Plant Field Trip! Tillamook
Estuaries Partnership
February 29, 2024
The City of Lincoln City is partnering with the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP) to grow and provide locally-sourced native plants for Phase 1 of the New Community Park in Lincoln City. The new park will have large native planting areas that provide habitat and promote species diversity. TEP’s plants are grown from locally collected seeds at a nursery in Tillamook, making them intensely local and specifically adapted to thrive in coastal eco-systems. We are excited to be working with such a tremendous local resource. In the pictures above you see Acer Macrophyllum (Big Leaf Maple), wild-collected seeds, and Gaultheria shallon (Salal).
Community Open House- Inclusive Playground in Lincoln City
February 28, 2024
We recently held a public open house for the first inclusive playground in Lincoln City, which will be the first phase of the New Community Park. The playground design, inspired by the Siletz Bay, features a play hill inspired by the sand spit at the edge of the bay, climbing rocks inspired by the Four Brothers rock formation, and wood play structures. Community members of all ages are excited about a new place to climb and play. Construction on the playground is scheduled to start later this summer.
New Project-Wheeler Soil and Water Conservation District
January 1, 2024
We feel very fortunate to be work in such a beautiful region with a wide variety of landscapes. We are excited to be working with LEVER on a new community building and headquarters for the Wheeler Soil and Water Conservation District (WSWCD) along the John Day River. The WSWCD’s work includes native plant restoration and education on invasive plants in Wheeler County. The landscape design will feature native plants and seat terraces to connect people to the landscape by emphasizing views along the river valley.
Christmas in the Gorge
December 1, 2023
Our first public engagement event for the Skamania Courthouse plaza was held in conjunction with the annual Christmas in the Gorge parade. The evening was delightful and light-filled. It was wonderful to talk with the community right next to the site where the future plaza will be and to see the activities that people already do here-including throwing snowballs on the lawn!
New Project! Skamania
Courthouse Plaza
October 15, 2023
Understory is thrilled to be leading the design of a new downtown plaza in Stevenson, Washington. This new design effort builds off work that started in 2016 led by the Stevenson Downtown Association. The project’s goal is to develop a new downtown ‘living room’ for the residents of Stevenson. It will transform the lawn in front of the historic Skamania County Courthouse into a plaza for everyday gathering and events.
Project Update - Affordable Housing at PCC SE Campus
September 15, 2023
We are excited to be working with Bora Architecture and Interiors on a new affordable housing project on the Portland Community College SE Campus, which includes a courtyard for building residents. Our Just Future is developing the project which will bring much-needed affordable housing to the campus. Historically, the site had an orchard on it and today a grove of fruit trees dot the existing lawn. The courtyard design takes inspiration from this history and will incorporate edible berries and native plants alongside gathering and play areas for residents.
Open House for Lincoln City Community Park
April 28, 2023
The first open house for the new Community Park in the historic Taft neighborhood of Lincoln City was a great success! We had 120 community members join us on a sunny Friday evening to provide input on what activities they most want to do at the new park and share what they love most about Lincoln City. We learned how much people value the beautiful Siletz Bay in Taft and how excited everyone is to see active recreation coming to the southern part of Lincoln City.
Education Pavilion at Tryon Creek State Park
April 5, 2023
We are excited to be partnering with Baysinger Partners, PACE Engineering, the State of Oregon, and Friends of Tryon Creek on the renovation of an existing open air shelter at Tryon Creek State Natural Area into an education pavilion nestled in the forest. The pavilion will house classrooms where people will have the opportunity to connect with and learn about the native landscape surrounding them. Hydrophyllum tenuipes (Pacific Waterleaf) and Trillium ovatum enchantingly carpeted the forest floor when we did our first visit to the site.
A New Park for Lincoln City!
February 7, 2023
In collaboration with our partners K&E Excavating and DOWL, we are excited to begin the design of a new community park in Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast. The new 6.8-acre park, located in the Taft District on the former Elementary School site, will be the first new park constructed in Lincoln City in over 20-years. We look forward to working with the City, members of the community, and our progressive design-build team to bring this project to life.
High Desert Courtyard House
December 20, 2022
Understory is collaborating with Waechter Architects on a new single family residential project inTetherow, a neighborhood on the westside of Bend nestled in the Ponderosa Pine / Juniper landscape. The project will restore the native landscape, previously impacted by fire, and create a central courtyard with outdoor rooms for the family to enjoy year-round.
We are WBE/DBE Certified!
October 15, 2022
Understory is 100% women owned, and we are excited to announce that we are now a certified Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) in the State of Oregon! Working towards a more equitable future is at the core of our mission, and we’re excited to continue our partnerships with COBID certified firms to work together to achieve more equitable contracting in the A&E industry.
Historic Post Office Hotel
August 5, 2022
The historic Post Office in downtown Bend was built in 1932 and is listed on the National Historic Register. Currently vacant, the Post Office building will be renovated into a boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Bend. The outdoor amenities will provide a place of respite for hotel guests to relax after a day of exploring Central Oregon, and include a spa and gathering areas nestled in an outdoor garden.