News

October 5, 2016 – On Thursday, October 6, Seattle Parks and Recreation is hosting a public meeting to discuss the design of Smith Cove Park. GGN is leading the planning and design effort with Olson Kundig for this waterfront park in Seattle, WA. Smith Cove Park is located just west of Pier 91, at the foot of Magnolia Hill on Elliott Bay.

GGN is currently designing a vision plan for the 9.5 acre waterfront property. Included in the project’s first phase will be improvements to an existing sports field. GGN’s vision expands upon the traditional approach to a sports field, incorporating a natural turf, rectangular space into a larger “Field Oval” with a soft, tree-lined edge. The large oval lawn, which will be used for picnicking, pick-up games, community events, and youth soccer games, has a curvilinear geometry that draws from the history of the site as a tidal flat. Based on its unique siting, the “Field Oval” is oriented towards the water to frame views of Mt. Rainier and downtown Seattle. Access to the water’s edge will be enhanced, so that park visitors can stroll along the beach and launch a kayak into Elliott Bay.

Through the public meeting, Seattle Parks and Recreation will work with the GGN design team to incorporate community insights regarding how specific program elements are prioritized within the first phase of the project’s budget. “We’re thrilled to be working with Parks and the community to design a Seattle waterfront park on such a beautiful and historically rich site,” said Tess Schiavone, Principal. 

GGN is teaming with the exceptional thinkers at Olson Kundig, who have contributed research and analysis into the site’s connection to surrounding neighborhoods and communities, in order to evaluate programming ideas that will activate the park. The design effort is also strengthened by the contributions of Jeffrey L. Bruce & Company, Hart Crowser, Magnusson Klemencic Associates, DCW Cost Management, Niteo, and Rushing. With Seattle Parks and Recreation’s leadership, the design team looks forward to building upon the existing momentum and enthusiasm of neighborhood groups, like the Friends of Smith Cove Park, in defining what the park can be.

August 21, 2016 – Three talented individuals have joined the staff of GGN.

Hannah Vondrak joins GGN as a Designer. Hannah’s professional experience includes construction documentation, construction administration, and planting designs for various project types including streetscapes, campuses, and housing across the country.

Selina Yu-Han Chiu joins GGN as a Designer. Selina brings a global perspective having worked on projects in China, Colombia, and Tennessee, at design firms in Rotterdam, New York, Hong Kong, and Chicago. 

Chrystie Cottier joins GGN as an Administrator. Chrystie’s professional experience includes interior design, graphic design, visual merchandising, fashion styling, and jewelry design.

July 22, 2016 - Three talented individuals are currently participating in GGN’s internship program as Design Interns – Tiffany Megumi Gerdes, Rikerrious Geter, and Ernest Haines. Tiffany received a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Art History from Wesleyan University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. Rikerrious is a LEED Green Associate and recent graduate of the University of Georgia College of Environment and Design. Ernest is working on his Master of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he is planning to pursue a concurrent degree in Master of Design with a concentration in Urbanism, Landscape, and Ecology.

GGN’s rolling internships are open to landscape architecture and architecture students or recent graduates from the United States and abroad. The GGN internship program offers exposure to many facets of contemporary landscape architectural practice.

July 8, 2016 - Today Long Beach City officials broke ground for the new 22-acre Civic Center. The new mixed-use district includes a new City Hall, Port Headquarters and Main Library, along with a re-activated Lincoln Park and new residential, retail and hotel commercial development.

“We are so pleased to be a part of the revitalization of Long Beach’s downtown civic core and look forward to seeing the collective vision of the public and project team realized,” said Jennifer Guthrie, GGN founding principal.

GGN’s landscape design is strategically planned to be an inviting and welcoming civic place for a broad demographic of users, morning through night. Thoughtful attention is placed on the integration of active program elements that will draw these users, such as a children’s play area, dog park, musician’s corner, flexible lawn spaces, and public seating. A robust palette of water-wise plants and adapted species will provide educational value to visitors.

Civic design moves include restoring Long Beach’s historic streetgrid, linking pedestrian spaces through plazas and promenades, opening up site lines to maximize signature views, and expanding the city’s existing bike system.

This project is targeting New Development LEED Gold Certification.

The Civic Center is being developed under an innovative public-private partnership with Plenary-Edgemoor Civic Partners and the City of Long Beach.

June 11, 2016 – On June 10 and 11, over 700 people attended the Landscape Architecture Foundation "Summit on Landscape Architecture and the Future" at the University of Pennsylvania. The Summit was called to "critically reflect on what landscape architecture has achieved over the last 50 years and present bold ideas for what it should achieve in the future.” Jennifer Guthrie, President-Elect of the Landscape Architecture Foundation, worked with the LAF Board and LAF Staff to plan this successful event.

Over the course of the two days, 70 established and emerging leaders presented their “Declarations” and engaged in lively debate about realizing landscape architecture’s potential and effecting real world change. Kathryn Gustafson was one of these distinguished speakers, and she spoke about the importance of resiliency and its relationship to beauty and the human spirit.

In addition to Kathryn Gustafson, several members of GGN's team were in attendance at the Summit, including Rodrigo Abela, Grant Stewart, Keith McPeters, Bernie Alonzo, Tess Schiavone, Jill Fortuna, Emily Scott, Michael Benson, Meg Herndon, and Cheryl dos Remedios.

From this Summit, the Landscape Architecture Foundation will redraft a new declaration that will set the course for landscape architecture to make its vital contribution in the 21st century. LAF also plans to produce a landmark publication of the ideas presented at the Summit.

May 27, 2016 - Several talented individuals have joined the staff of landscape architecture firm GGN.

Ashley Ludwig joins GGN as an Associate, following several years practicing landscape architecture in New York. She is a project leader for the India Basin Shoreline Park and the Long Beach Civic Center projects, both located in California.

Katherine Liss joins GGN as an Associate, following seven years practicing landscape architecture in New York. She is leading GGN projects throughout the United States.

Alex McCay joins as a Designer, having received his Masters in Landscape Architecture from Pennsylvania State University last year.

Wolfgang Umana joins as the Administrator of GGN’s Washington, DC workspace, having recently received a degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University.