through the
analysis and interpretation of the designer.
ANTHROPOLOGICAL REGIONALISM
A regionalism interested in the dynamic feedback
between people and the designed forms and
values of vernacular societies.
BIOREGIONALISM
There is no nature/culture dichotomy, people are
part of the ecosystem which must be protected
from damage and exploitation. Political
boundaries should align with natural boundaries,
such as watersheds. Bioregions shape identity.
18
Regionalism
Figure 3.3 Brief descriptions of nine important
regionalist movements identified in architecture and
in landscape architecture. Adapted from Attia 2006.
Kenneth Helphand clarifies that “Critical
regionalism attempts to synthesize the relationship
between the universal and the local by employing the
particularities of regional culture, conditions, and context,
while simultaneously acknowledging their relationships
to universal and international forces” (Helphand 2002).
It is this tension between the universal and the local,
the generic and the speciic that is the crux of a critical
regionalism, which attempts to harness through design the
energy and friction that is created by holding a position
between opposing forces. Regarding this dichotomy
Olin writes that “...regionalist work inevitably looks in
two directions simultaneously: back to a past tradition
and to aspects of the vernacular and folk culture on the
one hand; and forward to new forces, ideas, and styles
emanating from elsewhere that must be dealt with lest
they overwhelm whatever traditions and regional character
may remain on the other. Central to the concept of
regionalism is the notion of giving a particular version,
a “regional” variation to some thing, force, or activity
that is widespread ... his strategy opposes co-option
by the rapacious and image hungry market through the
production of works that are so grounded in a particular
time and place that neither their image nor their particular
formal organization can be copied or repeated elsewhere
with success” (Olin 1995).
Treib elaborates that, “By accepting a national or
international idea and adapting it to its place, a dialogue
is established between the micro- and macrocosms in
which we dwell. he claim is that this will help root
the human being in a particular place ... thus it is the
act of questioning that a critical regionalism emerges”
(Treib 1995). he ideas within a critical regionalism
can be useful in identifying the history and trajectory
of various regionalist movements and styles, such as
the Midwest Prairie Style, the California Style or the
emerging PNW regional style, which are described in
the following sections, and which address the universal
aspects of design within a regional context. hese styles
have emerged from attempts to situate the natural and
cultural context of the place within a framework that
guides design decisions.
Z[\]^_ `bc Wilhelm Miller’s “The Prairie Spirit in
Landscape Gardening (1915)” demonstrates the
‘broad view’ (as contrasted with the ‘long view’),
which takes advantage of the horizontality of the
Midwest region.
3.2 he Prairie Style
he Midwest landscape is lat and modest,
composed of prairies and lakes, rolling hills
and a dominant sky. hese features can ofer
the designer both an ecological palette to work
from and an indication of how formal principles can
be applied to summon the drama of simple but strong
landscape layers. (Figure 3.4) In the late 19th century, a
regionalist Prairie Style of landscape architecture emerged
by situating design lessons from Europe and the East Coast
into a style that it the Midwest landscape. Over time,
practitioners and academics have been able to discern,
distill, and disseminate these principles and strategies,
leading to lessons about regionalism in general that can
in turn be reapplied far from its original Midwest locus.
he irst text in the canon of Midwest regionalism,
and indeed one of the seminal texts of landscape
architecture as a profession, was Landscape Architecture
As Applied to the Wants of the West, written in 1873 by
H.W.S. Cleveland (1814-1900) who is often considered
among the ‘founding fathers’ of the ield. Similarly to
Frederick Law Olmsted, Cleveland practiced a naturalistic,
American style of landscape architecture. In the mid 1800s
Cleveland joined the expansive rush from the East Coast
to the American West, where he recognized the need to
organize and characterize this emerging landscape in
part by using existing native materials in a naturalistic
manner, but also by planning prudently for future use
by a much larger population. According to landscape
architect Grant Jones, Cleveland “saw a need to design
American cities ahead of the speculators, railroad barons
and European investors who were seeking to make the
fastest buck in the West. Cleveland sought to use the
features of the land – the escarpments, ridges, rivers and
lakes – as armatures for city design. he profession they
[Cleveland and Olmsted] shaped embarked on a grand
purpose: To lay out whole communities and road systems
aligned with curving patterns of the natural features that
would express the identity of a city and its region”(Jones
2014).
Cleveland’s text was an attempt to shape a vision
for landscape design in a fast growing region that at
the time was at the leading edge of major westward
expansion. In fact, by 1870, when Cleveland had resolved
to stay in Chicago, which at the time was considered the
Northwest of the country, the area had already grown
dramatically. “Cleveland realized at that point that the
region must, in a matter of decades, match three centuries
of cultural development on the eastern seaboard. With
this realization, Cleveland, then in his mid-50s, set forth
to deine the landscape of this civilization amid the rough
and tumble of Chicago, the capital city of the emerging
Midwest”(Neckar 1995).
Regionalist work inevitably looks in two
directions simultaneously: back to a past
tradition,and forward to new forces, ideas,
and styles”
-Laurie Olin (1995)
Neckar suggests that Cleveland’s deinitions
had a deep inluence on the following generation of
Midwest landscape architects, including Wilhelm Miller
(1869-1938), Ossian Cole Simonds (1851-1931), and Jens
Jenson (1860-1951), who would go on to craft some of the
most quintessential Prairie Style gardens in the Midwest
and as well as communicate the principles of this style.
Cleveland’s thinking was originally inluenced by his
direct exposure to the philosophy of the Transcendentalism
movement of his native east coast. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s
stance in particular was “...a view of nature as the driving
motive of improvement on the American continent.” his
philosophy appears to have shaped Cleveland’s attitudes
Regionalism
19
toward native landscapes and the pure expression of
divinity that is revealed by them (Neckar 1995). In a
lecture titled he Young American, Emerson spoke in
1844 of the growing divide between a fading European
inluence and the emerging American identity. His
Transcendentalist hope was to “...further the most poetic
of all the occupations of real life, the bringing out by art
the native but hidden graces of the landscape” (Emerson
1909).
Perhaps the most deinitive text describing and
communicating the Midwest Prairie Style is he Prairie
Spirit in Landscape Gardening, written by Wilhelm
Miller of the University of Illinois in 1915. his was
an illustrated guide designed to edify the public and to
elucidate “what the people of Illinois have done and can
do toward designing and planting public and private
grounds for eiciency and beauty” (Miller 1915). he
precedents that Miller presented were largely drawn
from the works of O.C. Simonds and Jens Jensen, who
Miller saw as leaders of this style, which paralleled the
‘Prairie School’ architectural movement led by Frank
Lloyd Wright (1867-1959). Miller characterized the
Prairie Style in 3 principles:
1. he conservation of native scenery
2. he restoration of local ‘color’ through planting
3. he formal repetition of the dominant (horizon)
line
hese principles were then applied by Miller to
nine landscape scenery types that characterize the Illinois
landscape: prairie, lake blufs, ravines, riverbanks, ponds,
dunes, rocks, woods and roadsides (Neckar 1995). he
result of applying these principles is a landscape that
achieves both formal and ecological integration with
the broader regional context of the Midwest, as well as
ofering the region long-lasting living works of art that
can make people proud of their homeland and aware of
what makes their region unique.
Miller explains that applied regionalist
landscape architecture does not necessarily generate
novel compositions, but instead drapes local plants and
materials onto the preexisting global corpus of design.
“...he laws of composition are the same in all the ine
arts the world over. he Midwest cannot invent new
20
Regionalism
principles such as the open lawn, the irregular borders
of shrubbery, the avoidance of straight lines; it can only
apply them to new material ... herefore we should be
cosmopolitan as to design, and provincial as to material.
We now plant 90 percent foreigners and ‘horticulturals;’
we should plant 90 percent natives. For cosmopolitan
material surely tends to kill all local color, and without
that no good art can exist” (Miller 1915).
Miller ofered examples of work by Simonds and
Jensen, who would often use native species primarily or
even exclusively in their designs. “...Certain native species
were used by both Simonds and Jensen as symbols of
the Midwestern landscape. hey saw the horizontal
branching habit of hawthorn and crabapple as particularly
appropriate in echoing the broad prairie horizon” (Grese
1995). Miller explains that “...the essence of the prairie’s
beauty lies in all these horizontal lines, no two of which
are of the same length or at the same elevation, but all
of which repeat in soft and gentle ways the great story
of the horizon” (Miller 1915).
he original three principles were expanded in
the course of this research and by Attia (2006) to create
a more speciic list of elements of the Prairie Style. his
list can then give clues to how analogous regionalist styles
in other areas might also be characterized.
Elements of the Prairie Style:
• A generally lat or rolling landscape
• Mosaic of prairies and woodlands
• Emphasis on horizontal lines
• Repetition of quiet forms and lines
• Openness of the sky
• Harsh climate that limits plant choice
• Dramatic seasonal changes
• Native lora that produces ‘local color’
• Non-natives associated with buildings or
formal gardens
• Landscape time (long lived trees are a
legacy for future generations)
hese elements can by useful for understanding how
the speciic character of a region is analyzed, synthesized
and then reinterpreted through the art of landscape
design. Robert E. Grese writes, “he prairie gardens of
Simonds and Jensen provide a useful prototype of garden
styles clearly based on the natural heritage of a region
... Both argued that their gardens were art, providing
idealized images of the prairie ... hey borrowed forms
and techniques from naturalistic garden traditions that
had no speciic geographic focus, but these were combined
with plants and patterns particularly appropriate to the
landscape of the Midwest” (Grese 1995).
By understanding the emergence of the Prairie
Style as being a localized application of universal design
ideas, bounded in time and place and reined by a selfrelexive critical regionalism, it is conceivable that every
region in the world could adopt its own regionalist style
in landscape design. It all starts with an understanding
of the region itself.
3.3 he California Style
alifornia regional style, according to David
C. Streatield in his book California Gardens:
Creating a New Eden, was centered on the
concept of “rigorously adhering to a design
tradition from a similar landscape region (usually the
Mediterranean Basin), by designing for patterns of use
that took full advantage of the California climate, and
by using native plants and other drought-tolerant plants”.
he similarity in California’s regional characteristics
to Spain and Italy led to the translation of many design
concepts from these regions, especially Spain, “due to
some extent to California’s own Hispanic past” (Streatield
1994). he long growing season and lack of sustained
cold enables year-long lowering cycles, and an outdoor
lifestyle that typically unfolds in walled landscape rooms,
which ofer privacy and protection. hese walled oases
were almost invariably centrally anchored by water in
either a well, fountain or swimming pool, yet usually
without the ornate detailing of their Italian counterparts - a
casual elegance is more evident in the California garden.
(Figure 3.5)
he irst modern California gardens evolved from
the forms of Spanish and Italian gardens and the arches
and adobe of California mission and rancho styles. Art
deco and Bauhaus from 1930s Paris also set the stage
for the irst wave of modernist landscapes, beginning
with the experimental homas Church and followed by
dfghij klm The California Style garden typically has
Mediterranean influences, solid enclosure and a
central water feature. Lotusland Garden in Santa
Barbara CA. (Image: hppr.org)
Garrett Eckbo, who put the style into academic language
while continuing to experiment and advance the style
(French 1993). he functionality of outdoor space was
paramount in this evolving California style, popularized
by lifestyle publications such as Sunset Magazine which
codiied the public’s expectations of function and form in
the domestic landscape. Lawrence Halprin, who elevated
this modern style past the personal and introverted realm
in his highly regarded regionalist designs at Sea Ranch
and other places, described the California garden as,
“a simple garden for simple people. It broke away from
renaissance patterns, attitudes, and principles of design”
(French 1993).
Treib places the emergence of the modern California
garden in the context and attitudes of mid-19th century
America, “...its design suggested that contemporary
Californian family life took place out of doors, and that
leisure was the reward for triumph during the war years
and continued hard work in the present” (Treib 1995).
Elements of the California Style:
• Enclosure of landscape by solid walls
• Connection of indoor/outdoor living space
• Centricity of space around a water feature
• Abstraction of natural forms into basic
shapes
• Juxtaposition of biomorphic/geometric form
• Rhythmic, lively repetition of elements
• Colorful, abundant lowers
• Water-wise and drought-tolerant plants
Regionalism
21
3.4 he PNW Region
npq rsuvsxz
he PNW region is an amalgam of cultural and
natural history, modulated by the realities of
topography, hydrology, ecology and climate,
and continuously changing over time. It is
a vast and dynamic landscape with a rich palette of
plants, people, materials, symbols, and stories that can
be used to inform regionally appropriate landscape
architecture. hese factors are briely explored here as
a basis for understanding the complexity of the PNW,
and as a way to frame the development of a regionally
appropriate landscape design style that is continuously
emerging from contemporary practice.
Humans have occupied the PNW region for
thousands of years (Pojar and MacKinnon 2004), using the
products and processes of this landscape and developing
rich cultures. hese indigenous cultures are a useful
source of information for how to design in appropriate
and authentic ways in the PNW, and these systems of
values, traditions and artistic expression continue to
thrive and develop in many parts of the region.
A thorough understanding of the PNW should
include knowledge of indigenous cultural and land-use
practices, since humans have been successfully modifying
the regional landscape for thousands of years and have
many valuable lessons on appropriateness, authenticity
ortland, OR
Eugene, OR
{|}~ 300 mile section cut of the PNW region through Salishan Lodge. Latitude: 44.9˚ N
22
Regionalism
and meaning that are pertinent to landscape design.
his cultural PNW landscape is continuously
shifting and adapting to new conditions, inputs and
inluences. In the face of global homogenizing cultural
forces a critical regionalism is useful to strike a balance
between the universal and the regional, the new and the
old, the contemporary and the traditional. In this context
the cultural lessons of the past are not to be reenacted in
some atavistic or romanticized manner, but reinterpreted
and abstracted in relevant ways to the present reality.
OPOGRAPHY
Similar to culture, PNW mountains rise and fall
over time, constantly changing under internal or external
forces, subjected to violent eruptions and attenuated by the
restorative efects of time. he topography of the PNW
between the Cascade Mountains and the Paciic Ocean
is deined by the volcanic rise and spread of geological
formations as well as the erosive forces of rivers and
depositions of loodplains across the landscape. (Kiver
and Stradling 1994). A typical section cutting west-east
through the PNW spans from the vast Paciic Ocean
to coastal dunes, tidal bays and estuaries, coastal forest
and valleys, temperate rainforest, prairies, savannahs and
river systems before rising to foothills and the Cascade
mountain range. Cutting sections through Salishan
Lodge and Bloedel Reserve reveals the topographical
context for these two sites. (Figures 3.6, 3.7)
Seattle, WA
Figure 3.7 300 mile section cut of the PNW region through Bloedel Reserve. Latitude: 47.7˚ N
Regionalism
23
PNW HYDROLOGY
Water defines the PNW, and is usually the
element most commonly associated with the region.
Seasonal moisture from the Paciic Ocean is contained
by the Cascades and either soaks the region in rain or is
stored in the snowpack, feeding the streams and reservoirs
throughout the year. he diferent hydrological regimes
of low elevation, rain-dominated areas and high elevation,
snow-dominated areas is shown in (Figure 3.8), which
shows how these two fundamental hydrological cycles
afect the availability and amount of water in the region.
his relatively stable and abundant water supply powers
much of the region, either in hydropower dams or in the
cooling tanks of nuclear reactors.
Figure 3.8 Low elevation, rain dominated streams
(Blue Line) flow highest in the winter. High elevation,
snow dominated streams (Red Line) flow highest in
the summer and require sufficient snowpack to flow
through the year (UW 2015)
PNW ECOLOGY
Designing in a regional manner requires knowledge
and understanding of the living systems that make up
the region’s ecology. Forests are the most representative
vegetation types in the PNW which are dominated by
conifer species (Pojar and MacKinnon 2004). he native
huja plicata, (Western red-cedar or Western arborvitae)
is known as the ‘Tree of Life’ to native PNW inhabitants
because of the primary role that this long-lived species
provides in daily life. “From birth to death, the wood,
roots, withes and leaves of the mystical, powerful cedar
tree provided generously for the needs of the peoples
of the Northwest Coast - materially, ceremonially and
medicinally” (Stewart 1984). his tree’s stature as a living
symbol of the PNW makes its native range one way to
understand and consider the boundaries of the region.
(Figure 3.9) he contemporary PNW landscape is now
dominated by younger forest stands mostly comprised of
Pseudotsuga menziesii, or Douglas ir, which is one of the
most useful species for modern society, providing much
of the lumber, paper, pulp and other forest products that
are produced in the region. (Figure 3.10) It is also the
nation’s most popular species of Christmas tree and is
featured on Oregon’s license plate, where it is honored
as the state tree. In landscape design Richard Haag
considered the PNW to be deined by its plants, and
speciically its trees. His design process was to use plants
irst for form, then foliage, then lower, fragrance, fruit,
and inally, visual or photogenic qualities (Way 2015).
24
Regionalism
eserve
Salishan Lodge
Figure 3.9 Historic Range of Thuja plicata, the
Western Arborvitae or Western Red Cedar. This is
considered the “Tree of Life” by indigenous peoples
for its central role in native culture. (Image USGS)
£¤¥¦§¨ ©ªª¦«§ ¬¥®¯
Typical PNW forestry pattern of timber harvests. Pseudotsuga menziesii or Douglas fir is now the
tree species most central to cultural use in the region due to its fast growth and many timber uses. It only
dominates the region’s forests through active management, as other late successional or climax tree species
such as Western Hemlock or Western Red Cedar would out-compete Douglas fir under natural conditions.
¡¢
According to the University of Washington’s
Climate Impacts Group, the forces responsible for the
distinctive PNW climate are primarily the interactions
between luctuating weather patterns and the region’s
mountain ranges. “Approximately two-thirds of the region’s
precipitation occurs in just half the year (October-March)
when the PNW is on the receiving end of the Paciic
storm track. Much of this precipitation is captured in the
region’s mountains.” his abundance of water contrasts
noticeably, however, with the region’s summer conditions.
“From late spring to early fall, high pressure to the west
keeps the Northwest fairly dry. hese seasonal variations
are related to changes in large-scale atmospheric circulation
over the Paciic Ocean” (UW 2015). Given this annual
summer drought, Seattle actually has less average annual
precipitation (37 inches) than New York (47 inches) or
Miami (56 inches) (Mass 2008).
This seasonal precipitation brings the most
dominant of PNW symbols: water. Ubiquitous, cleansing
rains rise from the Paciic and wash over shores, forests and
valleys and rise with orographic lift into the mountains,
where the rain cools and hardens into snow that coats
the Cascades and provides the source for rivers, which
rush back down to the sea - completing the hydrological
cycle.
