In a presentation at the 2025 Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) Conference, Mandi Roberts, Director of Planning and Landscape Architecture of Otak and an instructor at the University of Idaho presented the “Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial”—a project designed and built by students at the University of Idaho College of Art and Architecture for the campus in Moscow. The submission was co-authored with Dr. Raffaella Sini, Ph.D and Roberto Capecci from the Landscape Architecture Department in the College.
Propelled by the tragic deaths of four UI students in fall of 2022, and with the intent of creating an immersive space on campus that honors all students lost over time, the Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial was completed in spring 2024 thanks to donor support.
In developing design solutions during the spring and fall of 2023, students and faculty conducted listening sessions with family members and friends of victims and facilitated a broader campus-wide/community-wide design charrette to maximize participatory practices with the idea that it would best serve the healing process. Through collaborative studio work, the students evaluated case studies, conducted research and completed site analyses, conceptual design alternatives, and interactive artwork among a variety of other project considerations. The collaboration included vertical landscape architecture studios and the Idaho Design Build Studio, led by Scott Lawrence, Associate Professor of Architecture at the College.
Traditionally, memorials tend to punctuate the landscape and range from statuary to spatially complex sculptural works, installations, or memorial ephemera. The Healing Garden and Memorial for University of Idaho puts forward the idea of creating memorials as immersive, healing spaces, and exploring the design process as a participatory healing process.
“Creating design solutions for this project included study of the evolving cultural and social practices of mourning, memory, and public feeling, and served as a testimony to how grief is mediated in contemporary commemorative cultures.”
– Dr. Raffaella Sini, Ph.D, Department Head for the Landscape Architecture Program, College of Art and Architecture, University of Idaho
“The design process itself became a healing process—collective healing facilitated through inclusive, community-driven methods. We were able to learn about what healing and memorializing means, find ways to honor and remember those we have lost, and collaborate to create a beautiful and graceful place for reflection and healing on campus.”
– Mandi Roberts, Director of Planning & Landscape Architecture at Otak, Inc. and Landscape Architecture Instructor at the University of Idaho
What is the CELA Annual Conference?
With representation from more than 100 institutions, CELA consists of individuals who have an interest in the preparation of landscape architects for global practice. Their stated purpose is “to further education in landscape architecture specifically related to teaching.”
This year’s conference, titled ‘Processes + Impacts’, focused specifically on critically examining the positive and negative impacts of landscape architecture work on people and environments.
A cornerstone of any growing community is its connectivity. Roadway engineering provides more than just conduits for cars; it forms the framework for mobility in a community that leverages a variety of modes of transportation.
A well-designed transportation network featuring different types of roadways can have widespread impact on economic development and individual wellness. This includes improvements that ensure all areas—especially underserved populations—have access to jobs, essential services, and amenities as well as healthier lifestyles through reductions in emissions and the promotion of active transportation. In this blog we discuss how roadway designs exist at the intersection of planning and transportation engineering to support the growth of healthier, more sustainable communities.
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What is Roadway Engineering and Its Importance?
Roadway engineering is the planning, design, and construction of transportation infrastructure that enhances existing roadways or establishes new connections within a community. The practice integrates technical expertise, urban planning, and environmental considerations to develop safe, efficient, and accessible transportation systems that serve both current and future needs.
The design process starts with an assessment of existing conditions, including topographic mapping, survey and GIS, to understand site constraints. From there, engineers develop roadway layouts that meet design and safety standards. The final design incorporates permitting requirements, cost considerations, and agency coordination to ensure a smooth transition from planning through construction. The end result is a completed roadway that enhances connection across a community.
Stormwater Infrastructure and Low Impact Development
An extremely common aspect of roadway engineering involves the inclusion of stormwater infrastructure considerations. While accounting for increased impervious surfaces and polluted runoff, stormwater features reduce flooding and improve water quality for a community.
With new development comes the potential for negative environmental impact, but proper analysis of natural resources can mitigate adverse effects. Existing culverts are notoriously inefficient and are also among the most common barriers to fish passage. Today, culverts are being replaced to protect aquatic habitat, reduce flooding, and preserve water rights for property owners.
An important piece of roadway engineering is consideration of how it facilitates more than just cars. Multimodal design gives communities options for how they get from point A to point B, all while reducing carbon emissions and promoting physical health through active transportation. Emphasizing pedestrian mobility features like pedestrian bridges, protected bike lanes, cross walks, and traffic stripping reduces traffic conflicts for all.
Safety is the top priority of any roadway project. With updated traffic signals and signage, drivers are more aware, creating a safer environment for themselves and pedestrians. As the design of a roadway considers number of lanes and width, control of speed can also be effectively managed.
