A Magical Transformation: Leach Botanical Garden ... · A Magical Transformation: Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan ... The key design concepts, ... composting, water,

A Magical Transformation:Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan

Report Excerpt: Landscape Framework and Architectue

January 2016

Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan Portland Parks & Recreation 2

Leach Botanical Garden is located just south of Foster Road at 6704 SE 122nd Avenue in Portland, OR. It sits at the gateway to East Portland’s

buttes, near several other natural areas, and only a few blocks from the Springwater Corridor Bike/Pedestrian trail.


Contents

This is an excerpt from the full report which includes additional information on history, design intent, plan-ning process, issues, and outreach.

The full report is also available on the Leach Botanical Garden website.

Contents .........................................................................................................3

The Landscape Framework .............................................................................4Site Organization.................................................................................................. 4Arrival Sequence ................................................................................................. 6Connections ......................................................................................................... 6Upper Garden Centerpiece: Pollinator Garden and Tree Walk .......................... 6Landscape Typologies .......................................................................................... 7Collections ............................................................................................................ 9Display/Demonstration Gardens ........................................................................10Gathering places ................................................................................................. 13Special Features .................................................................................................15Wayfinding/interpretive signage .......................................................................16

Architecture .................................................................................................. 18The Experience ...................................................................................................18Building materials and structures ...................................................................... 21Sustainability ......................................................................................................22Future/Phasing ...................................................................................................22

Developing a Strong Start ............................................................................ 23Vision .................................................................................................................. 23Phasing Matrix ................................................................................................... 23

Upper Garden Development Plan Illustration ............................................26

4Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan Portland Parks & Recreation

The Landscape Framework

The framework for the design was initiated at the first meetings in March 2015. Land Morphology with Olson Kundig Architects introduced the idea of a transect as the organizing principle that related the natural and cultural landscapes each on their own axis. As Richard Hartlage explained “Have a structure and then let the garden flow from that structure.”

The key design concepts, including use of water, artistic and creative display of plants, art and the aerial tree walk were all initiated at the first client meeting. The frame-work grew from there, based on design team response to discussions. By the end of September, after five visits to Portland and discussions with a host of people, the de-sign team produced the gardens and architecture for the development plan. (See full plan fold-out on page 46.)

Site Organizationby Land Morphology, Richard Hartlage, Sandy Fischer

The Transects The overall Garden master plan is organized spatially and thematically to connect and celebrate the diversity of the site’s culture and ecology. The relationship of ecological transect, or line, with the cultural transect is the con-ceptual and spatial organizational framework. The new buildings and gathering spaces are organized along the east / west cultural transect. The collections and gardens are organized ecologically along the north/ south axis and culturally along the east/west axis. The garden experi-ence is designed to explore the intersection of culture and ecology and people’s relationship to plants.

Places and Stories The transect is an organizing principle that draws strength from the stories that can be told. The north/south transect has five levels starting with the ripar-ian zone at Johnson Creek. The table on the next page describes the unique focus for each level. This, in turn, helps provide a framework for the interpretive narrative as visitors move through the Garden.

service

gardens +meadows

forest

historic garden

riparian zone

FRAMEWORK DIAGRAMS

entry

park

ing

gard

ens

colle

ctio

ns

buildings

publ

ic

FRAMEWORK DIAGRAMS

1. BUILDINGS

2. PEDESTRIAN PLACES

3. GARDENS

MEA

DOW

DISPLAY PHYSICS

ALPINE

GROW

EVEN

TS

TREE GALLERY

PACIFIC NW NATIVE COLLECTIONS

ENTRY

PARK

INGTENT

EVENT

HISTORIC LEACH COLLECTION

PRODUCITON & MAINTENANCE

PARKING

SITE DIAGRAM

EVEN

TS

FEN

4. CONNECTIONS / TRANSECTS

Cultural

Ecological

Spatial Design Plan



service

gardens +meadows

forest

historic garden

riparian zone

FRAMEWORK DIAGRAMS

Transect Level Theme/Focus Collections/Gardens -What do you see there?

Stories to be Told

Riparian:Johnson Creek Preserve

Conservation of native habitat

Native riparian and forest ecology

Water and watershed health;salmon

Historic Garden: Sleepy Hollow Retreat

Preservation of cultural assets

Historic collectionsManor House

Leach history and values

Forest:Hillside Gallery

Restoration of forest and collections. Planned succession

Forest floor, canopy and forest edge ecology

New perspectives, art past and present, stewardship, concept of eco-services

Gardens & Meadows:Display Gardens & Discovery Center

Education and exploration, environmental stewardship community

Water: Fen/pond/bogAlpine, Physic, Pollinator, Moss, Dry, Chroma, and Children's Garden

Leach values brought forward, global issues such as water, plant migration, &plant/people interdependencies

Service:Production & Cultivation

Experimentation, exploration, and demonstration of best practices

Propagation Best practices/plant habitat, resource management, composting, water, soil, etc.

