Kathryn Gustafson Receives the 2019 Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award.

September, 18, 2019 - Yesterday the International Federation of Landscape Architect's President, James Hayter, announced at the 2019 World Congress in Oslo, Norway, that Landscape Architect Kathryn Gustafson has been selected as the winner of the 2019 Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award. This award is the highest honour that the International Federation of Landscape Architects can bestow to a landscape architect.

In her acceptance speech, Kathryn said, "The sky is ours - everything under - take good care of it."

The award recognizes a living landscape architect whose lifetime achievements and contributions have had a unique and lasting impact on the welfare of society and the environment and on the promotion of the profession of landscape architecture. The award is bestowed annually on an academic public or private practitioner whose work and achievements are respected internationally.

Read More
GGN is Hiring Designers in Seattle and DC

August 9, 2019 - GGN is hiring in both of our locations, Seattle and Washington, DC, for a full range of experience levels. Come join our diverse group of passionate, creative, and committed designers, who bring a wide array of personal and working paths into the profession, while sharing humble curiosity and a love for challenging technical and practical puzzles.

Find more information about how to apply at ggnltd.com/jobs.

Read More
The Plaza: Hazelwood Green's first public space, and civic heart

August 29, 2019 - The construction of the Hazelwood Green Plaza is underway. A two-acre space south of the historic Mill 19 building, the Plaza is the first outdoor public space and civic heart of the 178-acre riverfront development.

“There will be something for each person to delight in: from bugs and butterflies in the pollinator gardens, to flexible spaces for impromptu play or planned events, to water elements to dip one’s toes, to shady seating areas for quiet conversation. A slice of the past and a bright future will fuse together in this unique place,” said Kathryn Gustafson.

The rendering of the Grove is by Laurel Li. The water feature is framed by shaded, intimately-scaled greens, where users are invited to pause, socialize, and relax amidst lush plantings and the calming sounds of water.

Read the full press release on the Hazelwood Green website.

Read More
Jennifer Guthrie & Bernie Alonzo Participate in UW Tour During SCUP Conference

June 12, 2019 - This Sunday, Jennifer Guthrie and Bernie Alonzo will help lead the afternoon portion of the University of Washington campus walking tour that is taking place during the Society of College and University Planning (SCUP) 2019 Conference in Seattle, WA. The sold-out tour led by Kristine Kenney, University Landscape Architect and Director of Campus Design and Planning, is highlighting recent projects that enhance the campus’ character during a period of rapid growth for the University of Washington. The featured GGN projects are West Campus Residences & Streetscape, Mercer Court & UW Farm, Life Sciences Building, and Lower Rainier Vista & Pedestrian Land Bridge.

With UW Arborist Jaclynn Eckhardt; Caitlyn Clauson, Chair of Interdisciplinary Initiatives at Sasaki; and Romil Sheth, Principal at Sasaki.

Read More
GGN and Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center Host Event for Landscape Architects

June 10, 2019 - This past weekend, GGN and Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center hosted a discussion about Pacific Northwest Natives with the Seattle-area landscape architecture community. Oxbow has been an important partner by providing research-backed advice, rare inventory, and particularly high-quality plants that finally showcase the beauty of our native plants to a broader audience. They are also working hard to produce information that can be used by other nurseries when attempting to propagate, package, and market Pacific Northwest Natives in ways that minimize the environmental impacts associated with the conventional nursery industry. The discussion, which took place in the Native Plant Nursery, was led by Oxbow Executive Director Lisa Pawlek Jaguzny, Oxbow Native Plant Manager Bridget McNassar, and GGN Founding Principal Shannon Nichol.

Read More
GGN Announces Promotions

June 10, 2019 - GGN is pleased to announce the promotions of Kara Weaver to Senior Associate, Laurel Li to Associate, Alex McCay to Associate, Hannah Vondrak to Associate, and Joanie Walbert to Associate.

