30th May2010

Green Above Ground

by Jason King

The evolving nature of the ecoroof industry has created a desire for a streamlined approach to providing design and contracting for projects.  This has been the impetus for Green Above Ground, a a network of design/build professionals who provide a single source solution for local ecoroof projects. Our network is designed to maximize the collective knowledge of our members and offer a full service ecoroof package to clients who will benefit from not having to purchase design services and installation separately. Our experienced project team recognizes the importance of ecoroof technologies, and ensures a high level of quality for every project.

GREEN ABOVE GROUND

The core team consists of Snyder Roofing of Oregon LLC, which will act as the main point of contact, and provide roofing and waterproofing services as well as general contracting. Design services will be provided by TERRA.fluxus LLC, a landscape architecture firm with a broad range of rooftop experience. This is complemented by Teufel Landscape, providing vast experience related to planting and ecoroof component installation, as well as ongoing project maintenance.  We have a team structure that promotes seamless communication and allows us to provide comprehensive and lasting solutions to your ecoroof needs.  We are currently at work on a pair of design-build projects, including retrofits for the BPA 905 Building which should be completed in summer of 2010.

A notable collaboration that really spawned thinking about this opportunity was with the Portland Building Ecoroof.  The design team for this 18,000 s.f. retrofit was led by Macdonald Environmental Planning (Jason King as lead designer & project manager while at MEPpc).  After a competitive bidding process, Snyder Roofing was selected to lead the construction, bringing in Teufel Landscape to provide installation for ecoroof system components.  While not design-build, this created a positive working relationship that has continued on many projects over the years.

image courtesy of BES

A more recent example was First+Main Building, completed in 2010, where the team members worked in tandem to create a 15,000 square foot roof terrace in downtown Portland.  Jason King* of TERRA.fluxus led the design efforts (while working at GreenWorks PC) providing design and project management for this terrace.  The team using Snyder Roofing and Teufel Landscape as subcontractors for waterproofing for the entire building and installation of the roof terrace walls, planters.

The site features our collective team experience with a number of collaborative projects.  A full listing of TERRA.fluxus ecoroof and rooftop garden design encompasses over 3 acres of vegetated roofing  over a span of 10 years, including projects completed by Jason King while at GreenWorks and Macdonald Environmental Planning.

• Van Ness Medical Office Building Green Roof (San Francisco, CA) – 10,100 s.f.
• BPA 905 Building Ecoroof Retrofit (Portland, OR) – 6,000 s.f.
• Multnomah County Rooftop Agriculture Demonstration (Portland, OR) – 200 s.f.
• The Chicken Cube (Portland, OR) – 20 s.f.
• First & Main Roof Terrace* (Portland, OR) – 15,000 s.f.
• The Beacon* (Portland, OR) – 7,000 s.f. (current)
• The Nines Rooftop Plantings* (Portland, OR) – 2,500 s.f. (unbuilt)
• Arnada Commons Condominiums* (Vancouver, WA) – 6,000 s.f. (unbuilt)
• Beranger Condominiums* (Gresham, OR) – 3,000 s.f.
• The Encore Condominiums* (Portland, OR) – 1,500 s.f.
• Independence Station* (Independence, OR) – 6,000 s.f. (unbuilt)
• PSU Urban Studies Annex (Portland, OR) – 1,500 s.f. (unbuilt)
• Orpinela Guesthouse Ecoroof*** (Portland, OR) – 720 s.f.
• People’s Food Coop Ecoroof*** (Portland, OR) – 270 s.f.
• Hawthorne Condominiums Ecoroof *** (Portland, OR) – 1,500 s.f.
• Sweeney Residence Ecoroof (Portland, OR) – 800 s.f.
• Refi Residence Ecoroof (Portland, OR) – 400 s.f.
• Stacey Residence Ecoroof** (Portland, OR) – 250 s.f.
• B33 – Albina Fuel Site** (Portland, OR) – 10,000 s.f. (unbuilt)
• Borealis Living Wall & Roof Garden** (Seattle, WA) – 1,200 s.f.
• Fifth & Lenora Green Roof & Terrace** (Seattle, WA) – 15,000 s.f. (unbuilt)
• Portland Building Ecoroof** (Portland, OR) – 18,000 s.f.
• Sky Lakes Medical Center Healing Garden** (Klamath Falls, OR) – 12,000 s.f.
• Village at Headwaters at Tryon Creek Ecoroof ** (Portland, OR) – 13,000 s.f.
• Multnomah County Building Ecorooof ** (Portland, OR) – 12,000 s.f.