North/South Transect Descriptions


Arrival Sequence Near term, visitors will arrive at the existing park-ing lot and walk to the Manor House and the lower historic garden, climbing stone stairs and traversing the forested hillside on a pathway through native plants. In the future, an upper garden entrance will be developed off SE 122 Avenue where guests will arrive through the grove of Douglas Fir trees and an expanded collection of southeastern United States native plants. They will be greeted by an entrance gar-den with iconic contemporary structured trellises for plants, establishing that visitors have entered a spe-cial place. They will encounter artful features along pathways and narrow roadways as they approach the new Welcome Center and Courtyard.

Connections Pathways connect gardens, collections and gather-ing places. Travel through the site will be journeys of discovery where themes may include the interdepen-dence of ecology and culture, transformation and change, and individual as well as planetary health. John and Lilla Leach’s core values, including environ-mental stewardship, will be embedded in the stories and places. An informal, yet more structured system of accessible pathways is overlaid on the existing net-work of narrow and organic pathways. The new paths fit the site contours, organize the site and orient visitors with wayfinding elements at decision points. Many of the existing, informal paths will remain and continue to encourage discovery and wandering.

Upper Garden Centerpiece: Pollinator Garden and Tree Walk

Upper Garden Centerpiece: Pollinator Garden and Tree WalkThe centerpiece of the Upper Garden is a pollinator meadow and gathering green framed by a series of display gardens, the forest edge, garden paths and exquisite architecture.



The buildings include a welcome center, offices and an event cen-ter, connected by a boardwalk and overlooking the green and gar-dens. The architecture is embedded in gardens with walkways and courtyards that greet visitors and overlook the pollinator meadow. The gathering green will bring the community together for celebra-tions, performances and educational events.

From the beginning of the project there has been a sense that something exciting and different is needed to bring people to the garden. The design team proposed a tree walk early in the process and people were clearly intrigued. The tree walk is a curvilinear “necklace” that takes its point of departure from the Upper Gar-den pollinator meadow and gracefully weaves through the forest canopy. Visible but not dominating, the tree walk makes an ethereal connection between the upper and lower garden.

Landscape TypologiesThe development plan includes several landscape typologies and features with a focus on Pacific Northwest collections and gardens. The six typologies include:

1. Collections Collections are larger, less formal and located in a park-like or ar-boretum setting. The focus of the collections will be global with an emphasis on Pacific NW and Southeastern United States. The latter two are geographies of interest to the founders.

Plant collections fall into four primary categories: native, exotic, display and themed. The native plant collections will focus on The Cascades and Siskiyou Mountain flora where John and Lilla Leach spent many years collecting. Other native plant themes will include meadow, savanna, coniferous woodland, fen and perimeter plants. The exotic collections will focus on Southeastern United States, European alpine flora, Asia and Mediterranean regions. Plants for the themed and display gardens will respond to the educational and display nature of the associated gardens.

2. Display or demonstration gardens Highly designed and cultivated, these gardens are smaller and themed, and they will be located near the buildings and central circulation spines. Think of them as “galleries”. The spaces are defined by edges of buildings, hedges, pathways, fencing and walls


Aerial tree walk concept

The Pollinator Meadow is framed by the Welcome Center to the north and the fireplace terrace and aerial tree walk to the south.


and in some instances introduced features such as arbors, trellises and landforms. The 12 gardens are focused on themes and plants of interest to the founders and current visitors. They are further described on the following pages, with brief narrative and images to convey their character. They are located based on soils, sun pat-terns, scale and storyline. Interpretive discovery paths are incorpo-rated into the design.

3. Gathering places The development plan incorporates several gathering spaces. These will include the buildings, building courtyards, primary and second-ary terraces, event lawns, shelters and other places where groups can gather for events; celebratory, educational, or cultural. Most gardens have a gathering space incorporated in the form of a lawn or terrace. Some are sheltered and some are not. The plan locates but does not include detailed design of each element. Each place needs to be thoughtfully designed to support the institution’s mis-sion, vision, values and programs with environmental stewardship as a core value.

4. Special features The overall site plan includes many opportunities to incorporate special features that add interest and delight. These may include green roofs, container gardens, temporary or permanent displays of art or exhibits, interpretive loops highlighting themes, arbors, trellises, plant identification programs and playful elements such as tree houses, view platforms, stumperies (stumps and tree trunks surrounded by plants) and tunnels. These are described in greater detail in the descriptions of individual gardens and garden features.

