ATLAS Landscape Architecture by Dana Garretson ATLAS Landscape Architecture is Portland, Oregon's newest Landscape Architecture firm. While the firm is new, the partners are not. Individually, each has been responsible for designing and managing challenging projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. ATLAS specializes in Landscape Architecture, site planning and master planning. The firm is experienced in diverse project types that include urban design, park and recreation planning, and design, mixed-use developments, and designs for private gardens. The firm includes six design professionals whose interests and experiences are as varied as the projects they serve. Having lived and worked in diverse areas of the United States and abroad, each has gained valuable insight into the importance of the vernacular landscape and how it can be used to instill a sense of place within the built environment. A central location provides access to projects throughout the western region. ATLAS Landscape Architecture firmly believes that the designer can best be described as a blue-collar artist. True artists do not have clients, they are not bound by budgets, and review agencies and zoning constraints are rarely an issue. Part of the design philosophy at ATLAS is the commitment to put "architecture" back into "Landscape Architecture." We find the most successful projects are those where we have collaborated with the client and project architect to create a clear design vision that wraps the architecture and site into a unified solution. Our goal is to create spaces that embody the ATLAS design philosophy: visually bold, environmentally sound, grounded, buildable. Principal Gill Williams explains, "Oregon is an ideal place to practice; the Landscape Architects here are a relatively tight-knight group of people all looking out for the greater good of the profession. This is critical as the profession continues to expand and address a broader range of work. ATLAS Landscape Architecture will play a significant role in the continued development of this region; we are a perfect mix of idealist and pragmatist with the ultimate goal of seeing projects built. Most important, we have a strong sense of what contributes to the liveability and quality of life of our state." The office is thriving amidst the challenges of a thriving city. "I see Portland struggling with density issues," explains Partner Kinder Baumgardner, ASLA, CSLA. "While the city talks about increasing density, neighborhood groups are asking for more open space and natural habitat. At ATLAS, we are leading the charge to balance these potentially conflicting issues by developing urban projects that respond to the natural systems of our region." For example, the North Macadam District is located on the Willamette River, and is an abandoned industrial site that is soon to be transformed into Portland's newest urban neighborhood. Working with project architects, ATLAS is setting the tone for subsequent development in the area. A major goal of the project is twofold: to integrate the development into the urban fabric of Portland's downtown, and to develop the district to complement the natural systems of the Willamette Greenway and the river. The guiding vision of the project development is that of an urban neighborhood of mixed residential, retail and commercial developments that will combine to create a pedestrian-oriented community, where residents can commute to downtown via the greenway trails or on a streetcar. Principal Nick Wilson elaborates, "Portland is and always has been a hotbed of creative energy. As a firm, we seek not only to be recognized in this city for creative design solutions, but also for extending creativity to other areas of practice. We would like to be innovative in everything we do, from the scope of work that we carve out for ourselves to the way that we execute the work. Truly creative and energetic professionals will not let the most mundane details of practice escape a fresh perspective. We are always asking ourselves: Is there a better way to do this? And is there a faster way to do this? Of course, we would like to impact the built environment. While we are doing that, we would also like to revolutionize the practice of Landscape Architecture." John Warner, Principal, concludes, "ATLAS provides the principals the opportunity to collaborate, interact and draw on the experience of four mature, seasoned designers, whose backgrounds are widely variable: these are people who have worked in Europe, Canada and around the U.S. As individuals, we have strong instincts for the wise and careful use of natural resources in the design and development of each project. Our endeavor is to provide our clients with exciting solutions to their program requirements, beautiful in design and flawless in execution." lasn Proximity to downtown Portland and the Willamette River are strong motivations for the pedestrian scale of the new urban neighborhood in the North Macadam District. The riparian landscape is a major feature of the new neighborhood as it permeates the open spaces and private plazas throughout the district. The guiding vision is that of a pedestrian-oriented community, where residents can commute to downtown via the greenway trails or on a streetcar. Relics of the former waterfront industrial site-- piers and pile caps-- will be integrated into the new North Macadam neighborhood and greenway as focal points and follies. The North Macadam community, the river parkway, and streetcar and light rail transit will be intertwined with the riparian landscape of the Willamette Greenway. Key features of the neighborhood infrastructure will link the neighborhood to the river to maximize river views and to link the community with the water. New streetscape improvements delineate the approach from the neighborhood into Washington Park and to the new visitor facilities at the Rose Gardens.