Average annual precipitation in most places west
of the Cascades is more than 30 inches. (Figure 3.11)
Precipitation in the mountains is much higher, however;
the western slopes of the Olympic and Coast mountain
ranges - the irst recipients of winter storms - typically
receive about 118 inches per year, with some locations on
Case Study
Locations
Study Area
PNW Average Annual Precipitation 19611990 (UW 2015)
Regionalism
25
the Olympic Peninsula exceeding 200 inches per year.
he Cascades are among the snowiest places on Earth,
with a world-record 95 ft of snowfall recorded at Mt.
Baker, WA in 1998-1999.
Both PNW temperature and precipitation have
increased over the 20th century, which on average has
warmed about 1.5°F. (Figure 3.12) Warming was largest
west of the Cascades during winter and spring, while
the largest relative increases in precipitation occurred
in eastern Washington and southern British Columbia,
mainly in spring. here is good reason to expect warming
to continue as a result of climate change, with a likely
warming rate of about 0.5°F /decade. While future changes
in precipitation are less certain, overall, precipitation is
projected to increase in the PNW. hese changes have
signiicant implications for the natural resources of the
region, as well as the human systems that depend on
them (UW 2015).
Study Area
°±²³´µ ¶·¸¹ Recorded average temperature changes
in PNW. Red dots indicate warming, Blue dots
indicate cooling. The region is expected to become
generally warmer and wetter with climate change
(UW 2015).
üÄÂż ƾÂÇÈÂ
º»¼½¾¿»À Á odgÂ
Seattle, WA
Portland, OR
Eugene, OR
°±²³´µ ¶·¸¶ The PNW region is an amalgam of cultural, topographic, hydrological, ecological and climatic
factors. This wide variety of environmental conditions informs the development of a PNW landscape style.
(This map is ‘oriented’ in the true sense of the word, with East up. Image: LostManMaps.com)
26
Regionalism
PNW REGIONAL STYLE
he PNW regional style emerges from a synthesis
of all the natural and cultural factors previously discussed.
It is a style that blends existing design precedents with the
unique character of the region to become a true relection
of place. (Figure 3.13) For PNW regional style to be a
critical regionalism it must also consciously situate itself in
the context of the wider world; to interface with universal
design as well as learn from other regional styles.
Early regionalist movements in American landscape
architecture are diagrammed by Kenneth Helphand
(Figure 3.14), to show some of the connections, inluences
and relationships of the various designers who pioneered
and established regional styles. Frederick Law Olmsted
(1822-1902) is widely considered the father of landscape
architecture and his inluence on the profession can be
seen across the entire country.
PNW regionalism is one of the newer American
styles to emerge, in part because of its geographical distance
from areas with longer landscape design traditions, and
in part because of its relative newness in the context of
America’s westward expansion. It is highly inluenced by
the California Style and by Asian landscape traditions.
Some of the originators and practitioners of the
style such as Richard Haag and Barbara Fealy are scions
of Stanley White and thus have adapted aspects of the
Midwest Style to the context of the PNW region. heir
work at Bloedel Reserve and Salishan Lodge, respectively,
has set many precedents for the PNW style in their
consideration of the values, climate, materiality, spatial
conditions, dominant colors and dominant forms of the
region. heir contributions to the ield and to the region
are outlined and illustrated in the following chapters.
ÉÊËÌÍÎ ÏÐÑÒ Diagram connecting regionalist practitioners and the development of regionalist styles in the US.
Class handout from ‘History of Landscape Architecture’ by Kenneth Helphand at the University of Oregon.
Regionalism
27
4.0
Case Study Proiles
4.1 Emblematic Regional Designers
Figure 4.1 Construction drawings for Salishan Lodge,
Barbara Fealy. (Barbara Fealy Landscape Architect
Records, University of Oregon)
28
Case Study Profiles
t is unknown whether Rich Haag and Barbara Fealy
ever met each other in the course of their long careers.
Fealy was 20 years Haag’s senior and while both
practiced a similar brand of PNW regionalist design,
their territories of Portland and Seattle are almost 200 miles
apart. hey did however share many striking similarities
in their personal, academic and career trajectories.
Both grew up on family nurseries; Haag was
featured in the local newspaper as a child under the
headline “Kentucky Boy, 4, Attains Fame as Tree-Grafter.”
he young Haag not only became skilled at propagation,
he developed a deep knowledge and appreciation for
plants in his formative years (Way 2015). Fealy’s family
owned one of Utah’s largest wholesale nurseries and she
also grew up appreciating and working directly with
plants, from seedlings to large specimens (UO 2015).
Both Haag and Fealy studied at the University
of Illinois under legendary professor of Landscape
Architecture Stanley Hart White, inventor of the ‘living
wall’ or ‘green wall’ and older brother of writer E.B.
White. Both were profoundly inluenced by White and
his approach to artful, meaningful landscape design that
obeyed the principles of universal composition while
itting the characteristics of place. Haag and Fealy’s desire
for authentic, regionally responsive landscape design can
be traced back to their educations at the University of
Illinois where the Midwest Prairie Style was well deined
and practiced.
While both Haag and Fealy achieved wide
recognition for their larger projects, the oeuvre of each is
heavily weighted towards private, residential designs. Both
did scores of detailed, responsive, regionalist gardens for
mostly upscale clients in the Seattle and Portland areas.
Both used the extensive PNW plant palette to maximum
efect, crafting planting plans that were simple in concept
but brilliant in execution, aided by their deep knowledge
Figure 4.2 Garden sequence at Bloedel Reserve, Richard Haag. (Image: RHA)
of plants. Both were honored as fellows of the American
Society of Landscape Architects.
Haag is well known in the ield for his landscape
architecture projects and for his role as an educator at
the University of Washington, where he founded the
landscape architecture department in 1969. Despite
winning several design awards Fealy, is less known in
the ield, probably because her work was mostly on
private gardens, and she wrote little about her process
or methods. However, she is still highly respected as not
just a superb regionalist designer but also as a pioneer
for woman landscape architects. Her informal honorary
title, “the Grand Dame of PNW Style,” (McCormick
1993) and her deep body of regionalist work secures her
position, along with Haag, as an icon of PNW landscape
architecture.
4.2 Emblematic Regional Designs
T
he landscape architecture at Salishan Lodge
(Figure 4.1) and Bloedel Reserve (Figure 4.2) is
proiled in this research not just to exemplify the
work of two iconic PNW regionalist designers,
but also because these landscapes have endured the test of
time, retaining their regional aura even as the landscape
has grown, adapted and changed. Many styles have
come and gone since Salishan Lodge was planted in the
mid-’60s or Bloedel Reserve 20 years after, and these
landscapes have lasted with remarkably little change to
their core elements. Timelessness is what makes a landscape
emblematic, and what these two sites have in common is
the classic way that their designs relect regional qualities,
stabilizing our conception of an authentic landscape, and
enduring as living paragons of PNW style.
While Bloedel Reserve and Salishan Lodge make
for an appropriate study of PNW landscape design, it is
important to state that they are merely representative of,
not comprehensive to, the style. hey are both located
on the coastal edge of the region, which in many ways
ampliies common regional characteristics, such as rain
and the marine inluence, but they do not address regional
design challenges that exist in the valleys or mountains.
A more comprehensive case study of PNW Style would
include sites in the Cascades, urban centers and the
agricultural valleys as well as savannahs, wetlands and
old-growth forests.
his study is intended to be a starting point in an
evolving conceptualization of PNW regionalism, which
is a dynamic and dramatic style of landscape design
that is deeply rooted in the natural world and in natural
materials. he PNW Style has now been inluenced by
many waves of cultural change, that wash and ilter
through the region over time.
Typical of most landscapes in the PNW, both
Bloedel Reserve and Salishan Lodge are built in the
historical wake of deep ecological and social disturbance.
In a matter of centuries the trees, salmon and people who
lived on these lands for millennia were all but wiped
clean. he landscape is now recovering, but will never
Case Study Profiles
29
reclaim the conditions that once existed, for better or
for worse. What is emerging is a new PNW, radically
reorganized and beholden to a globalized society where
commodiication and uniformity make for better business.
In the face of this new paradigm, however, is the will to
stay true to the icons, the symbols, and the spirit that
make the region authentic, lasting and meaningful.
4.3 Bloedel Reserve
he landscape at Bloedel Reserve is a palimpsest
of responses, reacting to several levels of the site’s
disturbance. European and Asian inluences
have illed many ecological and cultural voids
opened by the clearing and conquest of the native PNW
landscape, but now the foreign and the native grow
simultaneously, hybridizing a style that will continue to
emerge and be tested by natural and artiicial selection.
Prentice Bloedel (1900-1996) was the creator and
curator of this emerging PNW landscape on Bainbridge
Island, located just 30 minutes by ferry from Seattle. His
family’s fortune was made by the clear-cutting of timber
in the region and he seemingly felt obligated to return
his estate to some exalted, aesthetic version of the region’s
‘natural’ condition. Prentice describes the mission of the
Bloedel Reserve:
“Its primary purpose is the creation and maintenance
of a place where people enjoy natural beauty as evidenced
by plants. It will specialize in the wildlowers, shrubs
and trees native to this area and the woods, ields and
streams which are their natural environment... The
Reserve as a whole should be an example of man working
harmoniously with nature; where his power to manage
is used cautiously and wisely.” (Kreisman 1998)
Richard Haag’s Zen temperament and personal
philosophies made him a natural ally in this goal and in
1978 his oice won the commission to craft a masterplan
for the Reserve. Haag’s designs always follow a six-step
process, an order-of-operations where one step must
be solved before moving on to the next. his process
is Space, Scale, Circulation, Earth, Water, Plants. All
were addressed in some way over his years of work at
Bloedel Reserve, from the layout of conceptual spaces,
to the detailed experience of moving through the site.
His major contributions to the Reserve began with the
30
Case Study Profiles
design of the circulation system, which he curved and
wound through the site so as to slow down the visitor.
his was not just to make the space seem larger and
more varied, but also to maximize the opportunities to
appreciate the details and nuances of the enclosed PNW
landscape (Way 2015).
Haag earned his second ASLA President’s Award
of Excellence (1986) for his work at the Bloedel Reserve
which featured four diferent gardens, designed to be
experienced in sequence. (Figure 4.2) hese were the
geometric and Zen-style Garden of Planes, the primordial
and dark Moss Garden, the meditative and elegant
Relection Pool and the naturalistic Alder Pond, which
was designed to be more habitat than garden, more for
the birds than for the bird-watchers.
According to historian haïsa Way of the University
of Washington and author of a monograph on Haag’s
life and works, “In the Bloedel Reserve design, Haag
brought his use of land-sculpting techniques to their
most complex and elegant. He drew on his horticultural
knowledge and growing ecological awareness to develop
a design that appeared to be as much about cultural
inscriptions as about natural systems. he role of growth
and decay in landscape, both spiritually and ecologically,
and the emphasis on native plants came together in this
design, which remains iconic of his career. Haag treated
the Bloedel Reserve like a great earth sculpture” (Way
2015).
In the Bloedel Reserve design, Haag brought
his use of land-sculpting techniques to their
most complex and elegant”
-Thaïsa Way (2015)
In 1970, the Bloedels deeded the Reserve property
to the University of Washington and in 1974, the nonproit
Arbor Fund was established and an endowment created to
assure perpetual maintenance of the Reserve (Kreisman
1998). It remains one of the most celebrated and iconic
gardens of the PNW, inspiring the imagination as it
reveals the possibilities of regional landscape design.
Tables 4.1 and 4.2 proile Richard Haag and Bloedel
Reserve.
Bloedel Reserve
Richard Haag
Haag with students at Gas Works Park, 1981
ÓÔÕÖÕ× Ø on Lovinger
The Reflection Garden at Bloedel Reserve
Photo: RHA
BORN
DESIGNER
October 23, 1923
Louisville, Kentucky
Richard Haag, FASLA (Building upon
work by Otto Holmdahl, Thomas
Church and others)
DESIGN EDUCATION
University of Illinois 1946
UC Berkeley 1949
Harvard GSD 1950
Fulbright Fellowship, Japan
MENTORS
PROJECT TYPE
Nature Reserve, Public Garden
FORMER LAND USE
Squamish Settlement, Hunting Lodge,
Collingswood Estate
Stanley White, Hideo Sasaki, Dan Kiley
LOCATION
NOTABLE PROJECTS
• Gas Works Park, Seattle, WA
• Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island,
WA
7571 NE Dolphin Dr
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
CLIMATE ZONE
Warm-summer Mediterranean
LOCUS OF WORK
Seattle, WA
SIZE
150 Acres
SELECTED AWARDS
• 2x ASLA President’s Award of
COMPLETION DATE: PHASES
•
•
Richard Haag’s Work: (1978-1985) The
Garden of Planes (defunct), The Moss
Garden, The Reflection Pool, The Alder
Pond
Excellence, 1981-Gas Works Park,
1986-Bloedel Reserve
ASLA Medal 2003
FASLA, 1983
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
• The Landscape Architecture of
Richard Haag: From Modern Space
to Urban Ecological Design, Thaïsa
Way, 2015
Table 4.1 Details on Richard Haag
AWARDS / RECOGNITION
• 1986: ASLA President’s Award of
•
Excellence
Over a dozen horticultural,
preservation and tourism awards
Table 4.2 Details on Bloedel Reserve
Case Study Profiles
31
4.4 Salishan Lodge
imilarly to Bloedel Reserve, Salishan Lodge
was conceived by a wealthy visionary, intent
on using the resources and materials of the
region to make a place of lasting value. John
Gray (1919-2012) was an industrialist, developer and
philanthropist who made his fortune in the chainsaw
industry, and would later recognize the development value
of Portland’s Pearl District, central Oregon’s Sunriver
and the Oregon coast’s Salishan Lodge. In keeping with
his values, Gray’s developments had to be more than
proitable: they had to ofer value to people through a
more direct and deeper connection to the natural world.
His love of the native PNW landscape was what motivated
the careful and environmentally sensitive development
approach at Salishan Lodge.
When Gray sold Salishan in 1996 to an investment
group the Oregonian newspaper wrote, “John Gray is
not just a developer. Salishan is more than a resort.
hose who watched Oregon grow the past 50 years don’t
refer to Gray as a developer. hey call him a treasure, a
pioneer, an idealist...” (Mayes 1996). On his later role
as a philanthropist Gray explained, “I made the money
here (Paciic Northwest), I’ll give most of it back, all
of it probably. I feel strongly about that. I came from
nothing, good parenting, good mother, we didn’t have any
money. My timing was good, I got a good education...”
To perpetuate these values and in honor of Fealy’s death
in 2001, Gray endowed the University of Oregon with
$104,000 to establish the Barbara Fealy Scholarship in
Landscape Architecture (Stone 2006).
he tremendous legacy that Gray left across
Oregon was supported and realized by the skilled and
thoughtful people he brought onto his projects. Fealy
was an obvious choice to design Salishan’s landscape, as
her personal style was to elevate native PNW plants to
the stature and sophistication in landscape architecture
that previously had not been understood or attempted at
a grand scale. he buildings were designed by regionalist
architect John Storrs who described Gray’s concept as, “we
want this lodge to appear as though it had been dropped
into the woods”. For Fealy, “It was an opportunity for
all of us to do our best” (Stone 2006).
Fealy described her process to achieve a regionalist
landscape in Landscape Architecture Magazine where
Salishan was the cover story of the Jan 1967 issue. “Building
32
Case Study Profiles
and landscape work were inished at the same time. he
grading concept was to blend the area back into the forest.
his allowed for much undulation in form. Berms and
hummocks were created as barriers and blinds for privacy
between guest units, and to shield the playground and
parking lots. Plant material consisted of native plants,
especially the broad leafed evergreens and conifers with
which Oregon is greatly endowed. Gaultheria shallon,
Vaccinium ovatum, Myrica californica, Pinus contorta,
Tsuga heterophylla, Mahonia aquifolium, Acer circinatum
are typical” (Fealy 1967).
he reintroduction of native plants to this site
was important to the legacy of Salishan as an emblematic
PNW landscape, which is also a landscape recovering
from deep disturbance. his area was repeatedly logged
clean of trees, most signiicantly in 1917 when the massive
stands of Sitka Spruce were logged to build airplanes for
WWI. Fealy writes that, “Had the war not ended when
it did, there would be no spruce left today” (Fealy 1967).
As PNW coastal communities have had to
transition away from a resource-extraction based economy
and more towards a service and tourism-based one,
Salishan has been a trendsetter in how to attract visitors
and to showcase the natural amenities that the PNW
has to ofer. In its prime years between the 1960s and
1990s, Salishan was a destination for the well-to-do of
the region, who bought vacation homes along the Siletz
Bay and enjoyed the award winning service of the Lodge.
We want this lodge to appear as though it had
been dropped into the woods.”
-Salishan Architect John Storrs (Stone 2006)
he emphasis on regional art and craftsmanship
at Salishan helps anchor its identity in the region,
showcasing authenticity through PNW perspectives
and symbols which are carried through from concept
to inal construction. he site is responsive to PNW
conditions in a direct manner, embracing the weathered
and windswept regional character while accommodating
the needs of both visitors and locals. his balance of
meeting universal expectations while retaining regional
authenticity is what makes Salishan Lodge a success, and
a worthy model for the design of functional, regionally
appropriate landscape architecture. See Tables 4.3 and
4.4 for proiles on Barbara Fealy and Salishan Lodge.
Salishan Lodge
Barbara Fealy
Barbara Fealy, 1993
ÙÚÛÜ o: Landscape Architecture Magazine
Salishan Lodge
Photo: Salishan.com
BORN
DESIGNER
March 27, 1903
Salt Lake City, Utah
(Died in Beaverton, OR, 2001)
Barbara Fealy, FASLA
PROJECT TYPE
Spa and Golf Resort, Conference Center
DESIGN EDUCATION
University of Illinois 1925
FORMER LAND USE
Private Property, Logging Site
MENTORS
Stanley White, Jens Jensen
NOTABLE PROJECTS
• Salishan Lodge, Gleneden Beach, OR
• Timberline Lodge, Government
Camp, OR
LOCATION
7760 North Highway 101
Gleneden Beach, Oregon, 97388
CLIMATE ZONE
Warm-summer Mediterranean
LOCUS OF WORK
SIZE
Portland, OR
250 Acres
SELECTED AWARDS
• Oregon ASLA Honor Award, 1981
COMPLETION DATE: PHASES
•
AWARDS / RECOGNITION
• 1999 ASLA Centennial Medallion
•
Salishan Lodge
Oregon ASLA Merit Award, 1989
Faber-Lewis Residence
FASLA, 1985
Barbara Fealy’s Work: (1965, 1986)
•
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
• Exhibition Publication: Barbara
•
Fealy’s Gardens, The Art Gym,
Marylhurst Oregon
Barbara Fealy Archives, Special
Collections, University of Oregon
Table 4.3 Details on Barbara Fealy
Award
Mobil Five-Stars, AAA FiveDiamonds
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
• Loose Sandhills: The Story of
Salishan, Mike Stone, 2006
Table 4.4 Details on Salisan Lodge
Case Study Profiles
33
5.0
Results
5.1 Principles & Strategies of PNW
Landscape Design
Figure 5.1 Prior to case study work at Bloedel
Reserve and Salishan Lodge, the author traveled
through some of the region’s most emblematic
natural areas, attempting to capture the ‘local color,’
regional forms and quintessential qualities of the
PNW. Photo: Umpqua National Forest, OR
34
Results
he Case Study method as applied in this
research and as supported by the literature
has yielded a list of 36 strategies for designing
regionally appropriate landscapes in a PNW
style. hese strategies are derived from observed natural
and cultural abstractions of the region and are grouped
within 10 principles. hese principles are intended to
be used to further the understanding and application of
regionalist landscape design, which this research argues
is an antidote to “placelessness”, or generic design that
makes no attempt to celebrate a region’s unique qualities,
or to address its unique challenges.