5. Buffers, edges and general landscaping These areas define the edges of the overall garden and, in places, separate uses. They have education potential if treated thought-fully. They will showcase plants and provide people with ideas for home and commercial landscapes as well as streets and parking areas. Fencing will be integral and attractive. The intent is to design to the Portland Code while keeping the appropriate character in various areas of the site.

6. Garden and site infrastructure Operating and maintaining the botanical garden requires infrastruc-ture to support staff, horticulture, and programs. Site infrastructure includes utilities, parking and roads. Garden infrastructure refers to facilities needed to operate and maintain the Garden including greenhouses, composting facilities, materials storage facilities, ir-rigation, land, hoop houses and lath houses for growing plants.


Arbors and trellises are planned throughout the garden.

Special features will add interest and delight.


CollectionsA. NW Cascadia Ecology Collection The development plan will showcase the ecology of northwest Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and northern California as several distinct collections and model gardens. Native Riparian habitat and fern collections will be located along Johnson Creek. The historic and new collections on the hillside will include wood-land hillside, forest canopy, edge, forest floor and moss garden. The natural topography, drainage patterns, pathways and the existing trees spatially define these areas.

B. The Southeast Collection The Southeast collections will be highlighted on the west side of the Upper Garden and in the historic Sleepy Hollow where the collec-tion currently exists. In the Upper Garden, the collection will include highly ornamental plantings greeting visitors as they arrive, park and make their way to the Garden’s pedestrian entrance. John and Lilla Leach had a strong interest in the flora of the southeast which is the most diverse in the United States. It is highly ornamental, giving visitors an engaging greeting of flowers, form, foliage and seasonal changes. Some of the larger areas will be less formal and park-like focusing on seasonal interest and color.

C. Historic Collections The garden’s founders, Lilla and John Leach, are most recognized for collecting Alpine plants in the Siskiyou Mountains. The historic collections are located within Sleepy Hollow, near the Historic Man-or House, on the slope above the Manor House and in the Woodland Garden. The remaining collections have been inventoried, curated and labeled. They include collections of Pacific NW natives, trilliums, iris, may apple, alpines and others. Long-term, the plan calls for re-locating the Alpine collection to more appropriate sites. The forest has matured and is shading out the collections.

D. The World Collections The world collections will be located on the easternmost parcel. These collections will show co-evolution, demonstrate genetic diversity and can connect culturally to the diverse ethnic groups living in Southeast Portland. We live in a global community now and the world collections will connect continents, ecologies, and people through plants. Asia did not glaciate and is one of the most diverse temperate floras in the world. The historic Leach collection included many flora from around the world, from the Atlas Cedar to Dawn Redwood and southeast Asian and Mediterranean plants.



Display/Demonstration GardensThe gardens are listed in order as if you were arriving from the park-ing lot and walking around the Upper Garden.

A. Entrance Garden The entrance to the Upper Garden is proposed to be from SE Clay-bourne Street off of SE 122 Avenue. The Entrance Garden will greet visitors as they arrive and will include contemporary and colorful plantings that demonstrate how gardens can be artful. Visitors will experience beautiful and functional rain gardens that man-age storm water. Special features encountered on the walk from the parking lot to the welcome courtyard will be mature specimen Douglas Fir Trees, maples, a steel and grass feature, sculpture and well-crafted seating/retaining walls and a rammed earth wall de-scribed on page 25.

B. Gardens adjacent to the buildingsVisitors will arrive at the Welcome Center and will experience some special gardens.

• Alpine WallsAlpine ecologies are some of the most fragile on the planet today and with the Leaches’ long interest in these plants this garden will express the heritage and gift of the founders as well as educate people on how climate change is affecting these little known but dynamic flora. The intention will be to grow these plants in ways that are modern and innovative and express how they would be seen in nature. The alpine courtyard will include angled walls of plants. As the angled walls meet the roof, they become roof garden displays.

• Roof Gardens The roofs of the buildings are intended to be gardens and habitat for ground-nesting birds. This is an incredible opportunity to link the structures with the sustainability mission of the garden. The lath structure will create soft, dappled light on the roof garden. The gardens will serve to educate the public on types of green roofs and the diversity of plants and habitat that can be grown on structures using various soil, irrigation and insulating technol-ogies. This is another unique and exciting feature that will show-case Leach Garden as an innovative and forward-looking garden.

• Chroma Garden Bright colors and seasonal change will be the major theme of this garden. It will set the tone that the Leach Botanical Garden is


As they park and walk toward the entrance, visitors will pass by a beautiful and functional rain garden.

