Rain Works

My history with harvesting rain water spans from designing green roofs to bioswales and educational retention ponds.  In 2005 while working at Macdonald Environmental Planning (a Portland Oregon Landscape Architecture practice) I assisted the design of the Portland Building Green Roof and well as did a cost/benefit analysis of a green roof for the City of Portland on top of the Central Library.  In the Central Library Analysis I researched products locally and globally as well as various applications of the green roof.  

At Macdonald Environmental Planning we also worked on many bioswales and green streets for both the public as well as commercial developments.  One fun project in Seattle brought me knowledge of the “green wall.”

Moving on to Murase and Associates, I furthered my experience with designing using rainwater.  Multiple projects harvested rainwater for greenroofs and bioswales.  One project in particular was a new plaza for a local college which aimed to achieve LEED Gold through use of rainwater throughout the design.

It is so much fun to design with rainwater!  Using my experience in designing commercial and public spaces, I would like to translate that knowledge to the residential space.  There are really SO many creative ways to use rainwater, we have only “tapped” the surface!