A healthy transportation network is a diverse transportation network. As roadway projects increase in size, so do opportunities to incorporate multimodal features. This can include accommodating mass transit with new stations, specialized lanes, or connection to adjacent trail systems. All ultimately contribute to traffic calming, creating a more connected community.
From small neighborhood streets to large arterials, each roadway type must be designed with the specific needs of the community in mind. A critical aspect of any design is engaging with the public to ensure buy-in and minimize disruption. The larger the initiative, the more essential public outreach becomes, and each project presents its own unique impacts to the connectivity of the communities it serves.
Types of Roadways and Their Impact on Communities
Different types of roadways serve unique, though connected, purposes in a transportation network. Their design often begins with comprehensive planning efforts which help identify the transportation needs of a community. Potential projects can then be developed with the focus of serving both community and client goals.
Neighborhood Streets
Neighborhood streets are designed with a primary focus on safety and accessibility, often placing an emphasis on pedestrians, cyclists, and access to public transit. The more limited scope of neighborhood street projects makes cost-effective construction strategies vital to fit within local budgets.
With this localized focus on enhancing connectivity and accessibility, neighborhood streets also typically include ADA-compliant sidewalks and crosswalks while speed bumps or curb extensions are among traffic calming measures. This roadway type requires extra attention to minimizing impact on adjacent properties while maximizing the benefits to those who call the neighborhood home, including the public assets that often exist in the area.
Tualatin, OR Adds Safe Routes to School
Among some of the most important improvements that can be made to neighborhood streets are those that create a safer environment for children that play and travel in the area. For many parents at Tualatin Elementary, it was clear that updates to the neighborhood streets could make a real difference for the kids walking and biking to and from school.
As part of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs, which provides grants for these types of improvements, work on 95th and Avery made a variety of upgrades to enhance pedestrian safety, particularly for the kids of Tualatin Elementary.
Multiple intersections were improved with high visibility striping in crosswalks, rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFB), and other features to create safer pedestrian crossings and reduce conflicts with vehicles. Deficient sidewalks and gaps were replaced to further enhance the pedestrian experience.
Mid-Size Collectors and Corridors
Mid-size collectors and corridors serve as vital connections between neighborhoods and larger roadways. This roadway type supports moderate traffic volumes and often incorporates improvements that enhance transportation operations and facilitate flow between developing areas.
Corridors generally aim to improve access to commercial areas, parks, and transit hubs in response to increasing traffic demand. As part of planning efforts, these improvements are sometimes made in anticipation of future development. The larger scope often involves coordination with utility companies and various agencies, as they can have a substantial impact on not only the community but the surrounding environment.
Silverdale, WA Sees Reduced Congestion and an Enhanced Waterfront
The community of Silverdale had long looked to improve on poor waterfront access. Where the Clear Creek Estuary crosses under Bucklin Hill Road and meets Dyes Inlet, high traffic was common which was especially problematic considering its semi-rural setting. Altogether, the area represented a missed opportunity to create an appealing place for recreation, community connections, and growth for local businesses.
Improvements to Bucklin Hill Road and Bridge changed that. Two additional travel lanes eliminated congestion while new bike lanes and facilities were added where there had been none. Widened sidewalks and new trail connections added to new active transportation opportunities for the community. Extensive public outreach, including the “Scout Your Route” campaign to keep the public informed of closures, minimized disruption while reducing construction duration. These improvements had a direct, broad impact on all community members, including residents at senior living facilities in the area that now benefit from greater accessibility to their local businesses.
Large Arterials and Highways
Large arterials and highways are critical for regional mobility, commerce, and overarching economic development. Linking rural and urban areas, these roadways provide communities of all sizes access to important resources like employment and healthcare in metropolitan centers, while supporting the social and cultural networks between different areas. The scale of large highway upgrades can lead to wider improvements to transit-oriented development that diversify modes of transportation and maximize project value.
These roadways often present unique engineering challenges and draw from multiple funding sources, requiring close coordination with agencies to ensure regulatory compliance. As long-term, high-visibility projects, managing timelines and minimizing construction impacts is essential to minimizing disruptions that, at this scale, can be especially costly. This includes effectively communicating project updates with the surrounding community through informational websites, local representatives, and other channels to provide clarity and achieve buy-in.
Salem, OR Supports Rapid Growth and Underserved Areas
In a historically underserved area of Salem, Oregon, where 36% of parcels are underutilized, the McGilchrist Complete Street Project is designed to enhance business development, job creation, and multimodal transportation options for members of the community. It’s part of a 20-year vision for economic growth as well as transportation safety and environmental sustainability.