Whereas the 10 principles are useful as broad,
guiding goals, the 36 strategies are more speciic and
operational and demonstrate various aspects of each
principle through their precedent at Bloedel Reserve
and Salishan Lodge, or occasionally other relevant sites
such as John Yeon’s Shire on the Washington side of the
Columbia River, or his Watzek House in SW Portland,
OR.
hese principles and strategies are the result of
two case studies, which were carried out during site visits
in March, 2015. All observations that answered the case
study questions (Section 7.2) were documented with
photographs and tagged with keywords. Approximately
384 photographs were taken for analysis at Salishan
Lodge and 370 photographs at Bloedel Reserve.
Prior to these site visits the author spent nine days
photographing (Figure 5.1), drawing (Figure 5.2), and
writing about the region while traveling through PNW
national parks, national forests and wilderness areas.
he goal was to capture the “local color” of the region
(Principle #10 as seen in this chapter) and to familiarize
the author with the variety of environments that exist in
the PNW, and to allow for deep relection and thought
on the spirit of this place beyond the two intensive case
studies that are proiled in this paper. his exercise
proved to be valuable in gaining an understanding of
the contextual PNW region which, this paper argues, is
a sublime and vast landscape, rich in symbolism, stories
and spirit.
While the following 10 principles of PNW
landscape design are organized around regional conditions
and traits, they could potentially be adapted for use in
other regions. he transferability of these principles would
likely be successful since they draw from a wide range
of historical and contemporary research in regionalist
design. he archetypal aspect of these principles serves
to make them suitable templates with which to generate
regionalist strategies in other regions. In contrast, the
following 36 strategies that are nested under the 10
principles are likely less transferable or authentic to other
regions, except where site conditions and contexts are
similar to the PNW.
he primary aim of this guide is to identify
and communicate the large archetypal elements of the
PNW regional landscape, and to give speciic, illustrated
strategies on how to distill these elements into the designed
landscape. Application of these strategies is likely most
appropriate at the site-scale of residences and estates, since
these strategies were primarily derived from precedents at
this scale. However, larger application at the landscape
scale or even regional scale would likely be successful,
since appropriate site-scale regionalist design is derived
from the larger context in the irst place. Scaling up the
following regionalist principles and strategies would
generally be a straightforward process of increasing either
the frequency, the intensity or the amount of the design
response to it the intended audience or area.
Kevin Lynch, in Managing the Sense of a Region,
explains how a palette of regionalist forms and uses could
be standardized by public agencies and applied region-wide
using a ‘system design,’ to specify appropriate regional
decisions. “Details such as pavings, fountains, fences,
lights, or signs; features such as cycle paths, information
centers, public corridors, light displays, or shelters; events
and processes such as festivals, decorations, or even ways
of piling snow; large elements such as prototype streets,
transit stations, or pocket parks,” and perhaps most
relevant to this research, “Design handbooks may be
Figure 5.2 Study of abstracted PNW color and form
prior to case study research. Fall Creek Falls, OR
prepared for public use.” ( Lynch 1980, emphasis is my
own). While not intended to be used as a prescriptive or
formulaic handbook, this research expresses a similar
desire as Lynch, which is to reveal regional character
in authentic, meaningful and appropriate ways, and to
share this process with others.
he intended audience for this work is broad,
from those interested in the intersections of regionalist
theory and regionalist practice to those who simply
want to understand which plant or material choices are
appropriate to the PNW region and why. his guide is
intended to inspire and educate the audience on how to
create and evaluate authentic, long-lasting and meaningful
PNW landscapes.
Results
35
10
Principles of PNW
Landscape Design
ÝÞßàáâãä åivæç èÞçéæ (Mêëìí î015)
PNW landscape design principles include specific strategies
for achieving a regionally appropriate landscape in a PNW style
36
Results
How To Use This Guide
Precedent Photos are Referenced in Strategy Text
Abstractions
of the Region
1.1 Reveal the size of existing landscape features
he magnitude of existing big trees, boulders, water bodies,
or other natural features in the landscape are often obscured from view. By
selectively revealing the extent of large features their sublime aesthetic can be
enjoyed. At Bloedel Reserve the selective limbing of a large cedar shows its mass
and height without compromising its overall form [1]. At Salishan Lodge the
massive trunks of Sitka spruce are featured throughout the landscape [5].
he following 10 design principles are
derived from the dominant natural
attributes and experiential qualities of the
PNW
1. Express the Region’s Sublimity
2. Make Time Visible
3. Celebrate the Region’s “Paciïc” Climate
4. Honor the Region’s Environmentalist Values
Selective pruning can reveal the size and extent of
massive trees and maximize their sublime aesthetic
Bloedel (3a, 7, 9a, 16, 11a, 12b, 13a,b, 16b)
1
5. Value Regional Artistry & Craftsmanship
6. Use Regional Materials
Photo Codes Reference Case Study Questions
7. Create Indoor/Outdoor Connections
8. Verticality is the Dominant Line
9. Enclosure is the Dominant Spatial Condition
10. Prioritize “Local Color”
Figure 5.3 Explanation of the image coding system
used in results chapter. Each precedent image is
referred to in the text of each strategy. Each image is
also linked back to the original case study question
by alphanumeric code. The corresponding case study
questions can be found in the appendix Section 7.2.
Each of these 10 principles are illustrated with several speciic examples from the case studies at Bloedel
Reserve and Salishan Lodge, or supplemented by precedents of PNW regionalist landscape design. hese strategies
ofer the landscape designer useful and appropriate guidelines for achieving a regionally appropriate PNW style.
hese 10 principles are presented conceptually from the most broad to the most speciic in terms of scale
and applicability to landscape design. his is to encourage the designer to always begin by thinking broadly about
what it means to design in the context of the larger spatial and temporal realms. Even if the landscape under
consideration is very small, or the program doesn’t necessarily demand regionalist strategies, these guidelines can
help imbue any new or existing design with extra layers of authenticity, and will generally lead to landscapes that it
and mature more appropriately into the PNW setting. Each strategy is coded back to the case study methodology
so that their derivation in existing, iconic PNW landscapes is clear. (Figure 5.3)
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37
PRINCIPLE #1:
Express the Region’s
Sublimity
ðhe PNW Region is Vast in Space and Deep in Time
Tñò Olympic Mountains, WA
38
Results
T
he PNW region is home to massive, towering
trees that can live for thousands of years. It is
home to raging snow-fed rivers that pour from
volcanic peaks. It is adjacent to the world’s
largest ocean and has spawned some of the world’s largest
companies. It is, in a word, a sublime landscape.
he word sublime is often used by philosophers
and landscape theorists to describe places or concepts
so large and overwhelming that they overpower our
ability to understand or make comparisons (Shaw 2005).
Originally associated with European religious revelation,
the American sublime is often more strongly associated
with Transcendentalism and the expression of divinity
through the natural world. The American West in
particular captures this essence of expansiveness, with
landscapes that engulf and diminish the individual and
impress not just with vastness of space but also with
depth of time and spirit. his depth of time is what
Elizabeth Meyer describes as a post-modern sublime
sentiment which can afect a visitor of Haag’s moss
garden at Bloedel Reserve. he visitor’s knowledge of
the disturbances, the history and the trajectory of this
landscape can sweep through in a visceral way - where
the palpable thickness of time and an understanding of
invisible forces are made clear (Meyer 1998).
To express sublimity in the landscape PNW
landscape designers can turn to the native tree species
that grow hundreds of feet tall over almost inconceivable
lifespans. (Figure 5.4) he sheer size of an object is often
enough to stir a sublime reaction (Burke 1958), which is
a trait that can be applied to the landscape using massive
design elements. Provided there is suicient space, a
sublime landscape can be anticipated, if not realized, in
a single lifetime by the planting of native conifers. he
well-placed giants that were planted in past centuries and
have survived today are a gift from one generation to the
next. Sublime PNW trees can become living landmarks
that silently conjure deep philosophical contemplation,
just as old-growth specimens in the protected wilderness
do. Mountains, thundering waterfalls and oceanic forces
can also be brought into the PNW landscape, although
generally only in miniaturized, abstracted form, or by the
careful composition of views that frame these sublime
features.
Figure 5.4 Massive Trees anchor the PNW. Salishan
Lodge retains several large Sitka Spruce that used to
dominate the area. During construction, buildings
were sited to avoid disturbing mature trees.
Lawrence Halprin, who designed several celebrated
PNW fountains in Portland’s downtown park blocks,
derived his inspiration and abstraction techniques by
camping at the sources of inspiration, such as sublime
natural waterfalls or a mountain valley, so as to soak in
and internalize the essence of the place. Only then could
the observed natural forms be intelligently and artfully
abstracted and miniaturized into landscape architecture.
To create authentic PNW landscape art it is necessary
to understand the symbols, forms, movements and
aesthetics of the natural, sublime landscape.
he role of the designer in irst understanding and
then translating sublime experience can lead to powerful,
enduring, authentic and truly regional landscapes. If
nature is the ultimate source of all art, as many artists
and designers claim, then to create authentic PNW
landscape art it is necessary to understand the symbols,
forms, movements and aesthetics of the natural landscape.
his natural landscape is found in its most pristine and
powerful state in the wilderness, the national forests
and other protected areas that are allowed to live with
minimal human interference. hese places must be both
protected and experienced to keep alive the sublimity of
the PNW.
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39
Strategies
to Express the Region’s Sublimity
1.1 Reveal the size of existing landscape features
he magnitude of existing big trees, boulders, water bodies, or other natural
features in the landscape are often obscured from view. By selectively revealing the
extent of large features their sublime aesthetic can be enjoyed. At Bloedel Reserve the
selective limbing of a large cedar shows its mass and height without compromising
its overall form [1]. At Salishan Lodge the massive trunks of Sitka spruce are featured
throughout the landscape [4].
1.2 Abstract from the Sublime wilderness
“he sublime
... is not in
nature but in our
mind ... Not only
are we unable
to sense absolute
limits in nature; we
cannot distance the
natural world from
ourselves in order to
measure and judge
it ... Nature exceeds
the human mind”
-Arnold Berleant
Multnomah Falls on the Columbia River Gorge is a dramatic, sublime landscape
feature which can be a regional inspiration for great landscape architecture [2, 3].
hese sorts of sublime, cascading waterfalls were the inspiration for Lawrence Halprin’s
celebrated sequence of Portland fountains [6], which are miniaturized abstractions of
the regional form. hick chamfered posts at Salishan Lodge mimic the thick trunks
of surrounding PNW trees [5].
1.3 Go BIG
he PNW is a sublime landscape that has sublime natural features. Even one
huge tree or boulder in a landscape can evoke the larger regional context. here is
usually room in any site to evoke the region’s massive features by incorporating BIG
natural features. Large trees at Bloedel Reserve [1] and Salishan Lodge [4] anchor the
landscape in sublimity simply by their presence. In general, large posts, beams and
structural members it the PNW style in architecture and in landscape [5].
(2004)
1.4 Incorporate the ‘Borrowed Landscape’
he surroundings of any PNW site are often endowed with powerful sublime
forms and features that can be visually and psychologically brought into the site. Typical
PNW forms and features are the ocean [8], forested ridgelines [7], mountains, rivers,
and canyons [3]. Designing views to a powerful distant landscape will make any site
seem more expansive and sublime [2, 7].
his concept of the borrowed landscape is well known in the Chinese and
Japanese garden traditions, which have had a signiicant inluence on PNW style - not
just in the aesthetic appreciation of landscapes, but also in the ethereal connection of
people to the spirit of place.
40
Results
Selective pruning can reveal the size and extent of
massive trees and maximize their sublimity
Bloedel (3a, 7, 9a, 16, 11a, 12b, 13a,b, 16b)
Pruning can reveal the
borrowed landscape
The Shire (3d, 4a, 10a,b,c)
Sublime forms are the
essence of the PNW
Multnomah Falls (3d, 10a)
Salishan’s layout scheme was to work around large
trees that so they could anchor the final landscaping
Salishan (1a, 3a, 10b, 13a)
Thick posts mimic big
PNW tree trunks
Salishan (7, 13a, 16b)
Regionalist landscape
design mimics nature
Lovejoy Fountain
Carefully composed views can take advantage of the
borrowed landscape and add a sense of expansiveness
Salishan (10a, 3a, 10a,b,c)
Views or connections to sublime natural elements add
power and authenticity to the PNW landscape
Oregon Coast
1
4
7
Figure 5.5 Precedent illustrations of Principle #1
2
5
3
6
8
Results
41
PRINCIPLE #2:
Make Time
Visible
N óô õöóó÷ ømóöùó úöûü ýþó ÿld
Bloedel Reserve Forest Walk
42
Results
T
ime is the aspect of landscape that generates
sublime form. he true scale of landscape time
is almost unimaginable to the human mind, so
when we are confronted with evidence of time’s
great passage it is often a profound experience. Standing
before a 200’ tall, 20’ wide, 1,000 year-old Western Red
Cedar in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is both a
humbling and an exhilarating experience. What is diicult
to comprehend is what the PNW landscape experience
was like when forest giants, hundreds or thousands of
years old dominated this region. Old growth forests are
now scarce and the power of the native landscape is rarely
appreciated, understood or seen. To imbue the landscape
with a sense of long time is to recognize and honor the
climax condition of the PNW region. To design in a way
that reveals and features the concept of time can vastly
increase the authenticity of the landscape and connect
to the ancient spirit of this place.
Elizabeth Meyer writes of the palpable sense of
time that is evoked in Haag’s moss garden at Bloedel
Reserve. “Our irst visual response to the moss garden as a
primordial landscape deepens into a spatial construction of
multiple time frames and histories condensed mysteriously
into a single room, a room in many times, an anteroom.
Deep time – the longue durée, the thickness of time – is
embedded into spaces and surfaces”. To reveal this thickness
of time is to achieve what Meyer terms a post-modern
sublime. he Sublime is “...a sensation previously reserved
for places vast in space, yet found here in a place deep
with time” (Meyer 1998).
Techniques for revealing the depth and span
of time can take cues from the structured layers of the
old-growth environment. Here the rambunctious growth
of mosses, lichens, and other epiphytes coats every surface
in soft spongy green, and the towering trunks of mature
conifers structure space, dwaring all other creatures and
providing a wealth of resources. To design with these
characteristics in mind is a way to anticipate and enable
the return of the true sublime PNW landscape.
If there are no existing features that invoke deep
time on site, sometimes it is appropriate to bring them
into the landscape. he transfer of large nurse logs, mossy
boulders or salvaged timbers can add an instantaneous
element of time and authenticity, and in general, materials
Figure 5.6 Maintenance = Longevity. For landscapes
to survive long spans of time there must be a funded
maintenance plan. Bloedel Reserve is owned by UW
and managed by the Arbor Fund.
should be chosen for their longevity and for the patinas
that they develop. he rust on steel, the moss on stone
or the weathering of wood reveals the passage of time
and the endurance of life.
PNW design should plan for a landscape that lives
100 or 1,000 years and which gets massive trees. Clearly
the scale of time should match the scale of design and
it is often not advisable to plant a Western Red Cedar
or Douglas Fir in a small residential yard. In this case,
a sense of size and time can be indicated without being
realized. Yet if space is available, planting native giants
is one way to ensure a landscape legacy and to bestow a
sublime landscape experience on future generations.
Materials should be chosen for their longevity and
for the patinas that they develop. The rust on steel,
the moss on stone or the weathering of wood reveals
the passage of time.
For most domestic landscapes there is a struggle
to maintain order and to sustain design intentions, yet
this maintenance is absolutely crucial. All landscape
designs with aspirations of longevity must clarify a
management plan that has maintenance funding and
which communicates design intentions to those performing
maintenance tasks. (Figure 5.6)
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43
Strategies
to Make Time Visible
2.1 Mimic old-growth conditions
...he bigleaf
maples are the
spookiest, their
hardwood branches
draped with sleeves
of moss and lichen,
a Gothic gown”
-Timothy Egan
(1999)
Old growth forests have many characteristics that can be applied to new landscape
designs to make them look and feel much older than they are. One characteristic is
that old growth forests are coated with epiphytes, which drape and grow over every
surface. Epiphytes are plants that live on other plants without harming them, such as
lichens, mosses and ferns, which can be trained to cover trees, rocks and structures to
create the ambiance of an old growth temperate rainforest [1, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Non-native
vines can also create this epiphytic efect [1, 6].
Fungi are decomposers that recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem. Medicinal
or edible mushroom mycelium can be injected into old logs or stumps to jumpstart
a productive conversion of biomass. Medicinal Turkey Tail mushrooms (Trametes
versicolor) grow naturally on a declining alder tree at Bloedel Reserve [2].
2.2 Cultivate material patinas
When materials weather over time they give an indication of their age and
character. he oxidation of metals, fading of wood [4], and slow erosion of stone all
are processes that reveal the essence and efect of time on the landscape. he speciic
patinas that develop in the wet PNW on regional materials imbue the site with an
authenticity and beauty that only grows with time.
2.3 Design for at least 100 years
To truly achieve the efect of PNW old growth it will take a long time. Durable
landscape materials should be chosen that will last or be replaced without compromising
the integrity of the original design. Conducting Post Occupancy Evaluations will
ensure that problems can be addressed in a timely manner and adjustments made to
future designs.
Every landscape needs regular maintenance to survive, which should be included
in the budgeting and long term planning of any landscape project. Recording and
communicating the design intentions with caretakers is also essential to the longevity
of the design.
At John Yeon’s Watzek House, thick durable old-growth lumber makes up the
garden walls [7], which support a wisteria vine that is original to the 1936 house [6].
Old growth lumber is typically now only found from salvaged structures and should
be reused whenever possible to take advantage of its lasting high quality.