GARDENS AS A FOCUS & INSPIRATIONA steel and grass structure is envisioned as part of the Entrance Garden.


a place that will delight and be worthy of repeat visits. An arbor, lawn, benches and containers will give interest to the space. A small lawn surrounded by terraces will encourage use of the space for weddings, events and private gatherings. Pavement is envisioned as concrete planks, with stone insets. Container gardens in this area will be remarkable. The north edge of the space is defined by the lath house, the south edge is defined by structures and the east edge is defined by rammed earth walls.

• Mediterranean Garden As water becomes an increasingly scarce commodity, it is essen-tial to demonstrate how low-water use gardens are also beauti-ful and functional to home gardeners. This space will be visible from the administrative offices and accessible to visitors through the Chroma Garden. The paved terrace located off the office conference room will support small functions.

C. East Gardens, moving from west to east • Pollinator and Habitat Garden

A meadow-like garden with layered and multi-seasonal interest is envisioned for this space. Native and non-native perennials, bulbs, ephemerals, and flowering shrubs will provide year round habitat for birds and small mammals and food for pollinators. This garden will be highly floral and beautiful while educating visitors to the meadow ecology that exists in all temperate cli-mates. It will also demonstrate sustainable gardening principles. The location of this garden at the intersection of the cultural and ecological transects is appropriate. The preferred alterna-tive makes this centerpiece an “ecological quad”, with a small panel of lawn for events surrounded by lush meadows. To the north is the multi-purpose building for events and to the south is a fireplace terrace; both will accommodate gatherings and small performances.

• Water Garden-Pond, Fen and Bog Garden The water garden is a central feature of the upper garden. The water garden will be a gathering, space, a respite and an infor-mative place. Collections within it will include fen, bog, water plants in the pond, as well as perimeter plantings. Benches, an terraced seating and an overlook provide a diversity of experi-ences and gathering spaces. A fen is a perched water table with a basic PH. Cobra Lilies (Darlingtonia californica) and other carnivorous plants are native to this ecology yet seldom experi-enced. The diverse set of plants that grow in these ecologies will captivate visitors, demonstrating that these kinds of wet areas are important habitats for unique plants as well as animals, par-


The Chroma (Color) Garden will feature bright colors and seasonal change.

The Mediterranean Garden will feature plants requiring little water.

The Pollinator & Habitat Garden will have multi-seasonal interest.


ticularly amphibians. Orchids and water lilies can be an important and striking collection for these habitats.

• Gulliver’s Garden There are countless plants that are large in scale, the most notable being Gunnera with heroic sized leaves. This garden is intended to make the visitor feel like they are in an enchanted land that will captivate children and adults alike. Located south east of the pond, plants will be planted in containers of varying heights set in permeable pavement. While some are flush with the ground, others project up and form seat walls and retain the edges of stairs. Special features include circular sunken planters filled with giant plants. The surrounding terraces will support small gatherings.

• Moss Garden A garden expression from Japan is envisioned as artfully innova-tive and re-imagined for the moss garden at the Leach Botanical garden. These primitive plants are a perfect foil with dynamic paving patterns and graphic ground planes. A memorable feature will be well-crafted mosaic stone pathway, a collection of mosses, ferns, wisk ferns and even horsetails to showcase primitive plants in a graphic and interesting manner that will be an effective teaching tool for these plants that evolved before dinosaurs.

D. South Gardens, moving north to south• Alpine Garden

The Alpine Garden, separate from the walls, will display alpine plants in sculptural conical steel forms that are expressions of the mountains of Cascadia. Special elements include small water features and sculptural steel troughs planted with alpine plants and referencing the Cascade Mountain Range. The stone terrace can host small gatherings.

• Physic Garden John Leach was a pharmacist and had a significant physic garden near this site. While his garden focused on medicinal plants, this contemporary physic garden will include plants used by humans in modern medicine, textiles, cosmetics, and other industries, demonstrating the essential, often unrecognized, role that plants play in our everyday lives. This garden epitomizes Leach Garden’s mission to inform and interpret the connection be-tween people and plants. While the Alpine Garden to the north references larger regional geography and land forms, this garden is informed by microscopic forms, DNA chains and patterns of


Terraced seaTing

Darlingtonia californica

The Gulliver’s Garden’s giant leaves will delight visitors.

Contemporary moss garden


scientific discovery. Special features include the decorative metal DNA wall and overhead trellises.