Considering the large and lasting impact of this work on the community, it was imperative to include them. Extensive stakeholder engagement went above and beyond, working directly with property owners, businesses, and local agencies to ensure the project addressed real community needs. These efforts led to the incorporation of refinements such as the protected cycle track and intersection realignments.
Based on feedback from public outreach, 74% of the corridor features protected bike lanes and new sidewalks. The design aims to significantly improve pedestrian accessibility while minimizing pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, resulting in fewer severe crashes and lives lost. The inclusion of $15 million of stormwater infrastructure upgrades also means this work plays a critical role in not only reducing future flooding for the community but improving habitat for fish.
Making the Complete Connection
Roadways are essential to creating vibrant, connected, and equitable communities. Because of their widespread impact, roadway projects of any size involve a diverse set of considerations to ensure that impact is comprehensive and long lasting. Through thoughtful planning, collaboration, and public engagement, Otak’s multidisciplinary teams take a cohesive approach to designing more connected communities that address current and future needs.
A corridor study led to the complete streets design along a key arterial with high crash trends, adding greater safety and connectivity to the communities around Boulder, Colorado. The improvements to 30th Street focused on enhancing bicycle infrastructure as well as access to mass transit and low-impact design stormwater facilities. After completing the Colorado Corridors Study, Otak also led the design to improve this corridor that represents a critical route for both University of Colorado boulder and broader community.
A Corridor Study and Design for Safe, Complete Connectivity
A combination of raised and separated bike lanes, along with widened sidewalks provided the basis for multimodal improvements along 30th Street as part of the city’s ‘Vision Zero’ goals to eliminate pedestrian collisions. The design replaced previous on-street bike lanes that were five feet wide or less and addressed intersections that were found to be among the top collision locations in the city by the corridor study. These new bicycle facilities created seamless connection to the Boulder Creek Multi-Use Path, enhanced transit stops, as well as the 30th and Colorado Underpass. Also included as part of the complete streets design approach were improved driveway and ditch crossings, utility upgrades, low-impact stormwater facilities, and low-maintenance landscaping with a modified irrigation pipe system. A significant urban street tree canopy and resilient landscape areas further enhanced safety by creating a buffer between the bikeway and traffic lane while also serving as water quality elements for stormwater. The design effort resulted in the delivery of final construction documents in accordance with the City of Boulder and CDOT standards, along with obligations related to CDOT Federal and State-funded Local Agency project requirements. Significant public outreach and coordination with the University of Colorado was part of the original corridor study that ultimately provided guidance across these multimodal enhancements.
With the primary focus of enhancing the roadway while making it more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, improvements along Boones Ferry Corridor were also designed to account for identified ADA deficiencies. As part of the Tualatin Moving Forward bond program, Otak served as the lead design engineer for improvements to this 2-mile corridor in Western Oregon.
A Practical ADA-Focused Design for Pedestrian and Bicycle-Friendly Corridor Improvements
While avoiding a full construction of Boones Ferry Road, the project provides practical, cost effective solutions to address bike and pedestrian deficiencies found scattered throughout the corridor. Initial analysis found gaps in bike lanes, deteriorated asphalt paths, and non-compliant curb ramps along the corridor that stretches south from Tualatin Sherwood Road to Norwood Road. Along with road widening to provide continuous bike lanes and sidewalk improvements, the multi-phase project also makes improvements to greenway paths, pavement, stormwater conveyance, traffic signals, signing, striping, and landscape. The final design of the project also retrofits curb ramp to bring existing facilities up to current ADA standards. In total, ramps are replaced at 33 corners, including four signalized intersections with pedestrian push button improvements. To further enhance pedestrian safety, the design adds two pedestrian activated rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFBs) as well as pedestrian lighting along a greenway path adjacent to Boones Ferry Road. The design of the project overcame challenges including steep slopes for ramps, right-of-way constraints, and numerous utility conflicts.
With many disciplines working together on a variety of projects, perhaps the best way to get a feel for a firm’s impact is simply, a coffee with… the people doing the work.
This video series features experts sharing insights gained during their time in the AEC industry, with an emphasis on the importance of collaboration to meeting a common goal of creating better communities.
In this edition of ‘a coffee with…’, we learn from a landscape architect and a senior designer within architecture about the importance of designing and placemaking for people’s lives. Find out in the video and its transcript below:
Improving People’s Lives through Impactful Design
I think we’re changing lives, making them better.
One of the things that I love to see is when I go to one of these places that I’ve designed and there’s a family out there or kids swinging on the swing set. You’re seeing this idea you had in your brain come to fruition and being enjoyed by the community… it’s one of the best things.