Kara Weaver, ASLA, PLA, LEED AP BD+C, has nearly 15 years of experience designing and documenting public projects ranging from conceptual and interpretive master plans to precise detailing and tight grading over structure. Kara shines on projects that pose complex challenges, require intensive coordination between disciplines, and provide opportunities for innovative and elegant problem solving. She is currently the project manager for the Civic Park at Hemisfair in San Antonio, TX, the Master Plan for John Treviño Jr. Metropolitan Park in Austin TX, and the Health Sciences Education Building at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.

Since joining GGN in 2015, Laurel Li has contributed her great artistry and sensibility for landscape to many of GGN’s projects. Laurel’s commitment to her project work and her teammates is an inspiration to all at GGN. Through her design leadership and collaboration, Laurel smoothly moves projects forward. She has worked on Umekita 2 in Osaka, Japan, Oceanwide in San Francisco, CA, and Cedar Town Center Master Plan in Woodinville, WA.

Alex McCay’s background in business provides a unique understanding of the complex interplay of urban systems. Alex displays structure and discipline in his work that translates into strong ideas and the ability to develop those ideas into buildable landscapes. His design work at GGN has included Hazelwood Green Plaza in Pittsburgh, PA, the Civic Park at Hemisfair in San Antonio, TX, and Rainier Square in Seattle, WA.

Hannah Vondrak bases her elegant design solutions in rigorous technical skill. In addition to her strong verbal and illustrative communication skills, Hannah has the unique ability to meld thoughtful design intent into true experiences. Since joining GGN in 2016, she has worked on the Athens Chancery Major Rehabilitation at the American Embassy in Athens, Greece, 900 New York in Washington, DC, and the REI Headquarters in Bellevue, WA.

Since joining GGN in 2015, Joanie Walbert, ASLA, PLA, has developed into a strong and versatile landscape architect who successfully navigated the path to licensure in 2018. Joanie’s wide range of design and communication skills have benefitted several of GGN projects from public parks to private campuses, including Smith Cove Park in Seattle, WA, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Campus in Seattle, WA, and Long Beach Civic Center in Long Beach, CA.

Read More
National Design Awards Panel with David Malda

April 5, 2019 - David Malda is participating in the National Design Awards panel moderated by Cara McCarty, Director of Curatorial at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Fellow panelists are Chris Reed, Founder and Director, Stoss Landscape Urbanism, Richard Roark, Partner, OLIN, and Craig Wilkins, architect, academic, and author.

The discussion is this coming Thursday, April 11, from 5:30-8:00pm at MoGo Warehouse 6545 Saint Antoine Street, Detroit, MI. Part of the Design Core Detroit’s Drinks x Design, tickets are complimentary with RSVP.

Read More
Kona Gray Leads Drawing in Design Workshop

April 1, 2019 - This past weekend, Kona Gray, FASLA, of EDSA led a Drawing in Design Workshop with participating University of Washington College of Built Environments students.

Kona brings his international design experience, in 30+ countries, and personal design process to the Drawing in Design series, which is hosted by GGN and UW Landscape Architecture with Dr. Thaisa Way. 

(Photo by Thaisa Way)

Read More
Re-grounding the Modern Northwest: Bringing Regionalism Home with Historically Informed Design

February 28, 2019 - Today Shannon Nichol presented "Re-grounding the Modern Northwest: Bringing Regionalism Home with Historically Informed Design" at the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association 42nd Annual Provincial Parks and Grounds Spring Training in Langley, BC.

This photo of Shannon by Rachel Ormiston of the New Burke Museum captures the delivery of native plants from Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center to the New Burke.

Read More
GGN to Develop John Treviño Jr. Metropolitan Park Master Plan

February 21, 2019 - The Austin City Council confirmed on Thursday that GGN has been selected to develop a master plan for John Treviño Jr. Metropolitan Park at Morrison Ranch. The 330-acre plot of parkland was purchased by the City of Austin in 2003.