Some projects completed with a firm other than TERRA.fluxus (designated below):
• GreenWorks PC * (www.greenworkspc.com)
• MacDonald Environmental Planning pc ** (www.mep-pc.com)
• With Ecoroofs Everywhere (non-profit)  *** (www.ecoroofseverywhere.com)

Category : business, ecoroofs, environmental, landscape, planning, portland, projects, roof gardens, vegitecture
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28th May2010

New Digs

by Jason King

After working in offices for the past 13 years, the thought of working at home was both welcome and somewhat disturbing.  Knowing my ability to diverge from the task at hand, and coupled with a veritable ‘zoo’ of furry co-workers, the time has been indeed lovely.  Alas, our 600 s.f. house is quite cozy without the addition of an office, so after  a couple of months of hanging out in the living room office, I’ve finally found a home away from home in a spacious and wonderful warehouse space in the Central Eastside Industrial District – located at 1315 SE 9th Avenue (map).

image via DESIGN DEPARTMENT

The space is home to some awesome creative types Ben Hufford and Eric Black -  known as DESIGN DEPARTMENT which “…was founded in 2008 as a collective design approach. We believe that design encompasses all projects from t-shirts to master plans.  While there are firms that specialize in particular types of project, we design special projects.  Our approach is rooted in making. Our shop is an unconventional mix of high technology computing and hands’ on prototyping and construction.”

They also will help me with my ping-pong skills.

image via DESIGN DEPARTMENT

The focus on collaboration in a loose creative space, along with the ability to develop some prototypes fits into the research side of TERRA.fluxus – as it will give the space to develop some prototypes of a number of products that are currently in process.

image via DESIGN DEPARTMENT

Part of the space consists of a storefront gallery painted with the very visible ADX -  (which is currently the Olinka Broadfoot Gallery operated by my fabulous friend Kelley Roy from Sassafras Consulting) – which makes for a wonderful entrance to the studio space.

image via DESIGN DEPARTMENT

Starting next week – feel free to swing by and check out the space.  More details to follow.

Category : announcements, business, community, portland, thoughts
2 Comm
26th May2010

Holding Pattern | Urban Void Matrix

by Jason King

A quick ‘competition’ of sort from Seattle fit nicely into some current thinking around the concept of uses for vacant properties (aka urban voids).  In this case, the focus is on ‘stalled’ building sites that are left partially finished due to economic or other factors.  The gist of the call for idea from the Holding Patterns ‘brief’ distributed by Seattle DPD:

“Have you noticed how many lots have been left empty or partially developed due to the stalled economy? These vacant project sites are all around us. Unattractive and unbecoming of our city, we pass by them every day: empty holes, barren plains of gravel, voids in the city fabric. How can we convert these eyesores to opportunities?

The Seattle Design Commission wants your ideas for Holding Patterns, interim uses for stalled project sites. We are seeking your concepts to transform the following types of stalled project sites around the city:

  • holes in the ground
  • surface lots
  • ongoing construction above or below street level

Whether a concert space or a bumper car track, basketball hoops or a fleeting performance stage, from temporary to semi-permanent, wacky, practical or both, the Design Commission is welcoming any and all ideas. Artists, designers, non-profits, businesses, developers, students, astronauts, everyone is invited to contribute ideas. Interdisciplinary teams are encouraged.”

OUR PROPOSAL

Our team, consisting of Kelley Roy (Sassafras Consulting), Kelly Rodgers (Confluence Planning) and Jason King (TERRA.fluxus) approached this from the viewpoint of ‘A Modular Approach to Building the Sustainable City’ that looks at the three typologies of the site, hole, and frame within a matrix of food, community, ecology, and materials.  This proposal seeks to use these sites as a way to create a compelling development model that is sustainable, mobile, and integrated. This proposal frames community uses for vacant parcels, providing options for the different needs of the community as well as by type of parcel. It does not suggest that one amenity fits all neighborhoods and sites, thereby providing the flexibility for the community and efficiency for developer.

