Situated amidst rolling hills, gentle valleys, and quiet ponds shaded by ancient heritage trees, White Oaks Savanna is a beautiful, architecturally-driven community developed in collaboration with the City of Grant, Brown’s Creek Watershed District, and Washington Country. Ideally located within easy driving distance of Stillwater and downtown St.Paul and Minneapolis, White Oaks Savanna offers an incomparable spirit of place.

Wild Rice Retreat is a center for art, wellness, and meditation that sits among the silvian brownstone cliffs of Wisconsin’s Bayfield Peninsula. The site’s forests and wetlands covered 114 acres and presented constraints that shaped its site-sensitive design.

Located on the Welland Recreational Waterway, connecting Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, the waterway boasts almost eight kilometers of uninterrupted flatwater, making it an ideal spot for fl atwater sports. The design of the site transitioned the Pan American Games venue into a year-round training facility for team Canoe Kayak Canada while also serving as a community recreational facility, utilizing the surrounding public park. The Welland International Flatwater Centre continues to hold international water sports competitions and championships, such as the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games, regattas, triathlons, training camps, and festivals.

The design team identified the changing needs of the community by hosting multidisciplinary workshops to help shape the vision of the park. A Commons Area was identified as the key element for the initial phase of construction. Perched on a scenic overlook on Empire Lake, it is the trailhead for seven miles of hiking and skiing trails. It integrates the trails with picnic grounds and a nature play area. Additional site features include a sledding hill, a dry creek that handles surface runoff, and a water play area. Park buildings include a picnic shelter, three camper cabins, and a bathhouse. The park design was constructed in three phases and included three signature elements: architecturally designed camper cabins, integrated art and sculpture throughout the park, and productive landscapes. Active programs encourage visitors to participate in art activities and facilitate perennial food cultivation by park visitors.

In collaboration with Minneapolis-based design firm VJAA, the team designed a public library located in the heart of Uptown, a diverse commercial district in Minneapolis. Preserving primary viewsheds, facilitating accessibility, and creating a strong visual presence were presented as key design elements of this urban project. Neighborhood outreach and collaboration, strategic design processes, and cultural understanding facilitated the development of this Minneapolis landmark.