GGN looks forward to working with the Austin community to articulate a vision for the park that guides its future development and use. The resulting master plan will serve as a framework for preliminary design concepts and outline a phased implementation strategy.

GGN will collaborate with some of Austin’s most exceptional thinkers and community connectors, including dwg. for local landscape architecture, Pink Consulting for community outreach, Siglo Group for environmental site assessment and mapping, DAVCAR Engineering Services for civil engineering, HVJ Associates for cost estimating, and Michael Hsu Office of Architecture. National expertise is contributed by Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates’ Austin office for transportation, mobility, and parking, Sherwood Design Engineers for sustainability and site engineering, TheatreDNA for event and theatrical planning, and HR&A Advisors for economic analysis.

Read More
Learning Landscapes Panel with Tess Schiavone

February 6, 2019 - Tess Schiavone is a panelist at this evening's Learning Landscapes discussion sponsored by AIA Seattle at the Center for Architecture & Design.

Brought to you by AIA Commitee on Architecture for Education, the panel discussion is moderated by Kas Kinkead of Cascade Design Collaborative with Peter Donaldson, Sustainability Ambassador Program; Vinita Sidhu, Site Workshop; and Mark Tilbe, Murase.

(Photo of Mercer Court & UW Farm by Catherine Tighe).

Read More
Designing Grounded Respites in the Global and Virtual Age

January 30, 2019 - Today Shannon Nichol will present at the iLandscape Conference in Schaumburg, IL. In her lecture, Designing Grounded Respites in the Global and Virtual Age, Shannon will share proven methods in designing landscapes such as the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

The focus of the presentation will be on the importance for landscape designers to find and express the often-hidden and overlooked local-landscape characteristics and cultural stories. Local plants, building traditions, and landscape patterns will be discussed incorporating seemingly regular, vernacular context into designed landscapes. 

Sponsored by the Millennium Park Foundation.

Read More
New Hires at GGN

November 30, 2018 - Six talented individuals have joined the staff of landscape architecture firm GGN (Gustafson Guthrie Nichol).

Jean Ni joins GGN as a Designer. Jean received her Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Washington in 2018 and BA in Sociology from University of California at San Diego. Her recent work through the Urban@UW Homelessness Research Initiative advanced research projects that range from studying housing and food insecurity to developing community-based models that destigmatize homelessness and serve youth needs. Jean is co-founder of Design Justice Seattle, a student-led organization centered around design activism.

Joining GGN as a Designer, Ana Cristina Garcia received her Master of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts dual-degree in Architectural Studies and Latin American Studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where her honors thesis explored the application of landscape architecture as a tool for placemaking in a post-industrial small city.

Bessy Barahona joins GGN as a Design Intern. Bessy received her Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona. Bessy has had the opportunity to study abroad in Italy and travel throughout Europe, and experiencing different landscapes and cultures has broadened her perspective about urban spaces – especially the interaction between landscape and people.

Joining GGN as a Designer, Jing Zeng received her Master of Landscape Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design, where she successfully blended artistic expression and scientific Investigation. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Design from Sichuan University, and she worked as an urban designer in Shanghai, China. The experience of working in large scale planning and urban design projects strengthened her understanding in urban forms and systems, and her current design work reveals and celebrates the beauty of ecological processes in urban life.

Daisy Hoyt joins GGN’s Washington, DC workspace as a Designer. She received her Master of Landscape Architecture from Cornell University, where she participated in research on flood risk perception. Prior to attending Cornell, she worked at a waterfront park in New York City during the Hurricane Sandy storm surge, which inspired her focus on resiliency. Daisy also holds a BA in Studio Arts from Clark University, with a focus on drawing and fiber arts.

Malaika O’Rourke joins GGN as an Accountant. Malaika has extensive experience in public accounting, focusing on individual and corporate clients, as well as in the tax department of a retail company. She attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison and the University of Southern California, and she has lived in Seattle for over a decade.  