44
Results
Epiphytes can add
old-growth character
Bloedel (12b, 16b)
1
PNW Fungi should be
encouraged on snags
Bloedel (3a, 4a,b, 16b)
2
Coatings of moss, lichens, ferns and other epiphytes
add an authentic PNW character to the landscape
Bloedel (3a, 4a,b, 12c, 16b)
3
A coating of moss and ferns creates an erosive, but
quite regionalist patina on PNW landscape materials
Salishan (8b, 16b)
The layering of successive generations gives a visible
indication of time’s passing and the cycle of life/death
Bloedel (3a, 4a,b, 11a,12c, 16b)
Vines climbing garden walls is an excellent abstraction
of virility and of the dominance of plants in the PNW
Watzek House (3g, 16b)
Old growth lumber should be salvaged from structures
whenever possible and reused in the landscape
Watzek House (3f, 16b)
4
6
Figure 5.7 Precedent illustrations of Principle #2
5
7
Results
45
PRINCIPLE #3:
Celebrate the Region’s
“Paciic” Climate
ummers r ve PNW Design
Bloedel Reserve Guesthouse Designed by Paul H. Kirk
M nters n rm
46
Results
F
rom the vast Paci c Ocean comes the PNW
region’s abundant water supply. Raining down
on the landscape, water gathers and pools, spills
and seeps into the ground, nourishing all forms
of life before returning back to the ocean via rivers and
streams. From the cascading waterfalls that tumble down
volcanic clifs to the muddy puddles that form along
well-worn paths, PNW water changes its character and
force in a variety of ways, requiring a variety of design
solutions to protect from and to celebrate the region’s
characteristic wetness. (Figure 5.8)
his PNW wetness doesn’t fall in monsoon torrents
as in other regions, instead it falls in slow, steady, deliberate
drips that saturate the region gently and peacefully.
Indeed, the adjective “paciic” is deined as, “Peaceful in
character or intent”(New Oxford American Dictionary
2015), which is an apt description of the region in both
the meteorological and the social realms. As Clif Mass
explains in his book he Weather of the Paciic Northwest,
the Paciic ocean delivers mild, temperate moisture to
the region that rarely gets extremely cold in the winter
nor extremely hot in the summer. he areas west of the
Cascades, which includes the area delimited by this study,
are protected from Arctic weather by both the Rocky
Mountains and the Cascades, which trap cold air from
the north and east. he region’s mild “temperatures
across the Paciic Northwest are controlled by proximity
to water and by elevation, the amount of clouds, and the
position of major mountain barriers” (Mass 2008).
Water is a powerful symbol of PNW character,
necessitating design responses that not only protect and
shelter from its saturating efects but also celebrate its
life-sustaining qualities. he following strategies illustrate
some of the speciic ways that Haag and Fealy have
addressed the ubiquitous rain of the region and revealed
its aesthetic properties through design, and especially
plant design.
he PNW’s mild climate enables a stunning
variety of plant species to thrive here, which enable
designers to select from a wide palette of forms, textures,
and colors and cultivars. It should be noted that both
Haag and Fealy were avid plant lovers, both growing up
on family nurseries, yet both showed remarkable restraint
in the varieties and combinations of plant material they
Figure 5.8 Rain-changing materials that reveal
unseen properties are one way to celebrate a wet
climate and animate the PNW landscape.
speciied in their planting plans. hey understood that
too many kinds of plants in the same design tends to
dilute the overall power of the scheme
Adding to the fortuity of the PNW plant palette
is the fact that some of the worlds longest gardening
and plant breeding traditions are from regions that have
compatible climates, such as China, Japan and many
parts of Europe, enabling the PNW to take advantage
of centuries of work on these inely honed aesthetic and
genetic selections. he PNW summer drought is perhaps
the most confounding factor for exotic plants, since many
of these specimens have evolved with summer rains. his
problem is solved in the PNW with irrigation, but this
solution relies on the optimistic hope that abundant
water supplies will last indeinitely.
Water is a powerful symbol of PNW character,
necessitating design responses that not only protect
and shelter from its saturating effects but also
celebrate its life-sustaining qualities
By understanding both the challenges and the
opportunities of a ‘Paciic’ climate, the landscape designer
can both celebrate its vital properties and guard against
its deleterious efects.
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47
Strategies
to Celebrate the “Paciic” Climate
3.1 Design to Celebrate and Protect from Rain
Because nothing
can be done
about the rain
except blaming. And
if nothing can be
done about it, why
get yourself in a
sweat about it?”
- Ken Kesey
“Sometimes a Great
Notion” (1964)
48
Results
Rain in the PNW creates both opportunities and challenges for the landscape
designer, since rain is both something to protect from and something to celebrate.
At both Bloedel Reserve and Salishan Lodge, pathways are textured with cobbles or
exposed aggregate, which makes these surfaces slip-resistant in the rain [1, 2, 5, 8].
Rainwater at the Bloedel guesthouse falls from gutters and lands in stone-lined splash
pads [2], which celebrates the water in a way that mimics natural falls or fountains.
Protection from the rain is required in PNW design, where even highway rest stop
picnic tables are outitted with rain-shedding roofs [3]. In Seattle, a bus stop sidewalk
is stenciled with a biodegradable hydrophobic coating to reveal artwork or messages
only when it’s raining [4]. Rain-changing materials that ‘activate’ in the rain are an
evocative way to celebrate and embrace the PNW rainy season.
Revealing unseen water through landscape design is a powerful way to
acknowledge the inluence and importance of this vital resource. At Bloedel Reserve
the relecting pool is designed to reveal the water table in real time [7]. he water level
luctuates seasonally with the rising and falling of groundwater.
3.2 Maximize the light
he predominance of tall evergreen trees in the PNW can lead to shady and
dark conditions throughout the year. his is especially noticeable in the winter when
natural light is at a minimum. Planting deciduous trees instead of evergreens along
the southern aspect of landscape rooms will provide summer shade and also allow
winter light and warmth into the landscape when the leaves have fallen.
A lighting scheme is an important addition in PNW style landscapes which can
often use a boost in illumination to reveal the nuances of shady landscapes. Salishan
uses an extensive system of path and spot lights to allow for navigation in the dark as
well as highlight plant or artwork specimens [6].
Water bodies are one way to amplify and scatter light from the sky and
illuminate shady PNW landscapes. here are several placid, relective water bodies
at Bloedel Reserve: the English-style Middle Pond, the naturalistic Alder Pond, and
formal Relection Pool are the largest [7]. his relective property can also be achieved
with the strategic placement of mirrors in the landscape.
Stone cobbles and exposed-aggregate concrete are
textures that make hardscape less slippery in the rain
Bloedel (2c, 6b, 10b, 13a)
Splash-pads under gutters are one way to highlight
and celebrate the aesthetic quality of falling rain
Bloedel (2a, 6b, 13a)
Protection from the rain must be considered in the
design of outdoor PNW landscapes and gardens
Dismal Nitch Rest Area, WA
Photo: Lyn Topinka
Stencils made with hydrophobic coatings are activated
by rainwater to playfully celebrate the occasion of rain
“Rainworks” Seattle, WA
Photo: Peregrine Church
Gravel and stone are
slip-resistent in rain
Salishan (2c, 10b 13a, 16b)
Still waters are an efective way to maximize the overall brightness of the landscape using reflected light
Bloedel (2a, 3a,b, 11a, 16a,b, 6b, 16b )
1
3
5
Lighting can brighten
overcast PNW weather
Salishan (2c, 15b, 16b)
6
Figure 5.9 Precedent illustrations of Principle #3
2
4
7
Results
49
Strategies
to Celebrate the “Paciic” Climate
3.3 Use non-native plants and ideas selectively
Haag drew
on diverse
regional plants, not
necessarily native
but regionally
associated”
- haïsa Way
(2015)
Natives are the preferred plants to use in PNW landscapes because they are
already adapted, appropriate and authentic to the region. If using non-natives, prioritize
those that ofer similar experiential qualities as the natives in properties such as color,
form, texture, scale, or massing. Or use non-natives where particular functional
performance is desired, such as drought tolerance, shade tolerance, or edibility that
makes the plant a match for the PNW climate [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Some non-native plants have through pervasive use become iconic of the
PNW. Some examples are Japanese maple [6], rhododendron/azalea, camellia [1, 2],
pieris and virtually all conifers [3] (especially unusual color and form cultivars). he
PNW climate is conducive to plants from a wide swath of the world, especially parts
of Europe, Asia, South America, South Africa and New Zealand, which is at a similar
latitude in the southern hemisphere.
Non-native plants and hardscape materials are more appropriate when sourced
from local nurseries, quarries and mills [5], and tend to be more appropriate when
related to buildings or other cultural structures.
3.4 Celebrate ‘Mediterranean’ summers
Wet cool winters and warm, dry summers make many parts of the PNW a
‘Mediterranean climate’, with the plant choices and cultural opportunities that this
climate suggests. As wet as it can be throughout the fall, winter and spring, summers
are remarkably dry and warm, which means that outdoor living is a signiicant part
of PNW lifestyle. Outdoor hardscape [7] and softscape [8] for gathering, eating,
recreation, etc. are important components of the designed landscape.
A Mediterranean climate also indicates a Mediterranean lifestyle which is
characterized by its slow pace and emphasis on quality of life. Fresh food and exercise
is built into daily life and the warm season allows for lots of outdoor activities. his
laid-back attitude is engendered and reinforced by the moderate climate, abundant
fresh food and water and many opportunities to create a healthy lifestyle in the region.
50
Results
Non-native camellia is
becoming assimilated
Bloedel (12f)
1
Many non-native plants have become emblematic of
the PNW through repeated and common usage
Bloedel (10c, 12b)
2
Irish yew resembles
native Pacific yew
Bloedel (11a, 12b)
3
Native Fawn Lily blends with non-native Primula and
Ajuga. Choose non-natives to match existing natives
Bloedel (4a, 12b, 14b)
Non-native Katsura
from regional nursery
Bloedel (12a)
Outdoor hardscape space is an important component
of PNW landscapes. Summers are warm and dry.
Salishan (2a, 10b, 16b)
Sotscape should complement hardscape and provide
space for the outdoors-oriented PNW lifestyle
Bloedel (2b, 10b,c, 16b)
4
7
Figure 5.10 Precedent illustrations of Principle #3 cont.
5
Jap. maples are now
emblematic of PNW
Bloedel (12b,f, 16b)
6
8
Results
51
PRINCIPLE #4:
Honor the Region’s
Environmentalist Values
stu
Co
i
a
uay a
abi a
a
Ad d, Bloedel Reserve
52
Results
I
n addition to a peaceful and moderate climate, the
PNW region, as delimited for this study, tends to have
peaceful and moderate people as well. Environmental
issues are taken seriously here, and many environmental
policies that become mainstream at the national level were
incubated here irst. Haag and Fealy both designed on
the cutting edge of environmentally conscious landscape
architecture, and environmental sensitivity was integral
to their individual design philosophies.
At Salishan, native plants and materials were
chosen in large part because of their low environmental
impact. Even the initial siting of buildings on the landscape
was done in such a way as to minimize damage to the
environment and to reduce energy and material waste.
To develop large properties using what is now known as
‘sustainable’ practices was extremely rare at the time of
Salishan’s construction, yet this has now become a common
model that many now adopt for the environmental as well
as the long term social and economic beneits. Developer
John Gray’s insight was to infuse deep environmental
values into his property investments. In a 1973 address
to the National Association of Homeowners, Gray
remarked, “I am unalterably convinced that for the land
developer, ecological consideration is another way of
spelling expanded opportunity, that the more intelligent
the land use, the more the proit potential” (Stone 2006).
What Salishan Lodge and Bloedel Reserve ofer
are examples of a speciic regional sustainability for the
PNW, where preserving regional scenery and enhancing
ecological function are goals. hese are achieved by
specializing in a native plant and materials palette, and
by designing to increase wildlife habitat. he result is
what Elizabeth Meyer calls a “Sustaining Beauty,” which
is “particular, not generic. here will be as many forms
of sustainability as there are places/cities/regions... hese
beauties will not emulate their physical context but act
as a magnifying glass, increasing our ability to see and
appreciate the context...It will be of its place whether an
abandoned brownield site, an obsolete navy shipyard, or
a lumbered forest. And yet it will not simulate its place.
It will be recognized as site-speciic design, emerging out
of its context but diferentiated from it” (Meyer 1998).
his emphasis on revealing and magnifying the
particular aspects of place is what Fealy means when
Figure 5.11 The Golf Course at Salishan Lodge has
adopted best environmental management practices
and enhanced the many natural area and wildlife
habitat opportunities that golf courses can offer.
expressing the purpose of Salishan as an experience of
PNW environment. “Salishan is meant to bring one
closer to nature where we can witness the gigantic forces
of the sea and the forest and the great beauty of Oregon.
It is hoped that all who come here will be renewed by
the experience of being in the midst of giant spruces,
hemlocks, irs and pines, by the sound and smell of the
surf, by the sight of the cranes in the marshes and of the
sandpipers on the beach” (Stone 2006).
I am unalterably convinced that for the land
developer, ecological consideration is another
way of spelling expanded opportunity, that
the more intelligent the land use, the more
the profit potential.
-Salishan Developer John Gray
In this formulation, PNW regionalist design is
about designing for more than just people - the landscape
itself is the client as well as the user, and every opportunity
to accommodate wildlife should be taken. (Figure 5.11)
Fealy continues, “he conviction that the preservation of
natural beauty, the creation and maintenance of blending
elements, is a major ingredient in successful developments
... Salishan has changed the attitude of the Oregon coast.
It is indeed an environmental achievement (Stone 2006).
Results
53
Strategies
to Honor Environmentalist Values
4.1 Minimize disturbance of landform, hydrology and soils
Landscape design at times requires land to be raised or lowered to create desired
landforms. his can be to improve grading and drainage, or to create a particular
vantage or aspect. Ideally these landforms are sculpted to mimic the topography of
the region, creating a microcosm of the larger landscape.
At Bloedel Reserve, landforming is used to improve ecological function as at
the Alder Ponds [1], or to achieve a desired aesthetic function, such as the earthen
mounds at the Japanese garden [2]. he ill for these mounds was brought in when
Haag regraded the east bluf of the property. Transportation costs and material waste
is kept at a minimum by keeping cut/ill on site.
You can have
lots of money,
you can have lots of
beautiful things But
your value system is
the real foundation
for the appreciation
of beauty”
4.2 Choose plants appropriate to existing conditions
–Barbara Fealy
4.3 Retain or create nurse logs, habitat snags on site
(Stone 2006)
Plant according to the existing hydrological and soil conditions to avoid costly
diversions of water or inefectual amendments to existing soil. Plant boggy plants in wet
areas [1, 3] and upland plants in well drained areas [2, 7] testing soils for pH and soil
type. he best chance of success for a PNW planting scheme is achieved by matching
the soil and water conditions to the native plants adapted to those conditions.
Remnant logs, trunks and stumps not only feed the forest and provide habitat
for many creatures, they also imbue the landscape with a timeless, sculptural quality
that radiates regionality [4, 5, 6]. he PNW grows on the humus of fallen trees, which
support more life after death than while living. If nurse logs or snags do not exist on
site they can be brought in and incorporated into the planting scheme to jumpstart
biological activity in the landscape or to add a sense of landscape time.
4.4 Rebuild lost habitat for PNW native ecology
Become knowledgable about which lora/fauna are native to the PNW and attract
this wildlife with necessary habitat, food and space. Add feeders, or plant native plants
that are food sources for birds, butterlies, and other animals [1, 3, 6]. Golf courses,
which often not designed or operated in environmentally sensitive ways can actually
be designed as ecological assets. he golf course at Salishan Lodge [7] is a certiied
Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary and has adopted best environmental management
practices to enhance the many natural area and wildlife habitat opportunities that
golf courses can ofer.
54
Results
The Bird Sanctuary was designed for its habitat and
ecological value. Ducks safely nest on sculpted islands.
Bloedel (1a,b, 3a, 4a,b, 10c, 12b, 14b)
Landforms and boulders are designed to mimic
regional geology in miniaturized and abstracted form
Bloedel (1a, 13a,b)
Native Skunk Cabbage is an indicator of the particular
hydrological and soil conditions of the Moss Garden
Bloedel (4a,b, 12c, 14b)
Remnant tree trunks and nurse logs should be let or
brought on site for ecological and educational value
Salishan (3a, 4a, 11a, 16b)
A nurse log feeds
many new species
Bloedel (3a, 4a, 10c, 12b)
A golf course can ofer multiple benefits for wildlife,
including habitat, food sources and connectivity
Salishan (1a, 4a,b, 10c, 12b, 14b)
1
3
5
Attract birds with tree
snags and birdhouses
Salishan (4a,b, 10c, 14b)
6
Figure 5.12 Precedent illustrations of Principle #4
2
4
7
Results
55
PRINCIPLE #5:
Value Regional Artistry &
Craftsmanship
!g" #$""%"w&
signed by Barbara Fealy
S h
D'
56
Results
W
hen quality, artistry and craftsmanship are
part of the design concept, the relationship
of the designer to the inal product is one
of care, respect and a desire to achieve
something great. Both Salishan Lodge and the gardens
at Bloedel Reserve demonstrate a commitment to the
ideals of artistry and craft, motivated in part by a desire
for legacy and relevance in a mercurial world, but also
by a belief that in order to express the character of the
PNW region, timeless symbols must be created that last
for generations as reminders of this particular time, and
of this particular place.
Barbara Fealy and Richard Haag are both designers
of high artistic caliber, and were chosen as part of
creative teams that included top-notch talent. But the
incentive for high-level artistry at Salishan Lodge and
Bloedel Reserve ultimately stemmed from the desires
of the project’s client. Both developer John Gray and
lumber baron Prentice Bloedel were willing to spend
considerable resources on their visions of greatness for
PNW landscape architecture, and thus commissioned
two exemplary works of lasting value.
Salishan Lodge is “a tribute to Northwest Artists,”
(Stone 2006) which roots its identity and authenticity in
the elements and energy of PNW nature – celebrating the
symbols of the sea, forest, sand dunes and Salish tribes
that have shaped the rugged Oregon coast for many
millennia. he natural world, as the source of all art, is
what inspired Barbara Fealy to create her masterpiece of
landscape architecture. Fealy’s style at Salishan, “arises
out of the Northwest – the land, the cedars, the rocks,”
according to Marge Hammond, the Oregon sculptor who
created concrete sculptures for Salishan (McCormick
1993).
