Landscape Architect Articles

LASN November 2015 Firm: Ken Saiki Design10-13-15 | Feature

Ken Saiki Design
Madison, Wisconsin

Ken Saiki Design is a landscape architecture firm founded on the principle that the creation of high quality spaces has a profound impact on the world. The firm's philosophy, that work must be fun, guides their projects and has attracted a diverse group of talented staff and collaborators. Based in Madison, Wis., and founded in 1989, the firm provides a broad range of planning and design services to both public and private clientele with project locations throughout the state of Wisconsin and the upper Midwest. Ken Saiki Design is a collection of 12 registered landscape architects, LEED accredited professionals, designers with degrees in landscape architecture, master gardeners and landscape architectural student interns. The firm's built work can be found in botanical gardens, high-end retail developments, corporate campuses, university and college campuses, urban open spaces and residential estates.

Lisa Link Peace Park, Madison, Wisconsin
Elizabeth (Lisa) Link Peace Park was once a neglected urban pocket along Madison's State Street that had been the subject of years of study and controversy. It was viewed as a detriment to the downtown landscape by many and was often the scene of illegal and antisocial activities. Ken Saiki Design was retained to translate a master plan vision formed by a volunteer steering committee into final design and construction documents. The master plan included an urban plaza, welcome center, public restrooms, and green space for large events and performances. The completed urban pocket park provides access to the entire community and invites residents and visitors to stroll through its gardens or stop to enjoy the seating nodes, game tables, water features and other urban amenities. Since its construction, the Park has hosted numerous daytime and evening events and continues to provide an oasis along State Street and a spillover for other downtown festivals and programs.

The Gardens of St. Mary's Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin
In 2008, Ken Saiki Design began working with St. Mary's Hospital to provide a vision for the new garden space that would embody the values that define the hospital and provide a tangible link to its mission and vision. At nearly one acre, the gardens are visually and physically accessible from the public corridor of the new hospital wing. The historical arch from the original hospital building, restored and moved to the edge of the gardens, forms the enclosing element that wraps the garden in a gated embrace. Within, the highly detailed gardens contain an interconnected series of smaller spaces. A children's area provides an intimate patio with child-sized furniture and branching paths of stepping stones and recycled blue glass mosaics along a stream bed water feature. A centrally located labyrinth provides an opportunity to quiet the mind and a series of waterfalls and streambeds add an air of calm and tranquility to the setting. An arbor, specialty pavements, carefully selected materials and lush plantings support a space that is visible and accessible year-round.

Carthage College Straz Science Center, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Perched along Lake Michigan's scenic shore, Carthage has natural assets unlike most colleges. The Straz Science Center is a state-of the art facility for the study of natural and social sciences located on a bluff above the lake's west shore. Inspired by the unique geography, Ken Saiki Design created a site design that engages students, faculty and visitors in the lake's panorama view. The design embraces the college's mission to advance innovative science education by creating outdoor demonstration, collaboration and teaching spaces. An outdoor classroom, a boardwalk over a bioretention basin and a deck modeled after the tributary flow of the campus's Pike River are among the many new amenities layered into the campus experience. Students are able to safely navigate the steep topography and physically access the waterfront in addition to enjoying views from the deck's upper vantage.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Madison, Wisconsin
Olbrich Botanical Garden is a 16-acre botanical garden situated on the eastern edge of the isthmus in downtown Madison, Wisconsin. Ken Saiki Design began working with the Garden in 1992, envisioning a master plan that addressed program needs for Olbrich's extensive education program, the expansion of horticulture gardens and support spaces, enhancements to visitor experience and circulation, and new garden integration including land acquisition and phased development. The firm's continued relationship with Olbrich has resulted in the design and development of numerous new gardens including the Sunken Garden, Thai Garden, Discovery Dock, Donors Arbors, and Rose Garden.

State Street, Madison, Wisconsin
State Street is a pedestrian mall located in downtown Madison, Wisconsin, and serves as the link between the State Capitol and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It is a vibrant street, boasting both locally owned and nationally recognized retail establishments, bars, and restaurants as well as community assets like the Overture Center for the Arts, the Orpheum Theatre and the Memorial Library Mall. It is a destination for city residents and visitors alike. Ken Saiki Design was part of a multi-disciplinary team responsible for planning, design and final construction documents for multiple phases of the street's reconstruction. The final design integrated custom lighting, distinctive public spaces, and public art and crafted a single, unifying district identity. The strength of the design lies in its pedestrian focus and simplicity. The success of the project is tied to the community involvement and consensus building facilitated by the design team.