The idea is that instead of site-specific solutions, solutions have the ability to 1) Roll in-Roll Out (mobility), 2) Be Integrated with Buildings (application to final project) and 3) Productive landscapes (generating income and material for food and building)

Rather than focus on one solution, we decided to apply the matrix to each of the typologies for stalled building projects:  site, hole, and frame.  This gives a snapshot of possible applications to real world conditions, using a generic site configuration.  Each project site would be evaluated for the best mix of interim use that fits the final building project.

SITE: One idea of a building integration strategy is to use vacant building sites as land for producing building materials.  Afforestation can consist of growing products that are sustainably harvested over the years and then used in the building construction.  In this case, groves of bamboo, fast growing trees, industrial fibers like hemp, and sheepswool can be ‘grown’ on the land with an eventual end use within the building cladding, insulation, carpet, and finish work.  Buildings literally grow from the site.

FRAME: using the partially constructed armature of a stalled building structure, the idea is to create temporary three-dimensional habitat through portable hanging habitat gardens.  These habitat pods occupy site for beautification, climate modification, air quality improvement – then move to next site to continue to contribute to urban quality.  Modular planters can be transported easily and placed on a viable partial structure.  Street-level planters keep people out of the site for safety.  Rooftop planters on structural grids give the opportunity to add trees and other habitat elements.

HOLE: taking advantage of the negative space left behind through stalled excavation, gives us an opportunity to create places for community gathering for theater, concerts, and events – amphitheater evolves into a building-integrated arts space.  Tiers of seating are sunken into the excavation to create seating, oriented towards a stage and screen at the low point for an immersive experience.  Temporary planters protect steep edges and generous at-grade elements accommodate passers-by to draw in community.  Modular elements can be repurposed in building or moved to a different site after usage – and allow for a proof of concept that can translate into arts and performance space in the final building installation.

Category : brownfields, community, installations, planning, projects, seattle, sustainability, theory, thoughts, urban voids, urbanism
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24th May2010

Chicken Cube Ecoroof

by Jason King

It’s been a bit less than a year since we planted the ecoroof on the Chicken Cube, and it has burst with a flowery showing of color in the past few weeks.  The announcement that the coop will be featured on this years Tour de Coops (Saturday, July 24) was an added bonus as the roof is looking great. And we have plenty of time to finish the run and reconfiguration of the nest box in the next couple of months – if it will ever stop raining on the weekends.  (All Photos Copyright (c) Jason King, 2010 – TERRA.fluxus LLC)


We literally didn’t do any maintenance on this over the past year – a spritz of water a few times in August, and some weeding a few weeks ago, along with filling in some holes with cuttings and a few new additions.  I thought it was time to look a bit closer at how the roof had fared over the year, and see some of the specific elements at work in the plant palette.  For starters, there is still a ton of diversity, with great groupings of succulents punctuated with some perennial color.  There were a few species that didn’t make it, but the overall mosaic seems to have filled in.  About a month ago I grabbed a chive that was left from the garden – and ‘bombed’ the roof – tossing it up there with it’s root ball – and in a few weeks it had rooted into the growing media (the chive closest to the right).

The stars right now are definitely the Chives (Allium) and the Dianthus, which are both in full bloom and visible from the ground level.  A closeup of a few species shows some subtle washes of color – such as the aforementioned chives, as well as the Lewisia (a replacement as the one planted last year didn’t make it).

Another interesting condition with a closer look was some of the flowering with these new blossoms sprouting yellow and red from the Sedum kamtschaticum variegatum.

And the textures, with the addition of the Sempervivum in both red (above) and green (below), providing a noted contrast to the Sedums and perennials.

One interesting aspect was the microclimate that exists due to the surrounding vegetation – and it’s influence on the species.  The Sedum ruprestre shows a marked difference in color from full sun (top photo) with significant yellow bleeding into the foliage.  This is in contrast to the area on the top portion of the roof shaded from most of the direct sun (bottom photo) where it retains much more of a glossy green coloring.  These subtle differences and having the roof literally right out the back door make it a laboratory for monitoring plant health and possible species to try on larger projects.