Read More
GGN's Founding Principals Inducted into the National Academy of Design

November 8, 2018 - The National Academy of Design has announced its newest class of National Academicians (NAs), who were elected in recognition of their exceptional contributions to American art and architecture. The Class of 2018 represents a commitment to preserving the cultural heritage of the United States and pushing creative boundaries. 

Jennifer Guthrie, NA (also representing Kathryn Gustafson, NA, and Shannon Nichol, NA) attended the induction ceremony in New York City last week. She is shown here with Bruce Fowle, NA and President, and Wendy Evans Joseph, NA and Vice-President.

Learn more on the National Academy website


Read More
PAPER TO PLACE - EXHIBIT RECEPTION

October 26, 2018 – In collaboration with the University of Washington College of Built Environments and UW Department of Landscape Architecture, GGN’s is currently presenting Paper to Place, an exhibit of GGN’s drawings and new project photographs by Catherine Tighe. The exhibit is being showcased at Gould Gallery at the University of Washington’s Seattle campus, and an exhibit reception will be held in the gallery tonight, Friday, October 26th, from 6:00-8:00pm. The show will remain on display through December 7, 2018.

Paper to Place explores the critical role drawing plays in GGN’s design process, as tool for both inquiry and discovery, showcasing the evolution of ideas as cycles of sketching and drawings become instructions for physical transformation on site. The exhibit features sketches from numerous different projects, design phases, and designers at GGN.  Paper to Place also highlights new project photographs by Catherine Tighe. While her photographs describe the physical, the detail, and texture of the projects’ construction, they equally describe the feel of the space and specific place in the world – the spirit of those original marks and thoughts evoked through drawing.

The exhibit is also associated with the upcoming release of the new book “GGN: Landscapes 1999-2018,” written with Dr. Thaisa Way, who is the Director of Urban@UW, Professor of Landscape Architecture in the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington, and Chair of the UW Faculty Senate. The foreword is written by Dr. Scott Stewart, Executive Director of Millennium Park. Several nationally recognized photographers contributed their work, including new photographs by Catherine Tighe. Pre-release book signing will be available at the reception. The monograph, published by Timber Press, will be widely available on November 27.

Read More
Guest UserSeattle, WA2018
GGN Attends the ASLA 2018 Annual Meeting and Expo

October 19, 2018 - GGN is participating in multiple events at this weekend’s American Society of Landscape Architects Annual Meeting and EXPO.

Tonight, Jennifer Guthrie is completing her term as Immediate Past President of the Landscape Architecture Foundation at the LAF 33rd Annual Benefit in Philadelphia. 

Shannon Nichol is moderating “Inside the LA Studio with Swift Company LLC” at 2:30pm on Saturday. On Sunday at 11:00am, she is on the panel for “Deck Parks - the Future of Open Space in our Cities?” At 2:30pm, she is on the panel for “Designing the Public Realm: Equity and Beauty.”

Rodrigo Abela will moderate Sunday’s 2:30pm session “Demystifying Natural Stone: Increasing Project Creativity through Design/Manufacturing Collaboration”

Join us at the ASLA Bookstore on Saturday from 4:30-5:30 for a pre-release signing of the upcoming book GGN: Landscapes 1999-2018, with author Dr. Thaisa Way and editor Stacee Gravelle Lawrence of Timber Press.

Read More
GGN: Landscapes 1999-2018

October 18, 2018 - GGN: Landscapes 1999-2018, published by Timber Press, is the first book devoted to GGN’s work. Dr. Thaisa Way surveys several of our projects with an eye towards addressing practical design questions, with a foreword by Dr. Scott Stewart. Many of our favorite photographers have contributed their work, including new photos by Catherine Tighe.

The monograph will be available at booksellers on November 27. Two pre-release events are planned. The first will take place at the ASLA Bookstore on Saturday, October 20 from 4:30-5:30 in conjunction with the ASLA Annual Meeting & Expo in Philadelphia. The second will take place at the University of Washington’s Gould Gallery on Friday, October 26 from 6:00-8:00, as part of the reception for the exhibit Paper to Place.