• Children’s and Secret Garden With an emphasis on hands-on gardening experience for chil-dren, this garden will be used to engage young people in plants and nature. The garden will educate and entertain, informing them of current issues related to habitat, water, and climate change and plant migration. The garden may include plots for growing, bird feeders, a salamander pond, apiaries and a secret garden where children can relax in seed pods, play in environ-mental sculptures or get lost in a grass maze. The layout of the garden mimics ferns unfolding. Structures include a whimsical tool shed and an arbor. A play mound references the form of bugs, with spots, large eyes and spindly legs. Gathering places include a terrace under a covered arbor.

• Woodland Hillside Garden / Gallery The stand of native conifers on the hillside above the house has a strong character of scale and dappled light. These impressive trees have a robust collection of native plants on the ground plane and this will be further enhanced and expanded. All the trilliums native to the Northwest should be represented here to augment the existing collection. The aerial tree walk will cre-ate an iconic and distinctive experience of this space. There are opportunities to incorporate diverse flora on the ground plane; perhaps including new Moss and Mushroom collections and enhancing the existing historic collections of trillium, may-apple and irises. The hillside is a transition between contemporary upper garden and traditional lower garden. Accessible to all, the aerial tree walk offers visitors new and less common perspective. There is potential to highlight forest management concepts in-cluding restoration and succession. Opportunities to incorporate permanent or temporary environmental art are also abundant.

Gathering placesBotanical Gardens are evolving to be cultural institutions as well as places for the study of plants. Diverse gathering spaces support educational and cultural events for people with diverse interests and abilities. Each display garden is designed to include a gathering space. In addition to the terraces, lawns, and small performance venues lo-cated in individual gardens, there are several larger gathering spaces in the Garden including decks, terraces, courtyards and lawns.

BUILD RECOGNITION & SUPPORT

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Land Morphology


The contemporary Physic Garden will feature plants used in modern medi-cine, textiles, cosmetics, and other industries.

Alpine plants will be presented as they grow in the wild - in a steep, rocky terrain.


A. Welcome Courtyard From the parking area or drop-off zone, visitors pass over a water feature and pass between rammed earth walls and arrive in the ter-race. The welcome terrace provides orientation to the gardens, the history of Leaches, and is a place to host plant sales. Directly south is the coffee terrace.

B. CoffeeTerrace Located outside of the ticket gate, the coffee courtyard serves as a neighborhood “third place.” The space provides views into the alpine collection to the south. Movable tables and chairs encourage neighbors to socialize and enjoy local food and beverages.

C. Alpine courtyard This Alpine courtyard is a centerpiece in the sequence of buildings. It is a space framed by sloping walls of alpine plants that become rooftop gardens. Water collects in a “spring” that is framed by decking. To the north is the Chroma courtyard and to the south is a long view across the meadow toward the Fireplace terrace. Mov-able seating and tables encourage guests to linger in a covered shaded space.

D. East event deck East of the Multi-purpose building is an elevated deck that over-looks the Water Garden. The roof of the event center extends to provide shade and weather protection. Movable furnishings and protection from the weather creates a flexible space that can be used year-round. The proximity of the event deck to the event cen-ter and the gathering lawn accommodate programming of larger public and private events.

E. East boardwalk and overlook A narrow boardwalk extends from the event deck to the center of the pond where visitors overlook the water gardens, fen, bog and Gulliver’s garden. From the boardwalk ramps connect to Gulliver’s garden and the Bog garden. Potentially the overlook could serve as a stage for small performances, visible from several seating areas in the Water garden.

F. Gathering green The green is a gently sloping 7500 square foot lawn that provides a venue for outdoor gathering including festivals, concerts, theatre, and exhibits. It is equipped with event power and perimeter walks are paved, lit and accessible.


Example of rammed earth walls

ALPINE COURTYARD

WELCOME COURTYARD

ALPINE GARDEN

EAST EVENT DECK


G. Fireplace terrace Located on the highpoint of the upper garden at the edge of the forest, the fireplace terrace is a gathering place with a view. A portion is covered with an arbor whose form and style reference a traditional lath house. The arbor will be designed for year round use with tent fabric that will enclose the space in the winter. A feature of the terrace is a linear gas outdoor fireplace. The view to the north will have meadow as foreground and the new buildings as middle ground with a few mature Douglas firs and the sky as back-drop. To the south are the forest and the canopy walk referred to as the aerial tree walk. To the west is the Physic Garden and to the east are historic collections.

Special Features Special features are located throughout the site and within individu-al gardens. Features associated with each gardens have been previ-ously described. The more significant special features are described here.

A. The Aerial Tree Walk This is the most dramatic landscape feature in the upper garden. Located in the Woodland Garden, the circular walk starts at the fireplace terrace, loops to the south, and returns to the terrace - all while remaining at the same elevation. At the southern-most point the walk is 30 feet above the ground offering visitors views of the tree canopy and the forest floor below.