Much like an Pearl-district Condo, the residents care little for the beauty of the ecoroof they can’t see or interact with… but I’m sure they appreciate it in their own way.

Category : ecoroofs, environmental, landscape, planting, portland, sustainability, tours, vegitecture
1 Comm
16th May2010

Emerson Street Garden

by Jason King

An exciting project and local group that is worth of some attention is the Emerson Street Garden – a project from Groundwork Portland and the Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Land Trust (OSALT) who are developing a community driven agriculture installation with a twist.  The site is 100′ x 25′ making it a thin slice adjacent to an existing residential neighborhood.  Lead is presumed to have accumulated when the house burned down some years back, and the contamination is isolated in the top layers of soil.  The groups are “…working with the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on a unique experiment to determine if the lead can be removed or more thinly distributed with plants. The desired result is soil safe enough to support a community garden.” Areas of lead contaminated soil will be moved to the back portion of the site, and a number of phytoremediation techniques will be applied to these areas.

An aerial for some context:

In a recent update, Groundwork Portland Executive Director Cassie Cohen gave some latest news, including the commencement of cleanup activities:

  • Two weekends ago, the contaminated soil where the house sat was moved to the back of the lot by volunteers from OSALT and GeoSyntec.
  • Yesterday, volunteers from GeoSyntec took dozens of soil samples and sent them off to a lab.  Now, we will wait one to two weeks for the results to see if the remaining soil is safe to begin designing a garden.
  • In the meantime, some cover crop will be thrown on the soil to help rejuvenate the nutrients in the ground, and prepare for a garden.

CONCEPT DESIGN

After participating in the first workshop on April 17th, for the latest workshop on May 6th, TERRA.fluxus did a few quick studies of the space to give participants a feel for options in arranging the site elements.  These weren’t meant to be final designs, but a range of possible ideas to get the juices flowing for participants of the workshop.   Design elements included the phytoremediation area, water feature, entry gateway, benches and tables, tool shed, areas for education, compost areas, raised beds, and shared garden plots.  Here’s a snapshot of these concepts.

The first concept utilized a central pathway from a semi-circular entry plaza that opened up to the street.  Elements were located on each side of the pathway and included a micro-orchard and other community site elements towards the north side of the site.  The location of trees towards the north portion keeps solar access at a maximum for garden beds, and provides some buffering from the street.  The plaza includes a reconfigured sidewalk routing and a visible historic marker on the boulevard to denote the sites location.  Raised beds, tool shed, and small plots are fit on each side of the central pathway leading to the phytoremediation area to the southernmost portion of the site.

The second iteration kept the central entry into the site, and located most of the community elements towards the north, but shifted the pathway to accomodate larger 20×20′ garden plots along the south portion of the site.  A central structure would be used to capture rainwater for storage in rainbarrels, and the social and educational spaces would be in close proximity for keeping an eye on kids while they were in class activities.  Gateway and fencing around the site draws from neighborhood history and offers security while welcoming visitors when open.

The third concept was derived from a sketch by one of the participants of the first workshop, and featured a sinuous pathway weaving through the site and fitting the program elements within the spaces left over.  The northernmost portion of the site includes fencing, and a micro-orchard, along with a shade structure and social space.  Raised beds are fit inside each pathway node, along with spaces for art and historical markers throughout.  A central tool shed becomes the spot for education within the garden, and the phytoremediation area is separated from the garden by a water feature to delineate this space.

Look forward to further updates as the project progresses in Summer of 2010.

Category : agriculture, brownfields, community, environmental, food, landscape, planning, portland, projects, urban voids
1 Comm
12th May2010

ASLA Sustainable PPN on Urban Agriculture

by Jason King

A recent post on the ASLA Sustainable Design and Development Blog by Deb Guenther recapped the great panel discussion and charrette.  The feature “Seattle has declared 2010 the Year of Urban Agriculture gives a snapshot of the speakers, including Jeff Hou, the chair of the UW landscape architecture department, along with Keith McPeters, a principal at Gustafson Guthrie Nichol in Seattle, and Guenther, a principal at Mithun.  The panel was moderated by Thaisa Way, the UW landscape architecture professor of history and also included student work integrating urban farming with housing redevelopment in Seattle.