In 1965, shortly after opening, Salishan earned the
Oregon Association of Nurseryman’s Award of Merit “for
its outstanding contribution to the beautiication of the
state of Oregon”. he award plaque is adhered to a huge
basalt boulder under a mature shore pine, right next to
another award from he American Society of Landscape
Architects (ASLA), which bestowed Salishan with one of
its Centennial Medallions in 1999, celebrating “landscapes
that improve the quality of life in communities around
the nation.” (Figure 5.13)
Figure 5.13 The ASLA Centennial Medallion
recognizes Salishan Lodge as “a national landmark
for outstanding landscape architecture”
Bloedel Reserve exhibits artistry and craft in a
cascade of landscape layers, from the careful sculpting
of site features, to the exquisite detailing of stonework,
to the innovative choreography of Rich Haag’s sequence
of unfolding landscape rooms. In 1986, Richard Haag
was honored with the President’s Award of Excellence
from the ASLA for the series of gardens he had worked
There is nothing that is in or out of vogue. It
is just a simple understanding of nature, of
proportions, of art and of getting the most
out of everything.
-ASLA Award of Excellence Jury Comments for
Bloedel Reserve (Kreisman 1998)
on at Bloedel Reserve. he design jury was particularly
impressed by “...the one quality you see very, very rarely
... the quality of soul or magical response. his project
is made of that ... It is where emotion and intelligence
merge, which is probably what art’s about ... He has kept
a very beautiful thought going. here is nothing which
is in or out of vogue. It is just a simple understanding of
nature, of proportions, of art and of getting the most out
of everything. his has great ecological logic. He didn’t
separate a knowledge of the ecological from knowledge
of art. he work was heroic” (Kreisman 1998).
Results
57
Strategies
to Value Regional Artistry & Craftsmanship
5.1 Incorporate artwork by regional artists and craftspeople
into the landscape
Salishan Lodge uses a variety of artforms crafted by regional artists to tell the
story of the Paciic Northwest coast. Artwork that is derived from the region not only
reinforces the identity of the place and the people who live here, it also can convey
messages through metaphor and symbolism about what belongs here and what is
important to the PNW. Custom artworks at Salishan Lodge [1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
demonstrate a range of artistic media and meanings, which combine in a powerful and
authentic way to elevate the landscape experience. Bloedel Reserve is the collaborative
result of regional designers who have helped shape the PNW style in architecture [2]
and in landscape [4].
It was an
opportunity for
all of us to do our
best”
–Barbara Fealy
(Stone 2006)
5.2 Enhance preexisting artwork, blending or contrasting
the new with the old
PNW landscape architect Richard Haag’s relection garden [4] is built upon
the work of homas Church, who irst designed the proportions and function of the
groundwater pool in the late 1960s. Haag’s contribution to the space - enclosing it
with an evergreen Irish yew hedge and placing the landscape room within a designed
sequence - is what makes the garden a masterpiece in minimalism. According to Elizabeth
Meyer, the Relection Garden is “one of twentieth-century landscape architecture’s
memorable experiences” (Meyer 1998) his layering of artistry and craftsmanship in
landscape architecture is what gives the Bloedel Reserve its power, where its blended
authorship is distinct in time yet united in space.
5.3 Place regional elements in a new context to ‘defamiliarize’
them and provoke critical thought
Meaningful elements and symbols in the PNW can be arrayed, displayed,
or otherwise presented artistically to the viewer in order to stimulate thought and
discussion about deeper issues. Beyond the sensory and aesthetic, an artist is often
conveying intellectual messages or ideas. At Salishan Lodge, natural pieces of
driftwood [5, 6, 10] are displaced from their natural environment and mounted on
plinths, signalling their transformation from natural artifact to cultural symbol. he
underlying message that is conveyed is perhaps about the fusion of forest and ocean
that driftwood represents, or of how powerful elemental forces sculpt the PNW identity
over time into the sinuous and weathered shapes that we see today. his displacement
of regional elements causes people to become aware of what is normally unnoticed or
unexamined. he more common the element and the further it is displaced from its
natural setting, the more powerful and afecting the message can be.
58
Results
Art conveys messages about the people, places, symbols and
stories of the region; quality craftsmanship makes art timeless.
Salishan (9a, 6b, 13a, 16b)
1
Regionalist art infuses authenticity into the landscape
and creates connections between people and place
Salishan (6b, 8b, 16b)
3
The defamiliarization of regional
symbols can provoke critical thought
(alishan (6b, 8b, 9a, 13a, 16b)
5
The guesthouse evokes Indigenous
PNW architecture forms and symbols
Bloedel (2a, 2c, 3f, 6b, 8a, 15b, 16b)
2
The reflection garden is the product of several artists
building upon each other’s work in new ways
Bloedel (6b, 8b, 11a)
4
By treating dritwood as a sculptural object it can be examined and
appreciated for its symbolic and aesthetic qualities as a PNW symbol
Salishan (6b, 8b, 9a, 13a, 16b)
6
Figure 5.14 Precedent illustrations of Principle #5
Results
59
Strategies
to Value Regional Artistry & Craftsmanship
5.4 Use meaningful PNW symbols, historic and contemporary
I get an
enjoyment out
of being associated
with a good work of
art or good pieces
of craft work, good
carpenter work or
good landscaping”
–Salishan developer
John Gray, 1972
(Stone 2006)
Landscape designers often employ a narrative sequencing of space to convey
messages via landscape. Devices such as plot arcs, spiritual journeys, timelines,
migrations, or natural successions can be used as concepts to drive design decisions.
At Bloedel Reserve, Richard Haag originally sequenced his gardens to illustrate the
seven steps of a Buddhist spiritual awakening. he Refection Pond [4], according to
Haag is about, “Sellessness. Getting rid of all the baggage that you started carrying
when you began the seven steps ... he space is nothing ... here’s nothing there until
you and your spirit enters it, and your spirit just ills it, from wall to wall” (Kreisman,
1998). he inluence of Asian spirituality and especially Zen Buddhism is signiicant
in the PNW as a contemporary cultural import that has successfully fused with the
regional identity.
Ancient and indigenous PNW symbols [1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10] are of the mountain,
forest, river, salmon and sea, and of the legends and people that have lived on this land
for millenia. Native American culture and native lora and fauna imbue PNW landscapes
with a connection to cultural and natural history. One way to honor this history is
to use names and epithets that honor or reference native culture. Connecting with
contemporary PNW Native cultures (without appropriation) is especially encouraged.
Understanding Native American land management practices and cultural
customs can help inform which stories are important to tell through landscape design,
and also aids in understanding how the PNW landscape intersects with people in
time-tested ways. he guesthouse at Bloedel Reserve [2] is designed with both Asian
and Native American design precedents. he word “Salishan” refers to the united
language group of 23 indigenous PNW tribes.
5.5 Accentuate the landscape design with complementary
artforms, such as landscape poetry
Layering several modes of meaning and expression in the landscape delivers
a richer experience that can connect with people in a synaesthetic way. When the
aesthetic experience of landscape combines with intellectual or poetic layers, the visitor
can project additional thought and sensitivity onto their own understanding of the
place. An installation of poetry at Bloedel Reserve enhances and expands the artistic
richness of the landscape by demonstrating how landscape can inspire great works of
language and thought. Robert Frost’s poem ‘he Road Not Taken’ stands at a fork in
the road, pointing to the path that is decidedly less traveled by [11].
Near the picturesque Middle Pond is a poem by W.B. Yeats [12], written at a
pond of similar qualities half a world and a hundred years away.
60
Results
Salmon is one of the most powerful
and meaningful PNW symbols
Salishan (6b, 8a, 9a, 11a, 16b)
7
PNW trees provide much of the region’s wealth and are iconic symbols
of longevity, strength, productivity and life.
) alishan (6b, 8a, 11a, 13a, 16b)
8
The colors, textures and mood of the Pacific ocean are
abstracted into regionalist artwork at Salishan Lodge
Salishan (6b, 8a, 9a, 16b)
9
Oceanic forces polish dritwood into evocative natural
forms. PNW artwork is oten recognized, not created
Salishan (3a, 6b, 8b, 9a, 13a, 16b)
10
Poetry such as Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” adds a layer of
intellectual depth to the experience of landscape at Bloedel Reserve
Bloedel (3g, 6b, 9a, 10b, 11a,b, 13a)
11
Figure 5.15 Precedent illustrations of Principle #5 cont.
Landscapes have always inspired
poetry, and sometimes, vice versa
Bloedel (3g, 6b, 9a, 11a,b, 13a)
12
Results
61
PRINCIPLE #6:
Use Regional
Materials
R*+,-./001 2-34c*5 6/7*4,/08
S9:;shan Lodge
62
Results
T
he materiality of the built landscape refers
to the way that materials are used in design.
Often, native materials are the most authentic
to use since building with the materials of the
place automatically infuses appropriate colors, textures,
forms and even craftsmanship into the design. Regionally
sourced materials are also usually imbedded with fewer
extraction and transportation costs than imported ones,
and often last longer under regional conditions.
Regional materials are def ined in this
research as being materials that are extracted from,
or appropriate to the region. Attia argues that
imported materials can still be appropriate if they are
sustainable, which he deines as “durable materials that
are locally harvested/manufactured and/or recycled/
recyclable” (Attia 2006). Under this deinition it is not
a dogmatic adherence to regional sources that makes
for appropriate, authentic materiality; rather, it is how
well the material performs in the PNW that matters.
(Figure 5.16)
he materials most frequently and successfully
used under this deinition at Salishan Lodge and at
Bloedel Reserve were wood, stone, steel, concrete, and
glass, listed in order of relative importance/impact.
What makes these universal materials appropriate to the
PNW is in the type chosen (i.e. native wood or stone),
the treatment of it, the combination of it with other
materials and the durability of it in its speciic context.
For example, tropical hardwood from the other side of
the world would not be considered a regionalist material,
however recycled plastic decking produced locally and
which is long-lasting could be.
he precedents of Salishan Lodge and Bloedel
Reserve indicate that the use and application of native
wood materials is one of the surest ways to achieve
authentic connection of the site and the surrounding
context, as well as to honor the source of much of the
region’s wealth. Wood products are at the heart of the
PNW and feature prominently at both Salishan Lodge
and Bloedel Reserve, from the posts, beams, rafters,
shingles and siding that form landscape structures to
the bark chip paths and boardwalks that lead visitors to
custom wooden benches - which then direct the visitor’s
gaze back to the trees. Wood comes from the regional
Figure 5.16 Stone, Steel & Glass light fixture at
Salishan Lodge. Appropriate PNW Materials are
recycled, or recyclable, durable and long lasting in
the region.
forestry industry which built the economy of the modern
PNW, and which directly funded the conception of
both case study sites. Stone is most appropriate when
quarried regionally, or, if regional sources are scarce,
imported stone that is chosen to match the local color
or context of the site. Steel is a long-lasting material that
can be recycled and repurposed in many ways and which
develops a patina that matches the rustic character of the
PNW. Concrete is one of the most universal materials
It’s an understandable, romantic material.
People can understand wood, they can’t
understand strange manufactured materials”
-Salishan architect John Storrs, 1979 (Stone 2006)
in the world, yet is regionally appropriate because it is so
durable and malleable. he forms and uses of concrete
can be designed to solve regional design problems and
can also be repurposed in sustainable ways. Glass has
a special relationship to the PNW region, both in the
art world, where many ground-breaking techniques of
glass blowing and fuming were developed in the region,
and because glass creates partitions that protect from the
elements while allowing light to penetrate, a vital need
in the region.
Results
63
Strategies
to Use Regional Materials
6.1 Wood, Stone, Steel, Concrete and
Glass are highly
appropriate PNW landscape materials
Wood: Wood is the most characteristic regional material; use in all forms and
stages when possible (living trees, stumps, rounds, chips, lumber, driftwood, snags,
sculpture, mulch, needles, petriied, etc). Bark chips make excellent informal paths: the
material is casual, comfortable, quiet and sweet-smelling. It is also low maintenance,
readily available and relatively inexpensive in the PNW. At Bloedel Reserve and
Salishan Lodge the rich color and light texture of bark chips complement and blend
seamlessly with vegetation and other PNW materials [1, 2, 3]. Wood is the primary
material for structures, artwork and detailing at Salishan and Bloedel [1, 2, 3, 8, 11,
12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18].
Stone:
Whenever possible build with native stone, or non-native stone that mimics
native properties such as color, fracture patterns and texture. In general, more locally
sourced stone is preferred due to the lower cost and smaller ecological footprint.
Mimic existing regional geology by scaling down its form and relationships
to a miniaturized abstraction [3, 12]. Some regional forms that are appropriate for
miniaturization are dunes, blufs, buttes, valleys, mountains and geologic structures
sculpted by erosion or weathering such as haystack rocks on the Oregon coast.
Steel: Many kinds of steel are long-lasting in the PNW, such as Corten, which forms
a coating of oxidation that protects the integrity of the metal while still showcasing a
rustic and rusty look that is highly appropriate to the rainy PNW. he patina of steel
is a powerful indicator of time and character, and adds beautiful brownish-red color
to Salishan’s light ixtures [4], deck supports [13], artwork, outdoor grills [15], and
bracketing [16, 17].
he metallic sheen of ish scales makes metal a particularly appropriate material
for artwork that represents salmon, one of the most powerful natural and cultural
symbols of the PNW region [5].
Concrete:
Few building materials are as versatile, long-lasting and important
to landscape architecture than concrete, which is a cured mixture of sand, gravel,
Portland cement and water. When reinforced by steel rebar concrete ofers impressive
compressive strength for the construction of retaining walls and hardscapes [2, 7, 15,
17], and many PNW artists use it as their artistic medium [6].
Glass:
Glass is a product of sand, a silicate material that is abundant on the PNW
coast. he abundance of sand and the many innovations in glass art that have emerged
from the PNW makes this an extremely relevant and appropriate material for the
region. Transparent glass panes at Salishan Lodge create physical enclosure in the
landscape without obscuring important views [8]. Glass art, both contemporary [9]
and traditional [10], add layers of color, form and meaning to the landscape experience.
64
Results
Wood is a simple,PNW
appropriate material
Bloedel (2c, 7b, 10b, 15b)
Wood is Salishan’s
primary material
Salishan (2c, 7b, 10b, 15b)
The color and texture
of steel fits the PNW
Salishan (6b, 15b)
Metal mimics the reflectivity and texture of fish scales
and is an appropriate material to symbolize Salmon
Salishan (6b, 8a, 9a, 11a, 15b, 16b)
Concrete withstands
PNW weathering well
Bloedel (2c, 15b)
Glass protects without
obscuring views
Salishan (2c, 15b)
1
4
7
2
Wood, stone, steel, concrete and plants combine to
form a highly appropriate regionalist material palette
Salishan (7b, 11a, 12g, 13a, 15b)
3
5
8
Figure 5.17 Precedent illustrations of Principle #6
Concrete is highly
malleable and durable
Salishan (6b, 15b)
6
Blown glass is a highly regional art form and has great
artistic and sculptural potential in the PNW landscape
Chihuly Garden and Glass Seattle, WA
Photo: unknown
9
Results
65
Strategies
to Use Regional Materials
6.2 Retain and repurpose existing material resources
In the PNW landscape there are often old structures, remnant logs or nearby
driftwood that can be repurposed for artwork [11], or incorporated into the planting
scheme to add a naturalistic feel. At Salishan Lodge [12], the log-rounds that make this
‘nature playground’ were cut from logs that washed up on the nearby beach. Salishan
Lodge and Barbara Fealy’s approach to landscape architecture were proiled as the cover
story of Landscape Architecture Magazine’s Jan 1967 issue. Her elevation of native
materials to a grand scale and pioneering attitude towards ecological thinking was
very uncommon at the time Salishan was being constructed. Both Haag’s and Fealy’s
approach to native and ‘sustainable’ materiality was cutting-edge and trend-setting.
...Exteriors
indigenous
to the Paciic
Northwest; wood
stains in lieu of
paint...”
-John Gray’s
materials guidelines
(Stone 2006)
6.3 Limit material treatments
If treating wood, stains are preferable to paint. However, the western red cedar
(huja plicata) is one wood species that doesn’t require any stain or paint treatment
to withstand the outdoor environment. he mature wood of these trees is saturated
with a natural preservative called thujaplicin which acts as a fungicide to resist rot
(Stewart 1984). Its rich reddish brown color will eventually fade to a streaked light
gray that blends perfectly into the PNW landscape [11, 13, 14].
If some speciic wood color or weather treatment is desired, the use of stains
that penetrate the wood ibers is recommended over paints, which only coat the outside
of the wood and must be re-applied frequently. Contrasting shades of brown from
diferent wood species, or placing unstained wood next to stained, can look very good
[18].
6.4 Use a variety of regional materials in combination
he rough cut posts adjacent to cedar shake shingles juxtapose the smooth,
polished tables at Salishan Lodge [18]. By using contrasts of rough and smooth,
intricate and simple, natural and cultural, new and old, the wide variety of character,
color, form, inish and treatment of PNW wood can be celebrated. Regionally blown
glass candle holders complete the space with fumed colors that mimic the luminous
agates found on PNW beaches.
At Salishan Lodge, wood and steel are frequently combined [13, 16] for
hardscapes and structures, which then often join with stone and concrete at the
ground plane [17]. When combining regional materials there should be an awareness
of how these elements would meet in the natural realm. Wood posts rising out of a
native stone foundation can be thought of as a miniaturized regional abstraction of
the PNW forest rising from volcanic rock.
66
Results
Glass fishing floats
recall traditional crat
<alishan (6b, 8a, 9a, 15b)
Dritwood is a tangible
blend of forest and sea
Salishan (6b, 9a, 11a, 15b)
Dritwood logs can be repurposed for many uses. This
nature playground at Salishan Lodge washed ashore
Salishan (3a, 6b, 15b) Photo: Landscape Architecture Magazine (1967)
Sturdy, untreated
wood and steel deck
Salishan (10b, 15b)
Red Cedar weathers to
a mature gray color
Salishan (6b, 15b)
The rustic, rusty patina of steel is an appropriate color
and texture in the PNW and is relatively long lasting
Salishan (6b, 15b)
Decorative brackets
match wood and steel
Salishan (7b, 15b)
Simple combinations
of lasting materials
Salishan (6b, 10b, 13a, 15b)
Roughcut posts, stained shake shingles and polished
tables show the character and versatility of wood
Salishan (6b, 7b, 15b, 16b)
10
13
16
11
14
17
Figure 5.18 Precedent illustrations of Principle #6 cont.
12
15
18
Results
67
PRINCIPLE #7:
Create Indoor/Outdoor
Connections
w ?F?G@ >B H>IF@J>?
T=>?@p>=A?B E
PKLNOPPOQU VOUWP XWOVK YLZPK[POQU \LZN L]OQ
68
Results
T
he connection between indoor and outdoor
space is crucial in the PNW, where the moderate
climate and dramatic landscapes encourage an
outdoor lifestyle. Many established strategies
for blurring the line between inside and outside come
from the PNW regionalist style of architecture, which
is, at its essence, a direct response to the landscape.
