portfolio | Sustainable Solutions
PROJECT:
Commercial property
Grants Pass, Oregon
LANDSCAPING:
Natural Systems Landscape
Medford, Oregon
naturalsystemslandscape.com
Modern Nature
BY LAUREN HEARTSILL DOWDLE
Merging an eco-friendly landscape and building
U
nifying contrasting elements from a contemporary structure and its scenic surroundings, landscapers
created a sustainable property in Grants Pass, Oregon. Less than a mile from the Rogue River, this
commercial project blended nature with the LEED-certified Women's Health Center. The landscape
architect, Terra.fluxus (terrafluxus.com), and landscape contractor, Natural Systems Landscape,
),
used dry stack rock weirs and native boulders to create a visual transition from the natural
river environment to the building. They also created storm swales to drain the site's
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runoff and guide the water into the rain garden – where water can then be cleansed
project fe
atured,
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and reintroduced as ground water. The automatic irrigation system was tied into a
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n
photos, a
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satellite weather station that adjusts the irrigation application depending on weathn
of the pro
ject & the
er conditions. Completing this "green" space, they installed an extensive amount of
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native plant materials including dogwoods, vine maples, alder, mountain laurel and
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rhododendrons. The streambeds and rain garden are surrounded heavily with Juncus
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and Carex grasses – both to naturally filter the water and create a wetland appearance.
View more photos from this project at totallandscapecare.com/modern-nature. tlc
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