W & H Pacific, Inc. by Mark Hadley, ASLA Most of today's projects require the talents of a wide variety of professionals. Public projects, in particular, are becoming increasingly complex with environmental and regulatory concerns and are demanding greater community involvement. While Landscape Architects regularly participate on these multidisciplinary project teams, in many instances they do not serve in lead project management roles. One Northwest firm is working to change that. W & H Pacific, a multidisciplinary firm with offices in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, regularly places Landscape Architects in lead roles on projects that require management of a variety of professional disciplines. Many of the Northwest's park projects involve greenspaces located along stream corridors and have a complex set of associated environmental issues. Many sites are environmentally sensitive with wetlands and natural habitat areas that must be preserved or enhanced, while accommodating development goals such as full public access and recreational uses. Landscape Architects offer a comprehensive understanding of all these issues and thus are best suited to lead projects that must successfully meet both developmental and environmental goals. "Our company philosophy is to apply our professional capabilities in an environmentally responsible manner," comments Bill Jabs, President of the firm. "Our Landscape Architects are a key part of that and have become leaders of the firm who take full responsibility for managing projects." W & H Pacific has completed numerous park, public space, and destination resort projects throughout the Northwest. "The main reason we have so many successful park projects is that we have the resources to solve any problem that might come up," comments Thomas Jones, Landscape Architect and an Associate of the firm. With five offices spread throughout the area, the firm has developed an expertise in accommodating the region's diverse environmental zones. From the Oregon Coast and Puget Sound to the "banana belt" of the Willamette Valley, contrasted with the Cascade Mountains, the high deserts of Central Oregon, and the arid climate of Idaho, Landscape Architects know that there are no universal solutions to project needs. W & H Pacific's landscape architectural abilities have been further enhanced by the use of the Intergraph workstation platform. It was early work in transportation design that prompted a commitment to this powerful software, as an addition to the standard AutoCad services. Since then, most public agencies have adopted Intergraph as their standard. Company professionals have learned how to apply this design tool to work seamlessly with clients like ODOT, Bonnevile Power Administration, as well as cities and park districts. Starting with survey data, information is processed into either AutoCad or Intergraph format, which gives the designer the ability to stay within one platform from beginning to end without converting files, thereby ensuring the integrity of the files. With this comprehensive service philosophy, it is no wonder that two offices with 60 employees has grown to six offices with 315 employees in just ten years serving three primary markets: land development, transportation and utilities. "I have really enjoyed the opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary environment," explains Mike Smyth, one of the Landscape Architects. "I have such quick access to so many varied professionals that I can get my questions answered by just walking down the hall. This environment has broadened my understanding of how all the complex issues of a project are solved." Over six years ago, the company president declared that there would be a computer on every desk, with all the tools and training to go with it. That was accomplished within one year, and marked the beginning of the commitment to technology that has allowed W & H Pacific to effectively manage and control information. Currently, every design professional has a fully capable CAD station with both AutoCad and MicroStation available, full Internet access and connectivity to all other offices over a wide area network (WAN). As business over the Internet grows, W & H Pacific will be ready. "We are already using our web page to post preliminary drawings for review by our clients, and they love it," remarks Hadley. The current information system project being developed is the establishment of an Intranet platform to host all the process and functional tools, forms, and resources needed for efficient project development and management. This next step will enable W & H Pacific's professionals, and in particular its Landscape Architect project managers, to assimilate information with greater efficiency to provide the best solutions for their clients. lasn A weir was constructed to control the hydrology and the area reshaped to create a rich wildlife habitat that has become a valuable asset to the Nike World Campus. A key element of this success was the multidisciplinary leadership of a Landscape Architect, who led the team in restoring the natural values of a stream corridor that had degraded from years of agricultural use. The restoration of the Commonwealth Lake Park incorporated the functional values of hydrology, flood control and bio-engineering with new park and recreational facilities. W & H Pacific Landscape Architects coordinated between a civil engineer with hydrology expertise, a structural engineer and a wetland biologist. A plant palette was created for the restoration of two spring-fed bogs on the site. The project recently earned a Merit Award from the Oregon Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The Rossman Park neighborhood has taken pride in their new pocket park, holding many events in the park throughout the year. Having offices in the desert community has allowed the company to do a significant amount of work for destination resorts. The natural environment of the high desert is celebrated at the Awbrey Glen Resort Community.