According to David Miller, this architectural
style is seen as a “regional variation of modernism and
has its roots in the designs of Pietro Belluschi and
John Yeon in Oregon during the late 1930s and 1940s.
Working independently, these two developed a Northwest
Contemporary style, characterized by close integration with
the landscape, post-and-beam construction and the use of
natural native woods.” (Figure 5.19) Miller’s regionalist
work follows in this vein, “Under an overriding roof, walls
are superluous and primarily form a barrier between
the inside and the great outdoors...he uninterrupted
relationship between interior and exterior is the focus”
(Miller 2005).
he modulation and integration of indoor and
outdoor space can be either subtle and difuse, or abrupt
and striking, depending on the design intent. In general,
the PNW Style favors a difuse approach, where the
threshold between inside and outside is blurred. he
landscape is brought into the building through planting
and visual transparency and the building extends into
the landscape with deep overhanging eaves and solid
outdoor shelters. When outdoor structures simultaneously
keep out the rain and let in the light they become most
functional and appropriate to the PNW environment.
In he Planting Design Handbook, Nick Robinson
writes of the sophisticated ways that inside and outside
can be integrated to achieve a cohesive experience.
“Between exterior and interior, outdoors and indoors,
the hierarchy of space could be developed so that we
pass through a sequence in which each space is more
sheltered and enclosed than its predecessor. his would
allow us to adapt gradually to the change or to choose a
place that has just the right combination of indoor and
outdoor qualities for our purpose. Classical Oriental
gardens and buildings provide some delightful example
of this kind of spatial hierarchy, with verandahs, covered
walkways, sheltered terraces, walled enclosures and roofed
Figure 5.19 Extensive glass and skylights at the
Bloedel Reserve guesthouse demonstrate an
architectural response to the PNW landscape.
Design by Paul Hayden Kirk, 1960
pavilions linking the larger outdoor spaces with indoor
rooms” (Robinson 2004).
he extension of living space into the garden is
a common concept in the California Style, where the
climate is even more conducive to outdoor living. What
diferentiates the PNW Style is the continuation of this
living space into the larger environment. he California
garden is typically enclosed with solid walls, which clearly
delineates the limits of the space. he PNW garden is
often bordered by tall or dense trees, which also clearly
delineate, but do so in a way that blurs the limits of the
landscape. he efect is of the garden melting into the
forest, or of winding into mysterious new territory.
A garden has to be more than a picture on
the wall. It has to invite you in. You have to
be a part of it. You have to want to go and
move with it.
-Barbara Fealy (McCormick 1993)
he PNW treatment of indoor/outdoor space closely
integrates the two. hus, to maximize the possibilities
of this relationship, the design of the buildings and the
design of the gardens should be collaborative, occur at
the same time and strive to be mutually supportive.
Results
69
Strategies
to Create Indoor/Outdoor Connections
7.1 Protect from rain, allow for light
For much of the fall, winter and spring, the PNW outdoor environment is wet
and sunlight is scarce. hese two conditions are addressed simultaneously at Salishan
by transparent awnings [1] that protect from the elements while allowing natural
light into the space. At Bloedel, generous eaves and covered porches extend from the
guesthouse toward the garden, connecting indoor and outdoor rooms [2].
7.2 Bring the inside out, and the outside in
“Salishan...
structurally
interlacing
architecture and
landscape to blur
the line between its
interior spaces and
the surrounding
coastal forest”
–Architecture Critic
Randy Gragg, 1988
Landscape architecture is largely about the creation of ‘outdoor rooms’ where
functional and aesthetic needs are met through design. Most indoor rooms have
outdoor equivalents that satisfy these needs, such as outdoor kitchens and living rooms
for cooking and entertaining, and outdoor play rooms with space for activities. At
Salishan, salmon bakes are held in special smoking rooms of the dining room [3] or
on BBQ racks outside [1], depending on the weather. Our mild regional climate allows
for many potential translations of indoor function to outdoor space. When designing
outdoor spaces, PNW landscape style should follow PNW lifestyle.
PNW landscape style blurs the line between landscape and architecture so that
indoor and outdoor spaces overlap and interconnect. At Salishan, building thresholds
extend into the planting [4] and vice versa. At John Yeon’s Watzek House the planting
bed in the main hallway [5] shares soil with the plants outside [6], bringing the outside
in and seamlessly connecting the two realms.
(Stone 2006)
7.3 Shelter primary circulation
Salishan’s famous breezeway system connects all building clusters with
sturdy, overhead shelter [7]. As well as ofering year-round protection from the rain,
these ubiquitous landscape structures also link the entire site visually, physically and
experientially by their ubiquitous presence [8].
70
Results
Transparent awnings maximize the uses of outdoor
space by protecting from rain and allowing for light
^alishan (2a,c, 6b, )
Generous eaves are an architectural response to both
protect from PNW elements and blend indoor/outdoor
Bloedel (2a,c, 10b, 6b, )
Indoor/outdoor fish
grilling rooms
Salishan (2c, 8)
Indoor plants share
soil with outside ones
Watzek House (2a,b,c)
1
3
Indoor and outdoor
thresholds overlap
Salishan (2a)
4
Covered circulation across Salishan’s grounds ensures
protection from the rain everywhere the visitor goes
Salishan (2a,c, 6b, 10b)
7
Figure 5.20 Precedent illustrations of Principle #7
2
5
The indoor/outdoor
division is blurred
Watzek House (2a,b,c)
6
The ubiquitous 2x12 roughcut cedar breezeways are
an iconic design element that unites the entire place
Salishan (2a,c, 6b, 10b)
8
Results
71
PRINCIPLE #8:
Verticality is the
Dominant Line
V _`fjkqw xz{j|_` }`~{k f`~kf~`_ ~k z| fhe PNW
s Fir Grove, Bloedel Reserve
72
Results
V
erticality in the PNW landscape emerges
primarily from the dominance of conifer species
in the region. Although native conifers and
broad-leaved trees have about equal numbers
of species, the conifers dominate, since that are better
adapted to the PNW climate and because evergreens
can photosynthesize all year long while deciduous trees
go dormant for much of the year (Arno and Hammerly
2007). Ample moisture and a long growing season allow
conifers to reach massive size, which also provides many
species with ire resistance. As a result, many PNW
conifers can live for thousands of years, structuring the
region with massive columns and providing a compelling
visual and spatial verticality to the native landscape.
Used in landscape design, vertical, or ‘fastigiate’
forms have a strong visual character and can easily be
the dominant element in a plant group. Nick Robinson,
in he Planting Design Handbook, notes that trees with
fastigiate form “appear like exclamation marks among other
vegetation. hey rise out of the mass in a dramatic way”
(Robinson 2004). his inherent drama is a characteristic
of vertical lines, which tend to imply movement and
action, as opposed to restful horizontal lines, which imply
calm and stasis. Understanding the efect of dominant
lines in the landscape can lead to their efective use in
design and in the development of regional styles.
In stark contrast to the horizontality of the Midwest
Prairie Style, PNW Style implies the use of verticality as
the dominant line (Figure 5.21), a fact recognized by
Wilhelm Miller in the regionalist design guide he Prairie
Spirit in Landscape Gardening, “he prairie style ought not
to be adopted by people who live among the mountains
or in the arid regions, simply because their friends in
Illinois may have something beautiful in that style. he
essence of landscape gardening is the accentuation of native
scenery, and the strongest feature in mountainous countries
is the vertical line, which mountaineers should repeat by
planting their own aspiring evergreens, such as spruce,
hemlock, and ir” (Miller 1915)
One common technique in design is to recognize
and highlight the dominant line, then to emphasize it
using contrast. Miller explains, “he law of principality
requires that one thing shall be dominant...he law of
contrast shows how the true character of a dominant idea
Figure 5.21 Verticality is a PNW trait. Repetition
of the region’s dominant line creates a powerful
connection between architecture and the landscape.
Watzek House by John Yeon, 1936
can be brought out by contrast, provided the opposing
idea is subservient” (Miller 1915). his means that while
the vertical line is clearly dominant and should remain
dominant in the PNW, it can and should be balanced,
emphasized or juxtaposed with horizontal contrast. his
dynamic can be achieved by using horizontal tree forms,
site furnishing, or design details to balance or accent the
primary verticals.
The essence of landscape gardening is the
accentuation of native scenery, and the
strongest feature in mountainous countries
is the vertical line.
-Wilhelm Miller (1915)
In addition to the verticality of PNW conifers,
native basalt stone is often found in vertical alignments,
commonly known as columnar basalt. Using vertically
oriented stone is a very effective way to structure
the designed landscape in the PNW style, especially
when repeated and arranged in naturalistic groupings.
Furthermore, concrete can be formed and poured into
designs that mimic and relect verticality, as Marge
Hammond-Farness’s custom concrete work at Salishan
Lodge demonstrate. Her artwork is efective because it
abstracts from the regional form without slavishly copying
it, which is the essence of artful, regional interpretation.
Results
73
Strategies
to achieve Verticality in the landscape
8.1 Abstract verticality from PNW natural elements
he character
of ascending
line is assertive and
emphatic and can
be stately or grand
if of suicient scale.
Ascending line is
prominent because it
opposes the direction
of gravity”
-Nick Robinson (2004)
A careful study of the native PNW landscape reveals many layers of vertical
lines, from the geology, hydrology and the vegetation of the region. Conifer trunks,
columnar basalt, waterfalls and rainfall are some vertical lines that can be successfully
abstracted into landscape design.
At Salishan Lodge and Bloedel Reserve, the thick vertical posts of landscape
structures are built using PNW conifers and thus blend seamlessly in with confers
in the living landscape [1, 2, 9]. he regional vertical form of columnar basalt [4] is
a rich source of design derivations for retaining walls [5] and planters [6] at Salishan
Lodge.
Verticality is expressed at Salishan Lodge in siding [3, 7], accents on site
furnishings [3, 6], posts [1, 9], vertical board forming [5] and artwork. At Bloedel
Reserve, the posts of the Trestle bridge [2] look as though they are growing directly
from the forest loor. his verticality is reinforced by the bridge’s simple vertical steel
railings that seem to recede into the background [8].
8.2 Repeat vertical lines using seriality
According to landscape architect and minimalist artist Peter Walker, “Seriality
is a form of repetition often found in patterns. When used with insistence, the pattern
begins to visually dominate the nonrepetitive elements of its environment” (Blake
and Walker, 1990). Using this concept in landscape design can be a powerful way to
transform the natural patterns of nature into cultural abstractions that are apparent
at several scales and applied using a diversity of materials. Seriality of the vertical line
is one of the strongest characteristics of PNW landscape design [1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9].
8.3 Balance active verticality with restful horizontality
Verticality in the environment tends to infuse space with a sense of movement
and a desire to act. With the exception of the ocean there is rarely any direct view of a
lat horizon line in the PNW environment, which can be somewhat disorienting. As an
orientation device the horizon is important. he horizontal plane and horizontality in
general is restful, comfortable and can be used to balance any motive, active verticals
that surround it. A lat bench set in a grove of trees is one example. A horizontally
spreading Japanese maple planted next to that bench would further reinforce the static,
calming efect. Handrails [2, 8] benches [9] and seatwalls [5] ofer visual balance to
vertical design elements.
74
Results
Tree trunks and breezeway posts merge both visually
and experientially into a consistent vertical theme
alishan (4a, 6b, 7b, 10b, 16b)
Trestle Bridge columns
mimic the tree trunks
Bloedel (7b, 4a, 6b, 7b, 10b)
Verticality is expressed
down to the details
Salishan (6b, 7b, 16b)
Columnar basalt is a typical PNW landscape form with
strong verticality that can be abstracted into art forms
Skinner Butte, Eugene, OR
Vertical boardforming
stamps concrete walls
Salishan (6b, 7b, 9a, 13b)
Concrete by Marge
Hammond-Farness
Salishan (6b, 7b, 9a, 13b)
Verticality is repeated
using seriality
Salishan (6b, 7b, 16b)
Motive spaces defined by verticality need to be
balanced with static spaces defined by horizontality
Salishan (6b, 7b, 10b, 16b)
1
4
7
Vertical steel rails
blend into the trees
Bloedel (6b, 7b, 16b)
8
Figure 5.22 Precedent illustrations of Principle #8
2
5
3
6
9
Results
75
PRINCIPLE #9:
Enclosure is the Dominant
Spatial Condition
V p
Fst Walk at Bloedel Reserve
76
Results
I
n a forested native landscape, there is a high
degree of enclosure from all sides and from above.
his common PNW spatial condition is organized
and designed by orchestrating the permeability, the
placement and the proportions of spatial barriers (Robinson
2004), which modulate and direct our attention within
the space. he physical or visual permeability of the
landscape - being able to move or see into or out of the
space - dramatically changes the way we experience it.
Rich Haag understood the efects of enclosure
when crafting the moss garden at Bloedel Reserve, which
he explains was the “selective subtraction of nature from
the chaos of a tangled bog” (Meyer 1998). he structure
of this garden already existed, but when the chaotic
understory was removed there was opportunity to direct
movement and focus within the space, and to ensure
the right amount of enclosure so that comfort and not
claustrophobia is felt. Patrick Condon remarks that, “he
moss garden, and other environments like it, can stimulate
very primitive and universal human responses – responses
that are relexive rather than conscious.” Haag described
the experience of this enclosed space as “...the smell of
rotten wood, the dampness and dripping moisture, the
absence of anything that is demanding, the absence
of lowers or form...It produces a universal response,
appealing to all of our senses, smell in particular. Smell
is very primitive. It takes you right into the brain stem”
(Condon 1998).
In addition to the emphasis on direct sensory
experience, Haag used soft textures and intricate patterns
of moss, lichens, and ferns to visually expand the dim,
cozy space. According to Nick Robinson’s Planting Design
Handbook, “Fine-textured plants tend to be easy to look
at, that is, relaxing rather than stimulating. hey can
give the impression of being at a greater distance than
coarse-textured plants and are said to recede in the ield
of vision. As a result, a high proportion of ine-textured
plants increases the sense of spaciousness within an
enclosure...heir character is light and airy, expansive
and soft” (Robinson 2004).
he ine textures of the native PNW understory
can also imply speciic acts of aspection, which are ways
to appreciate something aesthetically. Environmental
philosopher Allan Carlson elaborates on this concept which
Figure 5.23 Expanding and contracting space at
Bloedel Reserve. The high degree of PNW enclosure
fluctuates, but generally only stays open through
natural or cultural disturbances, such as mowing.
derives from the art world. “Since natural environments
difer in type, as do works of art, they require diferent acts
of aspection. As with the question of what to appreciate,
knowledge of particular environments indicates how to
appreciate...Zif tells us to look for contours in paintings
of the Florentine school, for “light in a Claude,” and
for “color in a Bannard”; to “survey a Tintoretto”; and
to “scan” a Bosch. Likewise, we must survey a prairie,
looking at the subtle contours of the land, feeling the
wind blowing across the open space, and smelling the
mix of grasses and lowers. But such acts of aspection
have little place in a dense forest, where we must examine
and scrutinize, inspecting the detail of the forest loor,
listening carefully for the sounds of birds, and smelling
intently for the scent of spruce and pine.” (Carlson 2008)
A high proportion of fine-textured plants
increases the sense of spaciousness within
an enclosure”
-Nick Robinson (2004)
When enclosure limits visual expansiveness, the
details dominate, and our other senses come to the fore,
enriching our experience of the landscape. Both Bloedel
Reserve and Salishan Lodge have many areas of deep
enclosure, which can be appreciated in just such a way.
Results
77
Strategies
to achieve Enclosure in the landscape
9.1 Mimic regional landscape enclosure using landform,
structure, and plants
Bermed up areas at Salishan Lodge [1] were constructed to echo the forms of
nearby sand dunes. hese mounds provide sound bufering and visual screening that
contributes to the landscape experience. At Bloedel Reserve, a stand of alders occupies
one side of the path while the other is intentionally cleared, creating a dramatically
diferent level of enclosure on each side of the path, and placing the visitor directly
between them. Vegetation is useful to create iltered enclosure while buildings,
landmasses and dense evergreens create opaque enclosure.
“Enclosure by
shrubs is not the
same as enclosure by
a brick wall”
-Garrett Eckbo
(1956)
9.2 Modulate the degree of enclosure t
t the design
¡
In general, a PNW style landscape should have a high degree of enclosure, from
the ground to the top of the tree canopy. However, this enclosure should be permeable
both physically and visually so as to not feel oppressive. he landscape designer can
choreograph the degree of enclosure to expand and contract, using vegetation to
intentionally create areas of immersion [3] or to frame carefully selected picturesque
views [4]. he location of the bench takes advantage of an open ‘prospect’ to the front
and an enclosed ‘refuge’ behind, which is a universally preferred spatial arrangement
for humans (Appleton 1975).
he art of designing landscape enclosure lies in the manipulation of vertical
and horizontal space as well as the degree of permeability. Dense vegetation creates
cozy, private spaces [5, 6, 7], but can easily become claustrophobic if there is no visual
or physical permeability. Intricate vegetation patterns and details also will also make a
space seem larger if they are of a ine texture. Carefully designed levels and sequences
of enclosure can lead a person through a landscape and manipulate their emotional
responses to it. Speciic spatial proportions and ratios of height to width in landscape
rooms will create either active or restful experiences of the space.
9.3 Create curving circulation
At Salishan Lodge [1], Bloedel Reserve [2] and John Yeon’s “Shire” [6],
curving paths create a sense of mystery that is itting in a landscape that naturally has
a high degree of enclosure. he end of the path is obscured and curves away into the
landscape, which piques the curiosity and entices further exploration. When designing
the paths at he Shire [6], Yeon speciied that the grass should be allowed to grow
tall alongside the curving pathways, which creates a human-scale enclosure channel
that comfortably directs people through the landscape without obscuring his carefully
constructed views. Yeon also speciied that the tall grass be trimmed back at an angle
so that it would not droop into the pathway and mar the clean lines of the enclosure.
78
Results
Landforms make solid landscape enclosures, bufering
sight and sound while echoing larger regional shapes
¢alishan (1a, 10b, 13b, 16b)
1
Moving into a highly
enclosed landscape
Bloedel (1a,b, 4a,b, 10b,c)
3
Enclosure on one side of a path but not the other can
create a dynamic experience and direct user attention
Bloedel (1a, 3a, 4a,b, 10b,c, 12c, 16b)
2
Framing picturesque views is a technique that relies on
the enclosure of space and on prospect/refuge ideas
Bloedel (1a,b, 11a, 16b)
4
Grass-lined paths are trimmed at an angle to define
the space. Curves add a sense of mystery to the path.
