Leach Botanical Garden Receives AIA Small Project Award
2024/06/08
We are honored to share that the Leach Botanical Garden (led by design principal Kevin M. Kudo-King, AIA, LEED AP) is the recipient of a 2024 Small Project Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The AIA Small Project Awards recognize the high quality of small project design and to promote excellence in this unique project type. The program strives to raise public awareness of the value and design excellence that architects bring to projects, no matter the limits of size and scope.
This project represents the first phase of implementation following a new master plan for Leach Botanical Garden, which includes a new arbor, fireside terrace and elevated tree walk. The arbor and fireside terrace add dedicated space for gathering and special events, integrated within the surrounding gardens. Inspired by lath houses, a type of greenhouse, the 770-square-foot arbor features a precise composition of wooden screens attached to a steel and glulam structure instead of traditional solid walls, allowing plants to grow unimpeded up to and around the pavilion. An elevated tree walk adjacent to the arbor creates a new experience of the forest and gardens, weaving through mature trees and hovering above the hillside instead of following the topography.
The AIA Small Project jury noted that “The restraint demonstrated by the design team balances its understanding of the garden’s intent and the architectural elements in a beautiful way.”
“I’m incredibly thankful for this honor from the AIA and from the Small Projects program especially,” shares Kudo-King. “This project highlights the poetry and beauty of simple, rational design, framing the experience of the gardens and helping visitors connect to nature in a new way. I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved, and thrilled to share this recognition with our wonderful clients and collaborators.”
For more information about the Leach Botanical Garden and other AIA Small Project Award winners, visit this link.
Leach Botanical Garden – Pavilion & Tree Walk, Portland, Oregon, USA
Design Principal: Kevin Kudo-King, AIA, LEED AP
Project Architect: Misun Chung Gerrick
Architectural Staff: Michael Wright
Lead Consultant, Landscape Architect & Master Planning: Land Morphology
General Contractor: JW Fowler
Civil Engineer: Janet Turner Engineering
Structural Engineer: Lund Opsahl
Electrical Engineer and Lighting Design: Reyes Engineering
Green Infrastructure: GreenWorks
Traffic Engineer: Lancaster Engineering
Land Use Planning: Winterbrook Planning
Specifications: Friday Group
Cost Estimating: Mitali & Associates