B. The Runnel A linear runnel runs the length of the buildings from the welcome terrace to the pond. Parallel with the buildings the runnel captures roof runoff in an artful feature designed to re-circulate or perhaps simply be animated when it rains and water flows over a textured surface.

C. Art A limited amount of permanent art is recommended. Changing exhibits attract higher visitation and provide more opportunities for artists to display diverse collections.

D. Artful features and well-crafted details Throughout the Garden there will be artful details and attention to craftsmanship. Retaining walls, handrails, benches, containers,



walls, fences and screen walls are opportunities to showcase local materials and craftsmanship. While the Garden needs some ele-ments of continuity, the elements of distinction will be most memo-rable.

E. Storm water features Storm water features and gardens will be used throughout the site to manage and educate visitors about how the hydrologic cycle works. Some will be naturalistic in feel. Near the architecture in the model gardens they will be dynamic built features that are func-tional and attractive. Visitors will pass over varying expressions of water in several places throughout the Garden observing ponding, flowing, infiltrating and seeping water.

F. Grass Mound Located on the path from the parking to the welcome center, the grass mound combines a steel wall, planters and ornamental grass in an artful way forming a pedestrian gateway where main walk intersects the parking lot.

G. View Platforms View platforms located on the hillside in the world garden will cap-ture views of Johnson Creek.

H. Playful Elements The Leach Board has requested a variety of playful features scat-tered throughout the garden. These may include tree houses, envi-ronmental play sculptures, story circles, nests, swings, nature play elements and unusual plants

I. Containers and Plants Throughout the site and within individual gardens, plants will be seasonally on display in a variety of sizes and styles of containers.

Wayfinding/interpretive signage The inspiration for the wayfinding/interpretive signage design concept came from the vertical presence of the Garden’s forested hillside. The sloped terrain offers visitors distant vistas at unique vantage points, and allows for an element of discovery and sur-prise as one strolls along the meandering paths. The signage offers sparks of art that are eye-catching yet subtle. The panels have the potential to include donor recognition as well as small icons of a


A linear runnel similar to this will run the length of the buildings, from the Welcome Center to the Water Garden pond.


variety of insects that are delightful and relevant to the respective garden areas.

Design Typology Stainless steel dimensional letters identify buildings and rooms for the visitors. The clean-cut look complements the architecture by integrating with the slender vertical wood members of the exterior of the building structues and accentuating the wood’s warm hues.

The concept for the wayfinding and interpretive signage utilizes stainless steel tubing and tempered glass display panels with sand-blasted surface, text, and icons. The glass panel is clip-fastened to the side of the stainless tube.

Signs made of glass and stainless steel are recommended for their durability and longevity. They are very visable but do not intrude upon their surroundings. As an option, LED lights can be embedded along the sides of the glass so that the text and images will glow at night.

Three levels of pathway signage are recommended:• Grand Pole - 7’ above grade. These identify key areas of the Gar-

den and will help visitors orient themselves.

• Grand Pole Directional - 7’ above grade.

• Petit Pole - 4’ above grade. These signs identify each individual garden.

Two levels of orientation/interpretive panels are recommended. Expanded campus maps and major interpretive displays utilize the Grand Panels. The Petit Panels are used for localized campus maps and site-specific interpretive information.


HiLLsid

e naTiVe g

ar

den

Path & stair

Concept for the Grand Pole pathway sign


The building program was established in the 2012 Master Plan and refined with the design team architects led by Olson Kundig. Archi-tecture with a sensitive relationship to nature was the center of the design conversation: inside and outside are blended as the gardens and architecture connect and their distinctions are blurred. The capacity of the spaces was carefully considered, balancing growth and a strong vision with fiscal mindedness. Olson Kundig and Land Morphology drew on their experience with public gardens to create an architectural program that is both visionary and well advised.

Architectural Descriptionby Olson Kundig, Kevin Kudo-King and Misun Chung Gerrick

The Leach Botanical Gardens Visitor Center is made up of four build-ings: Welcome Center, Gift Shop/Partner Offices, Multi-Purpose Building, and Administrative Offices. These buildings lightly touch the ground and are connected by a wooden lath structure, inspired by the traditional lath house to protect delicate plants from sun and wind. The wooden structure provides visitors covered shelter, shad-ing, supports delicate plant growth, and fosters bird-friendly design.

Interlaced between buildings are five distinct exterior gathering spaces: Welcome Courtyard, Coffee Terrace, Alpine Courtyard, Event Terrace, and continuous boardwalks from entry to the Water Garden. These outdoor rooms blend buildings and the gardens and blurs inside and outside.