The Shire, WA (2b, 3a, 4a, 10b,c, 16b)
6
Figure 5.24 Precedent illustrations of Principle #9
The PNW canopy layer
typically is enclosed
Salishan (2d, 3a, 16b)
5
Visible and physical permeability in the landscape’s
enclosure modulates the experience of space
Salishan (3a, 4a, 10b,c, 12c, 16b)
7
Results
79
PRINCIPLE #10:
Prioritize
“Local Color”
l with Warm Accents
F®¯°s, Basalt and Bark Chips, Bloedel Reserve
£¤¥¦§¨©ª «§ª§¬ ©¬¤ «§§
80
Results
he idea of ‘local color’ in landscape
architecture comes from Wilhelm Miller’s 1915
treatise on the Prairie Style of the Midwest,
where “restoration” of local color is one of
the primary tenets of the style. Miller writes, “he
aim is to re-create the spirit of disappearing types of
American scenery by restoring as much as possible
of the “local color” or peculiar character impressed upon
each scenic unit by nature thru ages of experiment”
(Miller 1915). For Miller, it was through the repetition
of a small number of native plants that local color could
be achieved in landscape design.
In the following section most examples of local
color are shown not from the case studies but from the
vegetation and natural elements of the region’s national
parks and forests. hese photographs attempt to ofer a
glimpse of the true colors of the region in its natural state,
so as to indicate how the designer’s palette can stay true to
the broader PNW context. here is of course subjectivity
in the human perception of color, and much scholarship
on the use of color in design that can supplement these
strategies.
Based on observations of the case studies and
the larger regional context the native color palette in
the PNW tends to be cool colors, which is appropriate
to our cool climate and the region’s ‘mellow’ demeanor.
hese cool colors are of the rocks, trees, waters and skies
of the region, which are often accented with small but
powerful highlights of warm color. (Figure 5.25) he
most prominent color is that of the evergreen conifers that
are emblematic of the region. Washington is known as
the “evergreen state,” an epithet that applies to the PNW
as a whole. As such, a monochromatic palette of greens is
an efective and authentic concept for a planting palette.
For the regional designer it is itting to emphasize the
intricate textures, details and the variety of plant forms
than it is to generate interest using a kaleidoscope of
color.
Barbara Fealy’s many gardens promoted “the native
trees, shrubs and grasses of the Paciic Northwest, such as
broad-leaf evergreens that provide rich color and texture.
‘I love the vegetation,’ she explains. ‘I don’t need lowers
everywhere.’” (McCormick 1993). With simplicity and
subtlety as the backbone of Fealy’s planting plans, color
Figure 5.25 PNW native Ribes sanguineum at Bloedel
Reserve brings warm seasonal color to the cool
regional palette. PNW native accent colors should
also inspire the color choices of non-native plants.
can then be added judiciously, “I like color, you can tell
that because I’ve got it spliced all around myself and I
wear color. I am not afraid of color. Color is emotional,
it can make you happy, and I like to create spaces that
make the users feel happy” (Hopkins 1990).
At Salishan, local color is produced by a simple
palette of plants which are used in repetition to form
masses and lines. Similarly at Bloedel Reserve it is the
cool native colors that form a verdant wash across the
landscape. his sturdy backdrop is then punctuated
by seasonal bursts of color which can spark emotional
responses through minimalist gestures that are quite
powerful and appropriate to the spirit of the place.
I am not afraid of color. Color is emotional,
it can make you happy, and I like to create
spaces that make the users feel happy
-Barbara Fealy (Hopkins 1990)
For Miller, the restoration of local color implies a
desire to protect and celebrate regional characteristics in the
face of imported options, not just for aesthetic purposes,
but also for the ecological advantages that native material
ofers. Observations from traveling through the region
proves that the PNW is not lacking in powerful local
color, and that observation can inspire ways to abstract
and combined these colors to evoke alpine, rainforest,
valley, coastal or any other regional conditions.
Results
81
Strategies
to Prioritize “Local Color”
10.1 PNW local colors are cool, with warm accents
I see nothing
through the
drizzle but green
and gray, deep
colors here, and
true”
–Timothy Egan
(1990)
82
Results
Greens, Blues and Grays are the most prominent and pervasive year-round
colors in the PNW region. hese are the dominant natural colors of the vegetation
[1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15] the skies [13], waters [4, 5, 8] and rocks
[2, 8, 11] of the native PNW landscape. hese cool colors are accented by lowers in
warm yellows, reds, pinks, and whites or by seasonal fall colors which are generally
brownish yellow with the occasional orange or red leaf [7]. PNW fall color is once
again a warm accent against the dominant evergreen of the conifers.
In the parts of the PNW that do not have signiicant air pollution, lichens
drape from the trees in a stunning diversity of colors and textures [1, 9]. En masse
these lichens contribute signiicantly to the color of the regional landscape, however
they are poisoned by urban air and thus PNW cities sadly do not enjoy this distinctive
PNW coating of soft, colorful epiphytes.
10.2 Make frequent combination of a few native species
“Local color” is the result of selecting only a few native plant species or native
materials and repeating them in the landscape. his becomes the basis of a PNW
palette where all other colors are chosen to respond to this dominant local color. he
geology, vegetation, hydrology and climate of the PNW can all be evoked by choosing
plants and materials that echo the properties of these regional elements.
he warm reddish-brown of willows in winter makes a powerful statement
of local color when massed and contrasted against the cool blue of water [5] or the
steady evergreen of conifers [6]. hick coats of green moss on gray basalt [8] is perhaps
the most consistent combination of local color in the PNW and provides a reliable
starting point when building a regional palette.
Lichens provide a stunning variety of texture and color
in the PNW. Many are reliant on old growth conditions.
Willamette National Forest
A simple brown, dark
gray and green palette
Crater Lake Nat. Park
Seasonal flower color
brightens cool greens
Bloedel (3a, 4a, 12b,c,g)
Sun-bleached wood contrasts with emerald green
water. Microorganisms contribute greatly to local color.
Deschutes National Forest
Burned trees contrast
with fiery willows
Cascade lakes
Warm seasonal color
of winter willows
Rogue River Valley
PNW native fall color tends to be warm browns and
yellows with only occasional reds and oranges
Hult City Park, Eugene, OR
Deep blue-green water, conifers and moss form a cool
color palette which is accented by bright green lichens
Umpqua River
1
4
7
Figure 5.26 Precedent illustrations of Principle #10
2
5
3
6
8
Results
83
Strategies
to Prioritize “Local Color”
10.3 When planting, create an evergreen backbone that
supports seasonal color, texture and form
No matter which annual, perennial or deciduous plants go into the landscape,
they should be supported by evergreens, which are the essence of the PNW region.
here are many types of plant that can form this backbone, from conifers and
broadleaf evergreens to vines and groundcovers, native or non-native - what matters
is that evergreens form a permanent benchmark to which other plants respond and
harmonize as they change seasonally.
Evergreens form a reliable foundation upon which the more showy perennials
can rise and fall, such as the woodland Trillium and Dicentra which lower over a
carpet of Oregon oxalis at Bloedel Reserve [14, 15]
he soft light
of the Oregon
climate, the shadows
of the forest, the
driftwood colors
of the logs on the
beach, contributed
to the philosophy
that all structures
should unite with
these elements
into a harmonious
oneness”
–Barbara Fealy,
1967 (Stone 2006)
84
Results
Lichens are a crucial component of evergreen color in
the PNW. They are also indicators of good air quality
Willamette National Forest
‘Local color’ blends and changes seasonally and is
anchored by PNW evergreens, especially conifers
Umpqua National Forest
Green and Gray is a
strong PNW combo
Columbia Gorge
Green, gray, and blue are the most prominent PNW
colors. These cool colors match the cool climate.
Oregon Coast
9
11
Seasonal PNW color is
warm. M aquifolium.
Columbia Gorge
12
Woodland perennials should be used to seasonally
support evergreen structural planting
Bloedel (3a, 4a,b, 12b,c,g, 14b, 16b)
14
10
13
Deciduous Oregon Oxalis sotens the edge of bark chip
pathways forming a seasonal woodland carpet
Bloedel (3a, 4a,b, 10b,c, 12b,c,g, 14b, 16b)
Figure 5.27 Precedent illustrations of Principle #10 cont.
15
Results
85
6.0
Conclusion
6.1 Conclusion and Discussion
Figure 6.1 Pen and ink study of PNW landscape by
author. Direct experience with the raw landscape
is an important component to understanding the
characteristics and qualities of the region and can
lead to an understanding of its genius loci. Image
composition after Ramona Hammerly.
86
Conclusion
he goal of this research is to establish a list of
regional design principles and strategies that
derive from emblematic Pacific Northwest
landscapes and which can be applied at a variety
of scales in landscape design. he product of this research
rests on a foundation of regionalist work which many
others have contributed to, both in the constructions of
landscape architectural practice and in the constructions
of theory. he issue of regionalism is increasingly important
in a hyper-connected, globalized world, which tends to
subjugate local and particular expressions under generic
and universal standards which can sap authenticity and
meaning from both people and places.
he validity of this research rests in a constructivist
approach whereby knowledge is acquired and classiied
through the interactions between the objective landscape
and the subjective researcher. his approach yielded new
knowledge about the landscape through a case study
method developed by Mark Francis for the Landscape
Architecture Foundation, which is an established and
common method of research in the discipline of landscape
architecture (Francis 1999). he precise path through this
case study was guided by Robert Yin’s linear but iterative
process of Plan, Design, Prepare, Collect, Analyze, Share
(Yin 2009), which was modiied to include a Synthesize
step where the information that was gathered on site
was classiied into a inal list before being shared. his
entire method was organized by the framework of Elen
Deming and Simon Swaield’s nine strategies of inquiry,
which housed the process within known epistemological
positions (Deming and Swaield 2011).
Deliberate, direct, and prolonged experience with
the raw landscape was a preliminary step of this process
which aided in an understanding of the characteristics
and qualities of the region. his led to the creation of
artwork, epiphanies and a reciprocal connection between
person and place that enriched this research greatly.
(Figure 6.1)
his project has situated the PNW region within
the lexicon of regionalism in landscape architecture
and has argued that Rich Haag and Barbara Fealy are
representatives of a PNW regionalist style, as evidenced
by their works at Bloedel Reserve and Salishan Lodge,
which are in turn emblematic sites of PNW landscape
architecture. he case study method yielded a list of
36 strategies to achieve PNW regionalist design. hese
strategies were then organized under 10 guiding principles
and illustrated with precedent photographs from the case
study as well as supported by the literature.
his process focused on a small subset of PNW
landscape types, and given the small number of case
studies, should not be considered comprehensive or
complete. Further research could proile emblematic PNW
landscape architecture in the Cascades, the foothills,
the savannas, the urban, agricultural, and old-growth
parts of the region. Furthermore, the list of principles
and strategies proposed in this research could be tested
or corroborated in other locations or using the work of
other regionalist designers.
he inal list of 10 principles and 36 strategies
of PNW regionalist landscape design are an attempt
to clarify and contribute to the emergence of a PNW
Style in landscape architecture, which is the result of
universal design principles and precedents being applied
critically to the regional context of the PNW. In this
emerging style the region’s natural and cultural forces
converge with history and innovation to generate new
meanings and methods of design. Other American
regionalist styles, such as the Midwest Prairie Style and
the California Style, as well as Asian and European
landscape traditions have inluenced the PNW Style,
which continues to develop and diferentiate itself over
time. he framework of critical regionalism was useful to
understand the dynamic, conscious relationship between
the history and trajectory of a region and the larger global
forces and ideas that surround and permeate it.
he future of PNW design will see the maturation
of new and existing landscape features which will reveal
the truly sublime size and power of the region. Landscape
architects are uniquely positioned to understand and
coordinate the design of these landscape features, for
practical and not just aesthetic purposes, and to solve
regional design challenges by stacking functions and
harnessing the power of the landscape. According to Paul
Roncken, “he challenge to design new living landscapes
with interconnective features is the challenge for a new
generation of landscape architects.” he design of large
landscape systems generates a ‘future sublime’ aesthetic,
where social and environmental needs are met through
large-scale, regionally focused, interdisciplinary design
(Roncken et al 2011).
The PNW is a region that is endowed with
powerful landscape forces as well as a large population
of innovators, and is well suited to begin the process of
building such ‘landscape machines’. Future design in
the region that achieves this future sublime aesthetic
could involve system wide designs that reconciliate the
generation of hydropower with the restoration of the once
vast salmon population while simultaneously improving
the health of PNW rivers. Or the active management of
forests that are ecologically functional, biologically diverse
and economically productive. Or to merge agriculture
with urban centers and to stack opportunities for learning
and research onto all of these complex systems.
The challenge to design new living landscapes
with interconnective features is the challenge
for a new generation of landscape architects
-Paul Roncken et al. (2011)
he need for such systems to emerge from research
and experimentation is crucial, as Roncken elaborates,
“design research cannot be limited to literature or reference
study but is in need of experiential learning and 1:1
testing. Such landscape laboratories are an enhancement
of the design studio as introduced by Donald Schön. Its
underlying artistic principles are agrarian rather than
architectural and its aesthetic foundation is more sublime
than beautiful” (Roncken et al 2011).
he sublime is a itting aesthetic category for the
PNW region, which is both vast in space and deep with
time. But it is only when the sublimity of the landscape
is revealed through design or direct communion with
nature that an understanding of the landscape as a system
Conclusion
87
10 principles & 36 strategies
FOR PNW REGIONALIST LANDSCAPE DESIGN
1. Express the Region’s Sublimity
1.1 Reveal the Size of Existing Landscape Features
1.2 Abstract from the Sublime Wilderness
1.3 Go BIG
1.4 Incorporate the ‘Borrowed Landscape’
2. Make Time Visible
2.1 Mimic old-growth conditions
2.2 Cultivate material patinas
2.3 Design for at least 100 years
3. Celebrate the Region’s ‘Paciic’ Climate
3.1 Design to Celebrate and Protect from Rain
3.2 Maximize the light
3.3 Use non-native plants and ideas selectively
3.4 Celebrate ‘Mediterranean’ summers
4. Honor the Region’s Environmentalist Values
4.1 Minimize disturbance of landform, hydrology and soils
4.2 Choose plants appropriate to existing conditions
4.3 Retain or create nurse logs, habitat snags on site
4.4 Rebuild lost habitat for PNW native ecology
5. Value Regional Artistry & Craftsmanship
5.1 Incorporate artwork by regional artists and craftspeople into the landscape
5.2 Build upon preexisting artwork, diferentiating new from old
5.3 Place regional elements in a new context to ‘defamiliarize’ them and provoke critical thought
5.4 Use meaningful PNW symbols, historic and contemporary
5.5 Accentuate the landscape design with complementary artforms, such as landscape poetry
6. Use Regional Materials
6.1 Wood, Stone, Steel, Concrete and Glass are highly appropriate PNW landscape materials
6.2 Retain and repurpose existing material resources
6.3 Limit material treatments
6.4 Use a variety of regional materials in combination
88
Conclusion
7. Create Indoor/Outdoor Connections
7.1 Protect from rain, allow for light
7.2 Bring the inside out, and the outside in
7.3 Shelter primary circulation
8. Verticality is the Dominant Line
8.1 Abstract verticality from PNW natural elements
8.2 Repeat vertical lines using seriality
8.3 Balance active verticality with restful horizontality
9. Enclosure is the Dominant Spatial Condition
9.1 Mimic regional landscape enclosure using landform, structure, and plants
9.2 Modulate the degree of enclosure to it the design
9.3 Create curving circulation
10. Prioritize ‘Local Color’
10.1 PNW local colors are cool, with warm accents
10.2 Make frequent combination of a few native species
10.3 When planting, create an evergreen backbone that supports seasonal color, texture and form
Figure 6.2 Complete list of 10 Principles and 36 Strategies of PNW Regionalist Landscape Design. These are
derived from the dominant natural and cultural characteristics/experiential qualities of the PNW region.
begins to push people’s consciousness toward an ethical
response. his is the potential power of sublime design
in the PNW. As Elizabeth Meyer points out, “Burke’s
sublime was a response to human’s basic instincts towards
self-preservation. If that self preservation is understood
through experience and perception to be dependent on our
collective caring for the earth, the land, our home, then a
touch of the sublime can move one past knowledge and
awareness to caring, sustaining, preserving and acting”
(Meyer 1998).
6.2 10 Principles and 36 Strategies
his research contributes to an ethical response
to landscape by demonstrating ways to achieve sublimity
and appropriate regional design across scales using
regional materials and echoing regional context. It also
reveals the dominant social values, spatial arrangements,
formal qualities and regional colors. When the following
principles and strategies (Figure 6.2) are applied to
regional landscapes they begin to reiterate what makes
the region a powerful place to begin with, so that the
region, the design, and the designer mutually reinforce
each other’s power.
hese principles and strategies straddle the line
between good universal design, which works well anywhere,
and good regionalist design, which seeks to address the
speciic natural and cultural challenges and opportunities
that exist in a particular place and which are unlikely to
work appropriately anywhere else. his listing is certainly
incomplete in addressing the full range of PNW design
challenges, and incomplete in demonstrating appropriate
design responses to them. Its usefulness, however, is not
derived from its comprehensiveness, but from its speciicity
in practice and applicability to design across scales.
he application of these principles is useful not
just to achieve “visual eloquence of a wished for world”
(Roncken 2011), and to please the eye and mind that it
its into the region - these principles and strategies also
aim towards the appropriate landscape functions that
enhance the health and spirit of the Paciic Northwest.
Conclusion
89
7.0
Appendix
7.1 Strategy Deconstruction
his section details the process of deconstructing
Attia’s 17 Strategies for Regionally Responsive Urban
Open Space from his 2006 master’s thesis in landscape
architecture from the University of Oregon. hese strategies
are speciic measures toward achieving local/regional
identity – however they are not tailored to any particular
locality or region. his process of deconstruction deines
ambiguous terms, separates discrete ideas from each
strategy, and re-frames each as a case study question that
can be used to evaluate sites on their regional character.
KEY WORD DEFINITIONS AND THE FORMATION
OF CASE STUDY QUESTIONS
*ALL DEFINITIONS ARE FROM NEW OXFORD
AMERICAN DICTIONARY, UNLESS OTHERWISE
CITED
QUESTIONS:
2A) In what way does the site celebrate mild
temperatures, spring, fall and winter rain and summer
drought using hardscape?
1. Interfere as little as possible with landform,
hydrology and soil.
2B) In what way does the site celebrate mild
temperatures, spring, fall and winter rain and summer
drought using softscape?
“Interfere”: Prevent a process or activity from
continuing or being carried out properly (Referring to
construction and land-forming activities).
2C) In what way does the site provide protection from
spring, fall and winter rain and summer drought using
hardscape?