An excerpt from the post:

“Jason’s presentation revealed Portland’s long-time commitment to urban farming along with a series of five principles: 1.  Utilize a hierarchy of urban spaces, 2.    Work through policy barriers, 3.  Reframe permaculture in a new lens, 4.    Maximize Efficiency per square foot, and 5. Develop orderly frames. I found his comprehensive list of the wide range of urban farming typologies to be immensely interesting as it captured the wide range of ways we are beginning to integrate a “new” , old land use into our cities.”

Another aspect of the presentation mentioned was an ongoing list of ‘urban agriculture typologies’ that was started within the Oregon Solutions Community Garden process last fall, and has continued through further exploration in Portland and beyond.  The various elements of what encompasses urban agriculture and food production is wide-ranging, and it was a treat to see these in action through the work of Mithun and the research from Hou, to heed the call for design excellence as laid out by McPeters, and to see it wrapped up in the student work.  I’m excited to see the results that came from the charrette the following day to generate ideas for a range of urban spaces infused with food production.

Thanks to Deb for the mention – Read the entire post here – and check out the other activities from the ASLA Sustainable Design & Development PPN here.

Category : agriculture, announcements, community, landscape, portland, presentations, press, publications, seattle, sustainability, thoughts
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12th May2010

In Landscaping, Green is Always Good

by Jason King

An article in Multi-Housing News from May 2010 features a number quotes on the philosophy for sustainable landscape architecture on dense housing sites.  Anuradha Kher authored the article that included input from Jason King of TERRA.fluxus, alongside nationally recognized landscape architects Mia Lerher of Mia Lehrer + Associates, and Deb Guenther from Seattle’s Mithun.  The article mentions the ability to increase renter retention and attracting new tenants, and expands this to include the economic, social, and environmental benefits that can be interjected into sustainable sites.

An excerpt of the article:

“Jason A. King ASLA CLARB LEED is Principal and Landscape Architect at TERRA.fluxus LLC, a company he recently started. He tells MHN that the idea of water efficiency is big and is dominating a lot of sustainable landscaping practices. “Rain gardens and small storm water management strategies are catching on. The nice thing is that they can act as an amenity for sites where you can build the interactive part of the project around the rain gardens or storm water facility depending on the density of the project. Green roofs are gaining a lot of importance because they add to the aesthetics of a property but also because they offer a multifunctional aspect. Prices for those have dropped substantially and there are a lot of incentives to integrate them into projects on a limited budget now.”

King says that the concept of eco-friendly lawns for play areas – as many lawn substitutes don’t work well for heavy traffic/use—is also getting attention. Another is a trend toward protecting existing trees and other site resources like wetlands – rather than the typical trend of wall-to-wall site clearing.

Many landscape architects are looking for opportunities for each portion of the site to do multiple things at once. From a practical standpoint, it provides an opportunity to do things with a little more efficiency on sites that don’t have extra room. The other benefit is maximizing the investment, so if a developer doesn’t have the budget for a storm water facility and open meeting space, he/she can get both at once with creative landscaping. Jason explains, “I think it’s a newer trend but its helping architects look at landscaping as something more than merely  a tool to decorate. It’s more integrated into the specifics of the site and is helping solve some of the problems that were previously tackled through civil engineering techniques.”

Xeriscape landscaping, which by definition is landscaping designed specifically for areas that are susceptible to drought, or for properties where water conservation is practiced, is now practiced more and more commonly as a sustainable initiative.

“There are a lot of great new technologies that make it relatively simple such as high efficiency irrigation like spray irrigation. From the management’s perspective we like to use pretty detailed water budgets, determining owners expectations of water management and coming up with budgets that can save them money in the long term and be sustainable,” adds King.

Plant selection is another area of landscaping that can make a big impact on how sustainable a project can be. Native plants, which have a lot of proponents, are great because they are totally adapted to the region, and are, by definition more sustainable and ecologically appropriate. They also use less water but on the flip side, says King, “They might not be the most appropriate plants for a particular design. Most natives in the Pacific Northwest for example are quite large so if you are doing something on a tight sits, where you don’t have enough room, planting purely native plants opens up many long-term issues.”