Read More
Michael Bierut Kicks-Off the Drawing in Design Lecture Series

October 2, 2018 – Michael Bierut of Pentagram will present "Graphic Design and the Third Dimension" on Thursday, October 4 at Kane Hall at the University of Washington campus at 7:00pm. The world of the graphic designer is often confined to the flat realms of paper and screens. Michael Bierut will discuss what happens when the discipline engages with architecture, both as a subject, as a context, and as a challenge.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is part of the year-long "Drawing in Design: Exploring the Hand" lecture and workshop series that GGN launched and sponsors at the University of Washington College of Built Environments. The lecture is followed by a weekend workshop with registered UW architecture and landscape architecture students and design professionals that includes opportunities for discussions, exercises, and crits to explore the role of hand-drawing in design and development.

 “We’ve enjoyed working with the College of Built Environments and Dr. Thaisa Way to create a special workshop and lecture series at the University of Washington that focuses completely on drawing – not as rendering or an art form but as an essential design tool,” said Shannon Nichol. “The series’ guest designers come from a diverse range of fields but all use drawing – for most of them, hand-drawing – to create their design strategies and to thoroughly refine their work through to the fine detail. We are not focused in this series on renderings or on field sketching – not on those drawings that record things, however beautiful those recordings can be. We are focused on the internal, working drawings that make the new things that you can’t see yet but are charged with designing.”

Read More
GGN to design landscape for a 22-acre development in Osaka, Japan

September 10, 2018 – Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura has confirmed that the team led by Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. (MEC) will design the Umekita Second Development Zone, considered the last prime real estate in Osaka. Osaka is the second-largest metropolitan area in Japan, and the 59-acre (24 ha) Umekita site is located in front of the Osaka rail station, part of a five-station major transit hub, adjacent to the internationally known Umeda Sky Building by Hiroshi Hara. The team, led by MEC, is composed of nine developers and six design and operation firms, including Gustafson Guthrie Nichol (GGN). The team was selected after a six-month long competition run by the Urban Renaissance Agency with a jury that included Tadao Ando.

In speaking to the media, Mayor Yoshimura noted, “This site has been described as the last prime real estate at the center of Osaka and the Kansai region. The Umekita Second Phase Development is an extremely important project for City of Osaka.”

Shannon Nichol, a founding principal of GGN, said:

“We are honored to have the opportunity to work on such an important site for the City of Osaka and Japan – and with an exceptionally talented team of collaborators and clients. The Osaka Midori Life concept inspires us to imagine a new kind of park and vibrant neighborhood, where life is centered around an immersion in nature while also benefiting from the cultural energy of the exceptional passenger-rail systems that converge within this central site.

“Osaka – as both an innovative, world-leading city and a place distinguished with important history, creative culture, and style – is an exciting place to be designing within and to be designing for.

Kathryn Gustafson, a founding principal of GGN added:

“We took inspiration from the history of the Japanese garden, the history of Osaka, and the natural environment. We’re impressed by the decision to put this large open space at the very hub of the city – this is key to this space contributing to a healthy, urban environment for the future.

“We are creating a range of unique landscape spaces within the site. Some will be very tranquil, reflective, and contemplative – while others will be very active, interactive, and social. An open east-west spine will be the connector between the two neighborhoods with different vendors who will offer daily amenities. We will also design the adjacent streets with characteristics that will further brings the landscape park into the neighborhoods to create a large environmental impact throughout the area.”

Read More
GGN receives the top two awards for general design from VA ASLA

August 24, 2018 - GGN received the General Design Presidential Award for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture from the Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. GGN also received a General Design Honor Award for The Park at CityCenter. Both projects are located in Washington, DC. Rodrigo Abela accepted the awards at the VA ASLA Annual Conference in Natural Bridge State Park.

Read More