Seattle from the water

In Seattle, you are never far from water. On both of my visits, I took a short ferry trip from downtown Seattle to nearby Bainbridge Island. The ferry ride is a destination in itself-- in a half hour, you can watch the city skyline recede, and the forested island skyline approach. We took an early morning ferry on a cold, overcast day, but it was still a stunning view over the water.

externship week

Beyond sightseeing, I also did some work in Seattle, at Charles Anderson Landscape Architecture. The office is located near the waterfront, but separated by elevated on-ramps and the Alaskan Way Viaduct (this elevated monster is slated to be replaced by 2012, since it is vulnerable to earthquake damage).

My project was to model a courtyard for a mixed-use building designed by Seattle architect Tom Kundig, to be located near Pike Place Market. Charles Anderson is designing the courtyard, which will include a water feature, two pedestrian ramps from the sidewalk, an "outdoor living room" and possibly restaurant seating. We had a meeting gathered around the model to generate ideas for the design. Then I took some photos of the model and used them as a base for perspective sketches to try out some of the ideas. On my last day, we had another meeting to sort through the sketches and pick which ideas would stay on. It will be interesting to see what is eventually built!

more Seattle stormwater fun

These photos are from Vine Street near Downtown Seattle. The street has a few pieces of stormwater sculpture-- the big hand and sleeve that catch and store water from the roof, and another downspout sprouting with plants. The big hand sculpture is not working for me, but I guess they were trying something playful that draws attention to collecting and reusing roof water.

SEA Street in Seattle

My host and I visited one of Seattle's SEA streets (Street Edge Alternatives). The main goal of the SEA street design is to reduce stormwater runoff, and according to the Seattle Public Utilities website, the design has reduced runoff by 99%.

As you can see, the street is narrower than a typical street, and curves in order to slow traffic. Each house has a bioswale (aka raingarden) in the front yard where rainwater is detained, filtered by plants, and absorbed. The overall experience of the street is like being in a garden: diverse, lush plants are front and center, while cars and homes are more shielded from view.

We had learned about these streets in class, so it was interesting to see the effect in person.

more on SEA streets:
http://www.seattle.gov/UTIL/About_SPU/Drainage_&_Sewer_System/Natural_Drainage_Systems/Street_Edge_Alternatives/index.asp

A View of Puget Sound

Here is a view of Puget Sound taken this afternoon-- there is a small bright sliver of sky beneath the gray clouds today. This photo was taken from the Olympic Sculpture Park-- I was treated to a tour by Charles Anderson, the landscape architect for the project and owner of the office where I am interning this week. It is an amazing site near downtown Seattle with a small beach, bike paths, and diverse native planting zones in addition to the sculpture. More to come...

Ebenezer Swamp

Mom and Dad and I visited the Ebenezer Swamp in Montevallo, AL. There was a short boardwalk, and it was generally quiet during our visit. We saw some signs of a woodpecker (see below) and then did see a few woodpeckers in action. We also saw some mysterious fruits on the boardwalk and in the water (water tupelo?).

New Year in Birmingham

Dad and I rang in the New Year at the Alabama Theater, for a concert of polkas, waltzes, and marches (no dancing required). The music was entertaining, but the most special part was the chance to see the ornate decor inside this historic theater. Second best was the festive New Year atmosphere (masks, champagne, and fancy outfits).

According to Wikipedia, the Alabama Theater opened in 1927, showing silent movies, then talkies (and hosting one of the largest Mickey Mouse Clubs in the world). The Theater survived a fire next door, as well as the decline of downtown Birmingham, and was renovated in 1998.