King explains that the trend is more to use natives as a base and expand beyond that to regionally adapted plants, to those that are either cultivated varieties of those natives and happen to be smaller or more appropriate for certain types of development. While choosing plants, a lot of things have to be considered and balancing sustainability with drought tolerant aspects and color, seasonal variation etc. are all critical for good landscaping practices.”

Read the entire article here.

Category : announcements, ecoroofs, environmental, landscape, planting, press, publications, sustainability
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08th May2010

Urban Ecotones Published in Future Arquitecturas

by Jason King

The publication last year of Future Arquitecturas 19/20 Double Issue from 2009 featured the winners and selected projects from the Re-Invent Infrastructures Competition.  Urban Ecotones, the competition entry by Jason King (Principal of TERRA.fluxus) and Brett Milligan for the Metro Integrating Habitats competition, was a perfect fit for the competition (check out a brief of the Reinvent Infrastructures Competition here).  The project had previously been published in Metropolis and Landscape Architecture China – so the publication in another international Journal was a welcome addition.

Future Arquitecturas is published out of Madrid, so the issue is old news – but due to global snail mail – it took a bit of time for my copy of the publication to arrive (last week).  Brett and I submitted this as a project that fit many of the competition ideas including mobility, resource supply, waste, as ‘Hybrid Habitats’ acting as interrelated components of urban infrastructural systems.

A brief explanation of the project goals that were including in the text:

“Urban Ecotones” provides a contemporary vision for how modular economic development can regenerate, rather than destroy natural systems within an expanding city region.  Rather than seeing the thresholds at which commercial development meets natural systems as points of confrontation, they are approached as environments of unique richness – a synergy of diverse habitats akin to ecotones, spanning nested scales from site to region.  Urban ecotones are spaces for creative cross-programming that facilitate new regenerative urban processes, including: Parking (re)volution, Flow (re)direction and Waste (re)cycle.”

All images are courtesy of Future Arquitecturas Issue 19/20.   Project graphics and text copyright Jason King & Brett Milligan.

Category : environmental, graphics, images, landscape urbanism, press, projects, publications, theory, thoughts, urbanism, writing
0 Comm
07th May2010

Real Good Food

by Jason King

An on-going project with Urban Development Partners NW (UD+P)  is a food cart hub located at 43rd & Belmont (read more about food carts here).  TERRA.fluxus has been working with UD+P to develop this interim use for the currently vacant lot in Southeast Portland as a multi-cart hub with associated amenities such as seating, tents, restrooms, landscaping, storage, and other site elements.  The site is located on an existing parking lot that has not been used for some time – adjacent to this commercial and mixed-use neighborhood.

A few close-ups of the existing site.

The site plan shows the relationship of elements, including the potential for approximately twenty carts.  Routing of water, electrical, and sewer was included to minimize conflicts with site users.  The site also benefits from a number of adjacent parking stalls.

To show the relationship, TERRA.fluxus created a simple SketchUp model to give a feel for the spaces. A birdseye perspective shows the entire site.

The following vignettes show a number of the site elements.

VIEW FROM BELMONT STREET

CENTRAL SEATING AREA

CENTRAL SEATING AREA W/ SHADE TENT

PATHWAY FROM PARKING AREA AND GARDEN SEATING

Finally, watch a video ‘walk-through’ of the site model to get a feel for the spaces.

Real Good Food from Jason King on Vimeo.
Category : community, food, graphics, images, landscape, planning, portland, presentations, projects, urban voids, urbanism
1 Comm
06th May2010

Jason King featured on LANDCAST

by Jason King
Bernard Tschumi, Downsview Park patterning illustration – image via Animal Architecture

Victoria, British Columbia-based Landscape Architect and blogger Christian Barnard was kind enough to include TERRA.fluxus Principal Jason King on episode #2 of his new series LANDCAST – a podcast format addressing ”the voice of contemporary landscape culture”.   The discussion was light and fun, and topics ranged from the origins of the firm name from James Corners seminal essay, to social media and landscape architecture, a dream tour of sustainable Portland sites, and the local food cart phenomenon – to name a few highlights.  Thanks Christian… it was a blast.

Hear the entire podcast here.

Category : announcements, landscape, presentations, press, publications, thoughts, urbanism
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