An article appeared in the DJC on September 23rd called ‘Cal Anderson Park opens Saturday‘. Subscription required, but Jonathan, Principal and project manager, would be happy to answer any questions you may have!

Following is a photograph of the ribbon cutting ceremony and park goers playing oversized chess at the park on opening day (taken by Jonathan).

Jeff Girvin, who became a founding principal in 1982 after joining Tom Berger’s solo-practice in 1976, passed away September 14, 2005 after living a valiant few years with colon cancer.

Jeff was one of Seattle’s leading landscape architects. Jeff was the lead designer of an array of highly visible Seattle projects such as the REI Flagship Store and the Seattle University Campus. He helped lead early development of Warren G. Magnuson and Cal Anderson parks, which are destined to become open-space legacies. As a principal, Jeff mentored many new landscape architects in the profession. He was wise about knowing people and their capabilities, and he nurtured them to bring out their best. Jeff retired from the Berger Partnership in 2005 to spend more time with his family.

Jeff was also a strong believer in community service. He loved Seattle and enjoyed collaborating with people in the design community who made decisions that influenced future development. Jeff served on the Seattle Design Commission and the Northeast Design Review Board as well as boards for the ARCADE Journal, Nathan Hale High School Performing Arts, and Friends of the Conservatory. He was also a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Jeff is survived by his wife Anne, daughter Mara, and son Wilem. Jeff always included his family whenever possible, even on a simple trip to the store. No matter how busy he got with work, he took time to watch Mara’s soccer games on the weekends, proudly cheering from the sidelines, and enjoyed home projects with Wilem - any time they could be running a drill or using a saw, they’d be at it together. When he was not fully occupied as a dedicated landscape architect, husband, or father he liked to spend his time sailing and gardening. Every summer he and his family would enjoy a relaxing three-week vacation on their boat sailing from Seattle to The Gulf Islands and back. Anne always loved Jeff’s sense of adventure. Even though others thought of him as serious and hard-working, he brought a sense of adventure and discovery to everything he did - traveling to Cambodia, visiting nurseries, building projects, taking long bike rides, or sailing around his beloved Northwest.

Other survivors include his parents Brian and Helen Girvin of Seattle, his brother Greg Girvin of Maple Valley, and his sister Sally Girvin of New York City.

Beyond his contributions to the design world, Jeff has shaped countless lives, leaving all those he touched enriched from having known him. We will always remember Jeff with a smile on his face and kindness in his heart, and we will miss his love of conversation, easy laugh and wry sense of humor.

A memorial celebration will be held Thursday, September 29^th, 2005 from 4:30-7:30pm, at Daybreak Star in Discovery Park (map). In lieu of flowers, The Girvin Family asks that any remembrances be made as donations to The Nature Conservancy. In memory of Jeff’s love of gardening there will be seedling trees to take home and plant - all uncliamed seedlings will be donated for planting at a school or park. (Plant description from the National Arboretum. )

An ‘Outstanding Design Award’ was awarded to McGranahan Architects and The Berger Partnership for the design of Mann Elementary School. Landscape Architect and project manager for Mann Elementary, Fred Jala, accepted the award at a ceremony last night.

The Design Review Board, which works in Redmond’s Planning Department, created this program in 1999 to recognize and honor those projects which best represent the design values of the community. For this program the […] Board [considered] all projects constructed within [Redmond] in the years 2002 and 2003 and has selected eleven recipients for the City’s Excellence in Design Awards.
 
Mann Elementary School establishes a good, solid site plan that features a walkway that moves from the street edge through the building to the walking path at the back of the project site. The use of color, overall building massing, and attention to detail all deserve commendation.
 
- City of Redmond Excellence in Design Awards Program

The Berger Partnership is honored to be recognized by the City of Redmond again this year. We enjoy working in Redmond and hope to continue to do so well into the future!

Related: Redmond Junior High - recipient of an Outstanding Design Award for projects completed in Redmond in the year 2001.

It’s official - the grand opening of Cal Anderson Park (formerly known as Lincoln Reservoir) is Saturday, September 24, 2005 from 12 to 3 PM. Festivities will occur at the park, at 11th Avenue & East Olive Street on Capitol Hill (map). There will be walking tours of the park including a special tour of the significant trees of Cal Anderson Park by Arthur Lee Jacobson. At 12:15 there will be a presentation of the history of this Olmsted park, of Seattle’s Water System & Lincoln Reservoir, and reflections on the park with Representative Ed Murray. These events will be followed by music at the new Great Lawn, ceremonial ribbon cutting and refreshments (and more music).
For more information:

• Cal Anderson Park project page in our portfolio.
• Seattle Parks & Rec project page, which details the development of the park and includes event info.
• Cal Anderson Park Page on the Parks & Rec site offers general information on the park, has more photos and includes background information.
• Jonathan dedicated many years to this project and can provide information related to its design. He will be acting as an inhouse consultant on the Jefferson Park Expansion project, which also involves a much-loved park, numerous and diverse community groups, and coordination with SPU on the lidding of a reservoir.

This photograph was taken during the construction of the lid for Lincoln Reservoir, which is now covered by Cal Anderson Park.

The reservoir has been lidded, urban open space has been reclaimed and Olmsted’s legacy has been preserved.

Artist Doug Hollis conceptualized the water feature at Cal Anderson Park. During a recent site-visit, he took this photograph of the cone during a water test.