The Experience The symbolic gateway to the Garden is announced by the twenty-four foot tall wooden lath structure. It extends through the line of trees and weaves through two rammed earth walls that separate the entry drive from the garden. As visitors arrive, they are able to see the Welcome courtyard and trees through a grill set in a water feature. The earthen walls, wooden lath, and sound of water weave together to form an entry sequence that unfolds through a series of discoveries.

Once visitors pass around the earthen walls, they are on a covered boardwalk that extends the full length of the facility to a viewpoint overlooking a water garden. The walkway is framed by vertical wooden laths and covered with translucent roofing to provide protection from the rain. To the south of Welcome courtyard is an

Architecture

The garden gateway extends through a line of trees and weaves through two rammed earth walls that separate the entry drive from the garden.


Architecture

drOP-OFFarea

WeLcOMecOUrTYard

cOFFee Terrace

WeLcOMecenTer

aLPinecOUrTYard

MULTi-PUrPOseBUiLding

LaTH sTrUcTUre

cisTern

aLPine WaLL


outdoor Coffee Terrace that is partially covered by a cantilevered wooden lath and translucent roofing.

To the north is the Gift Shop and space to host daily plant sales. The Welcome Center opens into the courtyard and contains an orienta-tion area, exhibits, a classroom, storage, restrooms, and mechanical and electrical equipment areas.

As visitors continue down the boardwalk, they arrive at the Alpine courtyard where sloping walls exhibit delicate alpine plants. These walls are canted with planting trays and blend with the vegetated roof gardens. These exhibits are integrated into the architecture and the visitors can see how the water percolates through plant trays, collects into central 'spring' water, and ties to the runnel alongside the boardwalk. To the north and south, large openings in the lath structure frame views to the garden. This space is large enough for people to gather and provides an alternate exterior venue for events.

To the east of the Alpine courtyard is the Multi-Purpose Building. As the largest building in the Upper Garden it contains restrooms, stor-age, and lecture/event space that can be divided into three separate classrooms. Each classroom features framed views to the gardens. A covered Events Deck cantilevers over the gardens, providing private outdoor space and views of the water garden and fen.

The entries to the restrooms are behind the alpine garden walls, giving “behind the scene” views on how water percolates through plant trays. The restrooms will be clearly marked with signage from the boardwalk and courtyard but this door location offers privacy and is away from major circulation.

There are two other buildings to the north of the Welcome Cen-ter and Multi-Purpose Building – the Gift Shop/Partner Office and Administrative Offices. They are simple buildings with vegetated roofs and interior space that accommodates flexible seating for the Garden administrative and partner staff. Audubon Society of Port-land is a key partner with Leach Botanical Garden. Audubon staff is housed at the Garden now and plan to continue to be a partner as the Garden grows. At the time of this summary is being written, Johnson Creek Watershed Council is exploring whether to reloca-tion its headquarters to the Garden as well.

38 | LEACH BOTANICAL GARDEN MASTER PLAN

Architecture

Above: Rendering of the entry court-yard. Welcome Center is to the left and coffee terrace is to the right. The water gardens are at the far eastern end of the walkway.

Below: Rendering of the Welcome Center and covered coffee terrace as seen from the south.


Building materials and structures The main framing of wooden lath structure is clear, pressure-treat-ed and sealed Douglas-fir columns and beams to resist rot, decay, and insects. The secondary framing of lath structure is painted steel beams and columns that span in the east-west direction.

Modular cedar lath panels are designed to be prefabricated off-site then attached to the structure as a panelized system. Cedar will naturally weather to a silver hue, and could be treated with teak oil, or finished with a clear coat for low maintenance.

Parts of the lath structure are covered with polycarbonate semi-translucent panels, engineered fabric, or solar cells on clear glass to allow light to pass through. Rainwater would be directed to integral gutters and collected into cisterns in a visible and educational way. This light structure responds to concerns about bird strikes on glass voiced by Audubon staff.

Architecture


The four buildings are simple, informal, wood-framed structures, clad in painted metal panels, with plywood ceilings, durable con-crete floors, aluminum windows, and planted green roofs. The buildings’ exterior is dark in color to contrast with the natural wood lath structure. For mechanical systems, each building has its own high-efficient Variable Refrigeration Flow (VRF) for heating and cool-ing, tankless water heaters, and automated operable windows. This promotes low initial cost and the ability to phase construction. On the roof of wooden lath structure, solar panels could be installed to offset energy use.