QUESTIONS:
1A) How has the site interfered with landform?
2D) In what way does the site provide protection from
spring, fall and winter rain and summer drought using
softscape?
1B) How has the site interfered with hydrology?
1C) How has the site interfered with soil?
2. Celebrate the local weather and seasonality
and provide protection from it using hardscape/
softscape.
90
“Local Weather and Seasonality”: Mild average
temperatures; spring, fall and winter rain, summer
drought.
“Hardscape”: Hardened or paved surfaces for
circulation and gathering as well as landscape
structures such as breezeways, pergolas/arbors,
fencing, seatwalls and similar. Also landscape
furnishings such as benches, playground equipment or
similar that are intended for long term outdoor use on
site.
“Softscape”: Physical plant material or naturalistic
landscape elements such as ponds/streams or
landforms.
Appendix
3. Preserve, reuse and celebrate signiicant
features, aspects or cues on the site, when available,
which tell a story about the place/region.
“Celebrate”: Honor publically
“Signiicant features, aspects or cues which tell a story
about the place/region”: Remnant native vegetation,
objects remaining from an earlier era, industrial
relics, important viewpoints or other indicators of
historically or culturally important events, time
periods or individuals that contribute to the regional
character of the place (Attia 2006).
QUESTIONS:
3) In what ways does the site preserve, reuse and
celebrate
A)
Remnant native vegetation?
B)
Objects from an earlier era?
C)
Industrial relics?
D)
Important vistas?
E)
Historically or culturally important events?
F)
Historically or culturally important time
periods?
G)
Historically or culturally important
individuals?
4. Preserve typical regional scenery when possible,
and enhance the ecological function of the site, and
around it if possible.
“Preserve”: Maintain in its original state and keep
from harm or injury.
“Enhance”: To intensify, increase, or further improve
the quality, value or extent.
“Typical regional scenery”: he PNW native
vegetation types that would have existed in the region
prior to settlement by Europeans.
“Ecological function”: he lourishing of
interconnected natural systems across taxa, including
physical, chemical and biological agents.
QUESTIONS:
4A) In what ways does the site preserve the PNW
native vegetation types that would have existed in
the region prior to settlement by Europeans on site or
around it?
4B) In what ways does the site intensify, increase, or
further improve the quality, value or extent of the
ecological function on site or around it?
5. Find a place-speciic solution for a place-speciic
problem.
“Place-speciic solution”: A design solution that is
derived from the materials or context of the region.
“Place-speciic problem”: A landscape challenge
that originally stems from the idiosyncrasies and
characteristics of the place.
QUESTIONS:
5a) In what ways does the site ind a solution to
a landscape issue that originally stems from the
idiosyncrasies and characteristics of the place that is
derived from the materials or context of the region?
6. Choose one or two key representative elements
or processes (natural/cultural) as a basis for a
regionalist design concept. his will act as a
unifying umbrella, boldly conveying the essence of
the place/region.
“Representative elements or processes”: Regional
characteristics that can be used as design concept.
Looking at regional vegetation one could use
structure, distribution, patterns, associations,
spacing, species ratio, or dominant species. (e.g.
Douglas Fir / Sword Ferns to represent PNW forests).
Also landform, geology or cultural forms can be
reinterpreted to inform design concept (Attia 2006).
QUESTIONS:
6A) What are the representative elements or processes
at the site that are used as a basis for a regionalist
design concept?
6B) In what way does the site use one or two key
representative elements or processes as a basis for a
regionalist design concept?
7. Repeat the most dominant natural attributes
and experiential qualities of a place that make it
unique, after analyzing and distilling them.
“Repeat”: to use “Seriality”: Seriality is a form of
repetition often found in patterns. When used with
Appendix
91
insistence, the pattern begins to visually dominate the
nonrepetitive elements of its environment (Walker and
Blake 1990).
“Dominant natural attributes and experiential
qualities”: Abstractions of the regional character. For
example, Jens Jensen used the horizontality of the
Midwest as a unifying theme in his design work,
which was expressed in everything from landform to
plant choice (Grese 1995).
QUESTIONS:
7A) What are the most dominant natural attributes
and experiential qualities of the site, or the PNW
region?
7B) In what ways does the site repeat the most
dominant natural attributes and experiential qualities
of the place using seriality?
8. Use meaningful local/regional elements,
historic and contemporary, in a new context
(defamiliarization).
“Meaningful local/regional elements”: Regional
elements of interest to critical regionalists are ones
who “have acted as agents of contact and community”
(Tzonis, Lefaivre, and Stagno 2001).
“New Context”: Defamiliarization according to
critical regionalists is using elements of the region in
a “strange, distant, diicult and even disturbing” way
(Tzonis, Lefaivre, and Stagno 2001). his strategy
acts as a tool to provoke critical thinking by the users,
reintroducing meaning in addition to feeling.
92
about the place/region.
“Narrative devices”: Narrative devices convey
messages, usually via thought-provoking art, metaphor
or other device that silently tells a story about the
place (Olin 1995).
QUESTIONS:
9A) In what ways does the site convey messages
through thought-provoking art, metaphor or other
device that silently tells a story about the place?
10. Establish strong visual and physical
connections between the space and its surroundings
for improved public access and ecological beneits.
“Visual connections”: he organization of a visual
ield that includes the immediate site as well as the
surrounding landscape. his spatial technique is
known to Japanese gardeners as Shakkei, or the
‘borrowed landscape’, which allows distant scenery
into the visual composition of the garden. he ways
that Japanese gardeners would traditionally apply this
technique is by framing distant views, relecting views
in water (or with mirrors), pruning vegetation to reveal
landscape, or even manipulating the distant landscape
itself to it the desired foreground composition or to
create a background focal point (Attia 2006).
“Physical connections”: Circulation for user access and
ecological corridors for wildlife.
QUESTIONS:
8A) What are the meaningful local/regional elements,
historic and contemporary at the site?
QUESTIONS:
10A) In what ways does the site utilize the ‘borrowed
landscape’?
10B) In what ways does the site establish circulation
for user access?
10C) In what ways does the site establish ecological
corridors for wildlife?
8B) In what ways does the site defamiliarize regional
elements that have acted as agents of contact and
community?
11. Direct user attention and thought to an existing
local/regional feature or icon and compliment this,
when appropriate, with interpretive information.
9. Use narrative devices and metaphor that can
creatively tell a story and provoke critical thought
“Direct user attention and thought”: Using strategies
such as the borrowed landscape, the framing of views,
Appendix
or the arrangement of site elements into perspectival
compositions that direct the eye towards something.
“Interpretive information”: Any of the myriad
strategies employed to convey relevant information
about a place to the user, such as interpretive signage,
audio recordings, digital maps/apps, videos, reenactments, etc.
QUESTIONS:
11A) In what way does the site direct user attention
and thought to an existing local/regional feature or
icon?
11B) In what way does the site compliment this with
interpretive information?
12. horoughly research the plant palette for a
regionalist space:
• Use locally grown plant material, favoring native
plants or adapted non-invasive exotics that ofer
similar experiential qualities as the natives.
• Don’t assume that all local nurseries’ plants are
locally appropriate.
• Use plants that give clues to the environment in
which they are planted.
• Identify and avoid the excessive use of
homogenizing plants.
• Experiment with endemic plants.
• Acknowledge benign exotic trees that have become
iconic of a place.
• Respect dominant natural and cultural regional
colors.
• Relect true seasonality of the locale/region
through plant selection.
“Locally grown”: Plant material raised within the
Paciic Northwest region.
“Native plants”: Plants that have adapted or
naturalized to the region, especially over long periods
of time. Consult local lists of native vegetation for
plants that qualify.
“Homogenizing plants”: Plants that are commonly
planted in the region and are adapted to a wide range
of conditions, thus wasting an opportunity for the
plant material to relect its unique setting (Attia
2006).
“Endemic plants”: Plants that are both native and
exclusive to the region.
QUESTIONS:
12A) In what ways does the site use locally grown
plant material?
12B) In what ways does the site use native plants,
or adapted non-invasive exotics that ofer similar
experiential qualities as the natives?
12C) In what ways does the site use plants that give
clues to the environment in which they are planted?
[reeds and rushes in a wet area, conifers on upland
slopes, etc.]
12D) In what ways does the site avoid the use of
homogenizing plants?
12E) In what ways does the site experiment with
endemic plants?
12F) In what ways does the site acknowledge benign
exotic trees that have become iconic of the place?
12G) In what ways does the site respect dominant
natural and cultural regional colors?
12H) In what ways does the site relect true seasonality
of the locale/region through plant selection?
13. Refer to geology of place/region by using local
stone, geological form interpretation or preserving
onsite geological features.
“Local stone”: Native geologic hardscape materials.
“Geological form interpretation”: he abstraction of
regionally occurring geological forms.
“Preserving on-site geological features”: Incorporating
into the landscape design existing bedrock, blufs,
boulders or other geological remnants of the predevelopment site.
QUESTIONS:
13A) In what ways does the site refer to the geology of
the place/region by using native hardscape materials?
13B) In what ways does the site refer to the geology of
the place/region by using the abstraction of regionally
occurring geological forms?
13C) In what ways does the site refer to the geology of
the place/region by incorporating into the landscape
design existing bedrock, blufs, boulders or other
Appendix
93
geological remnants of the pre-development site?
14. Welcome and attract local wildlife.
“Attract”: To cause to come to a place by ofering
something of interest, favorable conditions or
opportunities.
“Wildlife”: he native fauna of the region.
QUESTIONS:
14A) What are the native fauna of the site?
14B) In what ways does the site ofer something of
interest, favorable conditions or opportunities to the
native fauna of the region?
15. Use sustainable materials that will preserve
regional resources.
“Sustainable materials”: Materials that are recycled,
recyclable or durable and long-lasting in the region
(Attia 2006).
QUESTIONS:
15A) What are regionally appropriate sustainable
materials?
15B) In what ways does the site use materials that are
recycled, recyclable or durable and long lasting?
16. Encourage, highlight and celebrate local/
regional detail.
“Celebrate”: Publically honor
“Regional detail”: Compositional elements or sensory
cues that are evocative of the speciic place/region.
QUESTIONS:
16A) What are the regional details of the site?
16B) In what ways does the site encourage, highlight
and celebrate compositional elements or sensory cues
that are evocative of the speciic place/region?
17. Record design intentions, clarify them with
management, devise maintenance plans and
conduct/encourage post-occupancy evaluation so
the identity of the place can be preserved long term.
94
Appendix
QUESTIONS:
17A) What are the design intentions of the site?
17B) What is the maintenance plan for the site?
17C) When should a post-occupancy evaluation be
carried out, how often, to what level of detail and by
whom?
17D) In what way does the site record design
intentions?
17E) In what way does the site clarify them with
management?
17F) In what way does the site follow a maintenance
plan from the designers?
17G) In what way does the site conduct/encourage post
occupancy evaluation?
7.2 Case Study Template for Analysis of Existing PNW Sites
his template is derived from the preceding deconstruction process of Attia’s 17 strategies. It is intended to
be used by the designer in the analysis of the regionalist conditions of PNW sites. hese questions can be
answered in written form, but are more efective if also sketched and documented with photographs. he
coding system of this template makes the organization of site photographs and initial impressions easy
to access and ile. his template can enable more thorough and thoughtful site analysis, but cannot be answered
entirely in situ. Many questions refer to the history, the cultural context or the regional palettes that exist, which
can require research and outside sources to answer. his template is designed only to address the regionalist qualities
of the site, and should accompany other site analysis techniques, not replace them.
PROJECT CODE
DATE
LOCATION
CLIENT
1A) How has the site interfered with landform?
1B) How has the site interfered with hydrology?
1C) How has the site interfered with soil?
2A) In what way does the site celebrate mild temperatures, spring, fall and winter rain and summer drought
using hardscape?
2B) In what way does the site celebrate mild temperatures, spring, fall and winter rain and summer drought
using softscape?
2C) In what way does the site provide protection from spring, fall and winter rain and summer drought using
hardscape?
2D) In what way does the site provide protection from spring, fall and winter rain and summer drought using
softscape?
Appendix
95
3) In what ways does the site preserve, reuse and celebrate
A)
Remnant native vegetation?
B)
Objects from an earlier era?
C)
Industrial relics?
D)
Important vistas?
E)
Historically or culturally important events?
F)
Historically or culturally important time periods?
G)
Historically or culturally important individuals?
4A) In what ways does the site preserve the PNW native vegetation types that would have existed in the region
prior to settlement by non-Native Americans on site or around it?
4B) In what ways does the site intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value or extent of the ecological
function on site or around it?
5a) In what ways does the site ind a solution to a landscape issue that originally stems from the idiosyncrasies
and characteristics of the place that is derived from the materials or context of the region?
6A) What are the representative elements or processes at the site that are used as a basis for a regionalist design
concept?
6B) In what way does the site use one or two key representative elements or processes as a basis for a regionalist
design concept?
7A) What are the most dominant natural attributes and experiential qualities of the site, or the PNW region?
7B) In what ways does the site repeat the most dominant natural attributes and experiential qualities of the place
using seriality?
8A) What are the meaningful local/regional elements, historic and contemporary at the site?
8B) In what ways does the site defamiliarize regional elements that have acted as agents of contact and
community?
9A) In what ways does the site convey messages through thought-provoking art, metaphor or other device that
silently tells a story about the place?
96
Appendix
10A) In what ways does the site utilize the ‘borrowed landscape’?
10B) In what ways does the site establish circulation for user access?
10C) In what ways does the site establish ecological corridors for wildlife?
11A) In what way does the site direct user attention and thought to an existing local/regional feature or icon?
11B) In what way does the site compliment this with interpretive information?
12A) In what ways does the site use locally grown plant material?
12B) In what ways does the site use native plants, or adapted non-invasive exotics that ofer similar experiential
qualities as the natives?
12C) In what ways does the site use plants that give clues to the environment in which they are planted? [reeds
and rushes in a wet area, conifers on upland slopes, etc.]
12D) In what ways does the site avoid the use of homogenizing plants?
12E) In what ways does the site experiment with endemic plants?
12F) In what ways does the site acknowledge benign exotic trees that have become iconic of the place?
12G) In what ways does the site respect dominant natural and cultural regional colors?
12H) In what ways does the site relect true seasonality of the locale/region through plant selection?
13A) In what ways does the site refer to the geology of the place/region by using native hardscape materials?
13B) In what ways does the site refer to the geology of the place/region by using the abstraction of regionally
occurring geological forms?
Appendix
97
13C) In what ways does the site refer to the geology of the place/region by incorporating into the landscape
design existing bedrock, blufs, boulders or other geological remnants of the pre-development site?
14A) What are the native fauna of the site?
14B) In what ways does the site ofer something of interest, favorable conditions or opportunities to the native
fauna of the region?
15A) What are regionally appropriate sustainable materials?
15B) In what ways does the site use materials that are recycled, recyclable or durable and long lasting?
16A) What are the regional details of the site?
16B) In what ways does the site encourage, highlight and celebrate compositional elements or sensory cues that
are evocative of the speciic place/region?
17A) What are the design intentions of the site?
17B) What is the maintenance plan for the site?
17C) When should a post-occupancy evaluation be carried out, how often, to what level of detail and by whom?
17D) In what way does the site record design intentions?
17E) In what way does the site clarify them with management?
17F) In what way does the site follow a maintenance plan from the designers?
17G) In what way does the site conduct/encourage post occupancy evaluation?
98
Appendix
7.3 Case Study Template for Evaluation of Regional Characteristics
his template is derived from the preceding deconstruction process of Attia’s 17 strategies and is intended
to be used by the designer in the initial phase of site analysis as a way to organize and understand the
regional context of any site. he following questions can be answered in written form, but are more
efective if also sketched and documented with photographs. his template can enable more thorough
and thoughtful site analysis, but it cannot be answered entirely on site. Many questions refer to the history, the
cultural context or the regional palettes that exist, which can require research and outside sources to answer. his
template is designed only to address the regionalist qualities of the site, and should accompany other site analysis
techniques, not replace them.
PROJECT CODE
DATE
LOCATION
CLIENT
1. Is there a compelling reason to alter existing site conditions?
What landform, hydrologic or soil modiications need be made?
2. What is the weather and seasonality here?
How can it be addressed/celebrated?
3. What are the signiicant features, aspects and cues that tell the story of this place?
How can they be preserved, reused or celebrated?
4. What is the typical regional scenery and existing ecological functions?
How can the regional scenery be preserved and ecological function enhanced?
5. Are there any place-speciic problems?
What are some place speciic solutions?
6. What are the representative elements/processes here?
How can they inform a unifying regional concept for design?
7. What are the dominant attributes and qualities of the site?
How can these attributes and qualities be infused and repeated?
Appendix
99
8. What are meaningful local or regional elements, historic and contemporary?
How can these be recontextualized?
9. What is the story of the place/region?
How can narrative devices and metaphor tell this story or provoke critical thought?
10. What ‘borrowed landscapes’ inluence the site visually or ecologically?
How can a strong connection be made to them?
11. What existing local features or icons deserve attention or interpretation?
How can attention be directed or interpretative information used?
12. A) What native plants or experientially similar non-natives are grown locally?
How can these provide a majority of desired plant material?
B)
Which nurseries stock locally appropriate plants?
How can these be featured in the planting design?
C)
Which plants give clues to the environment?
How can they be planted to give clues to the environment?
D)
Which plants are homogenizing?
How can they be kept at a minimum?
E)
Which plants are endemic to the place/region?
How can endemic plants be used appropriately?
F)
Which benign exotics have become iconic of the place/region?
How can iconic exotics be used appropriately on site?
G)
What are the dominant and cultural regional colors?
How can regional color be incorporated into the design?
H)
What is the seasonality of the locale/region?
How can plants be used to celebrate seasonality on site?
100
Appendix
13. What is the geology and geological features of the place/region?
How can local geological materials, interpretations or preservation be used on site?
14. What local wildlife exists?
How can they be attracted through site design?
15. Which materials are ‘sustainable’?
How can they be prioritized in the design?
16. What are some important local/regional details?
How can they be encouraged, highlighted and celebrated?
17. What are the design concepts, intentions and management expectations?
How can maintenance plans and post-occupancy evaluation preserve these intentions in the long term?
Appendix
101
8.0
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About the Author
Noah Guadagni is a Paciic Northwest native, born in Eugene,
OR in 1985. He holds a bachelor of science degree in Global
Resource Systems from the University of British Columbia,
where he is a dual American/Canadian citizen.
Travel and study abroad in South America, Europe and
Asia have created an international context for his interest in
regional design, which he believes should be a tangible blend of
science, culture, nature and art - a fusion of rigor and passion
that leads to authentic living landscapes that inspire the spirit.
W·¸ks Cited
105