Western Planning Associates, Inc. by Liz Shotwell, Melanie Poe & Bill Horning Western Planning Associates, Inc. (WPA) has been providing land development services in the Portland/Vancouver area for over twenty years. WPA's multidisciplinary combination of Land Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Civil Engineering services enables the firm's professionals to provide integrated and creative land development solutions. The firm has planned, designed and managed a full range of land development projects: single and mixed-use Planned Unit Developments, single-family subdivisions, multifamily, commercial and industrial projects, office campuses, neighborhood and community parks, open space complexes and recreational facilities. The company focuses on integrating open space elements and natural features with the site plan in order to create communities with enhanced liveability. The award-winning, master-planned community of Deer Creek is a striking example of the character of projects designed by WPA. Located within the fast growing community of Camas, Deer Creek will provide quality housing for nearly 1,000 residents. The client, Lugliani Investment Company, sought to create an innovative, quality suburban community that integrated the site's significant natural features with each of its neighborhoods. The firm has taken this directive and designed a project that captures the essence of twenty years of a Landscape Master-Planned approach to neighborhood design. The design team utilized the site's natural features and views as the driving force for the design concept at Deer Creek. Over 28 acres of wetlands have been preserved and enhanced within the site, creating a framework of open space for each neighborhood and the overall community. Principal William Horning, AICP explains, "The amenities provided for Deer Creek have led to an unquestionable presence in the marketplace." While the wetlands perform many environmental functions, the wetland buffers offer opportunities to provide passive recreation amenities such as pedestrian pathways and viewpoints. The adjacent open spaces outside of the wetlands and buffers are the sites for a series of active recreation facilities linked by the open space path system. This path system ties Deer Creek neighborhoods together and makes connections to the City of Camas Regional Trail, and a future integrated school site and nine-acre park. The Deer Creek project truly reflects the possibilities of a focused team effort to implement a project of unique vision. lasn Deer Creek design theme materials are carried through in the design of the observation deck, which overlooks the preserved and enhanced central wetland and open space area. Successful integration of Northwest native materials such as basalt stone columns contribute to the natural theme of Deer Creek. A native plant palette was used in the enhancement of a major wetland area near the project entry, throughout buffer enhancement areas, and to integrate stormpond areas with adjacent open spaces. A stepped wooden boardwalk provides open space path connections and results in the least amount of impact to sensitive wetland areas by matching existing grade at Deer Creek.