My name is Chris Maykut. I’m a senior designer here at Otak working on the architecture team and I’ve been here for five years.
I’m Gabriel Kruse, I’m a landscape architect. I’ve been with Otak for almost nine years.
What is the Importance of Collaboration between Disciplines on Projects?
I really do believe this that there’s, you know, there’s no “I” in team… that collaboration is very key to a successful project.
He’s in landscape, I’m in architecture, I’ve got the built form, he’s got the natural form, but we also kind of come together and there’s this blended area.
So, I think we both have a job of imagining, creating, and developing places for people to inhabit. And I think that’s, you know, really important, and I think collaboration makes that a much stronger end result.
We meet, like, what’s it at 5 feet outside, 5 feet outside the building? Yeah.
But you know I think on the bigger projects we have multiple buildings… we create the space in between the buildings together.
I think for me as a landscape architect and working with Chris and architecture, we’re trying to make really great places for people to live. Going home to a great piece of architecture, going through that landscape experience, also just having all those all those pieces working together in harmony is a real goal of ours.
How Does a Multidisciplinary Environment Create Unique Opportunities to Work Together?
I think of Otak as a family, it’s kind of corny. But I have one project that the landscape consultant is outside of Otak, and another project where the landscape is Gabe or someone else on this team… I can coordinate and communicate with in in both situations quite well. But I feel just the family atmosphere of Otak, I feel like I can be more open and more responsive in communicating back and forth.
We both use a 3D modeling software and we’re both pretty good at using that software. So, we can exchange models together and say what do you think of this?
You know, he’s got this big building model and a lot of things going on in there.
And then I’ll take a piece of it and say, ‘hey, give me that model,’ and I’ll take it and then I’ll put my landscape design in there and I’ll send it back to him… drop that in there see what you think and then Chris [and I] we’ll just kind of work together back and forth that way massage it back and forth, massage it back and forth.
Not everyone designs that way, but I think Chris and I both have that. We’ll use that 3D modelling as a tool, as a design tool, not just a presentation tool. I think that, yeah, that is one way I think we really work together well.
What is Most Exciting about Working in the Design Industry?
Making someone feel like they have a home and it’s just not a place that they’re sleeping at. They’re having birthday parties. They’re, you know, sharing fun times with friends and family.
And, you know… we’re helping them create memories for their lives here at Otak.
We do a lot of multifamily and specifically affordable right now. I really enjoy that as opposed to doing, you know, high end condos in downtown Portland. There’s more meaning to it and… that gets me excited to come into work everyday.
Designing a park, then going to see it afterwards and seeing people use it; enjoy it; and then talking to the neighborhood and [seeing] just how much people appreciate open space… It’s a really important part of neighborhood design and community design.
There are a lot of when that’s where, you know, all the kids spend a lot of their time and that’s what I really look forward to.
Several new city blocks of mixed-use buildings were developed as part of continued growth and restoration of the South Waterfront along the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. With a combination of engineering, planning, design, and environmental science, Otak’s multidisciplinary approach placed an emphasis on multimodal connectivity in designing these four blocks with direct access to public spaces within the riverfront greenway.
Extending a Riverfront Greenway for Mixed-Use Development
Work to extend a riverfront greenway set the stage for the creation of a new district that added four new mix-use buildings in the South Waterfront. This follows earlier efforts in delivering the Oregon Health Science University Building and development of the Central District that initiated growth in the area. In addition to the public roadways and pedestrian accessways that shape the new city blocks, engineering and planning would lead to 800 feet of new greenway along the Willamette River. To support the new recreational open spaces, a cleanup and enhancement of the riverbank was required. Decades of industrial debris and contaminated sediment were excavated while large wood, root wads, and boulders were added to reconstruct the slope with revegetation and encourage more natural river functions.
Working with a visionary developer, Skip Grodahl, The Fields Apartments is designed as a 264-unit affordable multifamily development with 100,000 square feet of office space in Tigard, Oregon. The ground-breaking project makes housing affordable to those earning 60 percent of median family income. In leading the design, Otak provided survey, civil engineering, architecture, land use planning, and landscape architecture services for this ground-breaking project.
Overcoming Site Challenges for a Ground-Breaking Affordable Housing Design
Working with a visionary developer, Skip Grodahl, Otak designed a 264-unit affordable multifamily development with 100,000 square feet of office space in Tigard, Oregon. The site was challenging to develop because of its substantial slope, access constraints, and the desire to protect a substantial stand of trees on the site. The project team worked closely with City staff and nearby residents to design a project that met the City’s economic development goals, connectivity requirements, and the neighbors’ desires, while providing attractive and well-located housing and office space. The 24-acre site will include five apartment buildings, a clubhouse with a green roof, and up to 100,000 of commercial office space. This type of integrated affordable housing keeps our communities vital and accessible to people at all stages of life.