Sustainability Sustainable strategies include:• vegetated roofs,• harvesting rain water, • grey water reuse, • high-efficiency mechanical systems, • efficient building envelope, • low-flow plumbing fixtures, • locally sourced and sustainably harvested wood, • natural ventilation, • daylighting, • low-emitting materials, • reduced light pollution, • use of renewable energy, and • 85% construction waste recycling goal. As directed by the City’s Green Building Policy, all buildings will achieve LEED Gold standard. The team will explore the Living Build-ing Challenge's standards as well.

Future/Phasing Each building is designed to be built incrementally with flexible open space. The Welcome Center and western half of the wooden lath structure could be built first to provide covered exterior event space, restrooms, and flexible interior space that could be used as a classroom, office, and/or gift shop. Phasing of buildings allows the Visitor Center to grow with the garden.

Architecture


Vision The project funding began with LGF securing a capital campaign manager. With this expertise on board, a private funding feasibility study was undertaken that included interviews with approximately 30 potential donors. The work in the summer of 2015 began to posi-tion the project for a strong public/private funding approach.

The development plan evolved over 2015 with inspiring designs by the design team and careful discussion by the stakeholders. The landscape and architectural plans fulfill the desire and need for a strong vision that can be built incrementally and will be worthy of the fundraising effort. Both capital and operations funding are expected to increase as visitation increases. As designed, the full build out of the project will support visitation of 150,000 to 200,000 per year and will require an operating budget of approximately $1 million.

Recognizing that the vision will be implemented incrementally, the development plan identifies a series of capital and operations proj-ects. Each project is associated with one or more plan objectives that are supported by the Leach Strategic Plan. The projects include infrastructure, access and parking, buildings, gardens, pathways, wayfinding, and landscaping. Capital budgets are associated with each project.

Key to the phasing approach is a strong first phase. To create excite-ment, raise funds and signal a new day for Leach Garden, the first phase must draw people to the Garden and give them an experi-ence they want to repeat and tell their friends about. After consid-ering the matter, the Advisory Committee, LGF and PP&R felt that the first phase needs to include the aerial tree walk and enhanced gardens.

Phasing Matrix The phasing matrix, shown on the next page, organizes the devel-opment plan construction into three tiers. Each tier has a project list that associates individual projects with objectives of the strategic plan and presents a project cost in present day dollars. The tiers and associated projects are generally organized in phases with more near-term projects in Tier 1. An exciting first phase will be drawn from this list of projects.

Developing a Strong Start Phasing & Funding Considerations

“For the Garden to thrive, we must offer elements that draw repeat visitation.” Leach Botanical Garden Board of Directors


Tier 2 projects are mid-term with most focused on investments in in-frastructure, parking and gardens. Most of the new and more com-plex gardens are in Tier 2. Tier 3 addresses longer range and more expensive projects that will require infrastructure investments prior to or concurrent with implementation. All of the building projects are listed in Tier 3. Specific funding for the buildings could alter the sequence of construction and move them forward in time.

First phase costs and land useAt the time of this writing, the first phase construction project is being formed. Additional public and private funds are being consid-ered to increase the budget for the first phase. When the first phase is determined, the associated land use process will begin. A condi-tional use and public process will be undertaken when parking and significant expansion of the Garden is budgeted.

Three budget-level cost estimates were prepared as part of the development plan. The estimate from the 2012 master plan was up-dated. A schematic design estimate was prepared to assist decision making on project priorities. The estimator, Mitali and Associates, focused on the architecture. Land Morphology developed site, land-scape and utility budgets, referencing the 2012 estimate, the firm’s database of costs and costs for similar gardens.

The costs for Tier 1A-1C and 2A projects are based on quantity

LEACH BOTANICAL GARDEN UPPER GARDEN DEVELOPMENT PLAN Objectives, Project List

Developing a Strong Start


take-offs from the full set of schematic design plans. Square foot budgets were used for many of the remaining projects in tiers 2 and 3. The estimate addresses capital project costs. Operational costs were estimated by LGF with input from PP&R.

With the vision developed here and a strong start, Leach Garden will increase its role as a significant place for learning, relaxing, and community. Over time, the Garden has the potential to be a signifi-cant resource for the neighborhood, East Portland, the Portland metro region, and a garden of national interest.

Developing a Strong Start

3. SITE & GARDEN PROGRAM

Sedum moranii

Lilla Leach is credited with discovering Sedum moranii in June 1928.

Jack-in-the-Pulpits delight Garden visi-tors in early spring.

Upper Garden Development Plan Illustration

Documents

A Magical Transformation: Leach Botanical Garden ... · A Magical Transformation: Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan ... The key design concepts, ... composting, water,