To enhance the visitor experience and create future stewards of Yellowstone National Park, this much-needed restoration made improvements to the deteriorating north and south rim trails and overlooks, which wrap the Canyon Rim from Inspiration Point to Artist Point.
Restoring Historic National Park Features and Enhancing Visitor Experiences
The multi-phase project included design of a new trail system and overlooks as well as the rehabilitation of historic elements at Inspiration Point. In enhancing the Canyon Rim Trail system, the design also created new trails, overlooks, and parking improvements at the Brink of the Upper Falls and Uncle Tom’s Point. The design materials and features reflect the rustic design style synonymous with Yellowstone National Park. Design solutions include re-routing trails away from dangerous areas and installing stone and boulder barriers; connecting historic overlooks with new walkways; creating safe, accessible viewing areas with new wayfinding and informational signage; constructing new visitor pavilions and kiosks with peeled logs and stone masonry columns; and using natural materials to integrate the infrastructure into the spires and canyon cliffs.
We’re delighted to share some additional award wins – this time for our project work in the Puget Sound region. The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Washington has awarded two projects from our bridge engineering team with Silver and Gold-level recognition!
ACEC Washington represents the gold standard for the business of engineering in Washington state, creating an environment that encourages quality, safe, impactful, and sustainable solutions for both the built and natural environments. They are the leading organization for promoting engineering companies through professional knowledge and exceptional services for communities across the state, and we’re grateful to be recognized on behalf of our teams who accomplished this award-winning work.
Learn more about each winning project on their respective project pages, and hear directly from our clients on what makes these wins so special.
Dungeness River Bridge – Best in State Gold Award: Social, Economic, and Sustainable Design Considerations
As the firm providing lead design consulting services, bridge engineering, architecture and landscape architecture, and building structural engineering, our approach to this project was creating a space where critical infrastructure and the environment’s natural surroundings intersect. This created a meaningful and useful finished product for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe based on their input and desired outcomes:
“Aesthetically and functionally, the bridge is superb. We are thrilled with the innovative wishbone design, and the flow of traffic merges and splits seamlessly. The Tribe routinely receives rave reviews about the bridge from trail and Nature Center users.”
– Randy Johnson, Habitat Program Manager for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
Willapa Littell Bridge – Best in State Silver Award: Successful Fulfillment of Owner/Client Needs
As prime consultant on this project – Otak performed a variety of essential services including project management, survey, environmental services, bridge and civil engineering, landscape architecture, stormwater management, and CMI work. The challenge for the client was mitigating safety hazards thanks to a highly popular trail combined with a dangerous at-grade crossing on a high-speed state highway while addressing aesthetic concerns among community members. With special thanks to our partners in overcoming speed bumps on the way to final delivery, the project now stands as a testament to innovative engineering that not only functions well, but is also a sight to behold:
“Constructing a 250’ span bridge over a busy highway with little to no lay down/staging area was a challenging endeavor. Otak produced a design that satisfied permit requirements, design requirements, and was aesthetically pleasing, definitely exceeding our expectations.”
– Tim Bell, Project Manager for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
View the rest of the winners on the Seattle DJC’s official website here, along with their write up on the Dungeness Bridge and river restoration here!
In the heart of downtown Auburn, Washington, the Auburn Ave Theater replaced a beloved community theater that was irreparably damaged by an adjacent building fire. Designed to draw on features that preserve and honor that history, the 10,000-square-foot, 300-seat theater provides space for community theater, children’s programming, and musical acts. As Architect of Record, alongside Opsis Architecture, Otak also led work to improve surrounding infrastructure in the area to support and deliver this community asset.
A Design to Anchor Growth in a Downtown Arts District
The Auburn Ave Theater is conceived as an extension of performance itself, activating the street through light, gathering, and anticipation as it draws audiences inward. Also adding a new city park and plaza, the theater joins neighboring Postmark Center for the Arts to underpin an expanded downtown arts district and community gathering center. A composed sequence of streetscape, marquee, lobby, and auditorium create a deliberate transition from everyday life to shared artistic experience. Infrastructure improvements to help allow this atmosphere involved significant public right-of-way in adding street lighting, decorative traffic signals, landscaping, and enhanced multimodal accessibility to the downtown core. Utility upgrades, including 600-linear-feet of sanitary sewer, 500-linear-feet of water main, and 150-linear-feet of undergrounded power and communications facilities, were implemented to serve the new building as well as the continued economic expansion of downtown Auburn.
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