


Blending the natural and built environments.
The opening images of the Nike WHQ campus make the link back to the pre-development and the relationship to the building campus today. The ecology of the region is woven into the campus, including Cedar Mill Creek slicing through the core of campus. We look forward first by looking back at our roots, and indigenous landscape, to establish key metrics for success. These are based on the ecology of the Pacific Northwest, which provides the foundation for implementation of new development while ensuring the ecological function is maintained and enhanced.
Portland / Metro, OR
Mapping and analysis of the campus is key to establishing appropriate plans for the Nike Campus, including baseline conditions that will guide future development. For the Southwest Corridor project, we are analyzing multiple landscape typologies and the impacts to these landscapes with new light rail lines and stations. Sensitive siting of new development, management of stormwater, and enhancement of landscapes for aesthetics and ecological functions are in balance due to the up-front work to establish a good map of the existing landscape.
Portland, OR
The Nike Landscape Playbook should establish key metrics for success. In the Lloyd Crossing Urban Design, we developed key metrics for water, habitat. The goal was not to restore the area to a pristine natural setting, but to set goals for achieving a landscape suited to the environment, using only the water necessary, supporting the health of people and other species, and weaving in development that enhances natural systems. Goals were set for each of these key systems, and measured often to ensure that the pre-development ecology was restored.
The beauty of the campus is expressed in the juxtaposition of buildings and the natural landscape. Typologies range from offices, conference centers, with sports fields, running trails, and natural open spaces woven throughout. A functioning campus is a mosaic of landscapes, it an oasis for employees and visitors, while also providing biophilic connections to natural systems, improving physical and mental well-being through being connected to nature.
Hillsboro, OR
The Playbook will provide direction for a range of landscapes, from manicured lawn to forested areas, and work with the various built elements. Cedar Mill Creek is a significant resource and connects natural systems and the buildings, similar to our work at Intel Ronler Acres. Wetlands, rather than being pushed to the back, became the focal point for a new, nature-based suburban corporate landscape, eschewing rolling lawns for blue herons and bald eagles. A popular highlight was the annual photo competition, where Intel employees submitted nature photos taken on their campus – showing the connections to nature impacting the life and culture of the campus.
Portland, OR
Weaving together of buildings and landscapes is critical component to the health and success of the Nike landscape Playbook. At Centennial Mills, we incorporated buildings with the natural environment of the Willamette River, to create connections between workspaces and play spaces with respite and connections to the ecology of the river. These biophilic design strategies are important in urban locations, with close-by nature restoring the mind and spirit.
Understanding the existing landscape means blending the ecological and landscape knowledge, the built environment, and an innate understanding of maintenance and operations. We will collaborate with Nike, CBRE and their landscape subcontractors to walk the campus and learn what’s working, where problems exist, and what priorities are important. We’ve consulted on high-profile sites and campuses to integrate with the existing assets, including rehabilitation of plantings, restoration, modifications to infrastructure through retrofits, and audits of systems like irrigation, plant species, safety, and code compliance to ensure that areas are functional, beautiful and adaptable to change conditions.
The ability to transform existing landscapes into fresh new designs will be critical for the Playbook to succeed. We recently demonstrated this ability at the Moda Center, which had outdated and overgrown landscape areas in need of a refresh. After reviewing existing conditions, we developed plant palettes, evaluated the condition of existing planters, and prepared visualizations to show how plants worked together in context. Plant choices focused on aesthetics, drought tolerance, and maintenance, and when installed provided a welcome new look to the stadium campus. Public and private open spaces also need to use Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) which incorporates design principles to maximize safety and security.
The connection to Salmon Safe yields clues to the current and future maintenance of the Nike WHQ campus. We’re happy to be the first and only Salmon Safe Accredited Design Firm in Oregon, and the first landscape firm in the world to achieve this honor. We will bring our unique understanding of the requirements for ecological site certification to the Playbook to ensure it is embedded in the NWQ. The connections between this ecological site certification and Nike brand is critical.
Thanks to Nike, they’ll run a clean race.
Salmon are the real super-athletes, swimming 2000 miles from our rivers to the Pacific Ocean and back. And like any athlete, one thing they need is clean water. That’s why Nike took steps to certify their World Headquarters Salmon-Safe. Harmful chemicals were eliminated from groundskeeping, water for landscaping was reduced, and Nike’s streams and wetlands are being restored. All this is to ensure that the water Nike contributes to our rivers is clean enough for wild salmon to spawn and thrive. For more information visit www.salmonsafe.org
The campus will continue to evolve, and the landscape Playbook will provide the blueprint for how to adapt to these changes. New buildings will displace existing landscapes and must be woven into the fabric of the campus, circulation, and infrastructure. Future transportation choices will also influence parking, with the possibilities to replace and restore lost landscapes. The vision of the campus landscape must a reflection of the Nike brand and the culture of the employees that work on campus.
Portland, OR
New integrated landscape typologies can influence new building designs and retrofits of existing buildings, both of which will occur on the WHQ campus. At First and Main, we developed rooftop accessible spaces that provided amenity space for the 19-story office tower, while also managing stormwater, providing habitat, reducing urban heat islands, and helping the project achieve a LEEDPlatinum rating.
Portland, OR
The connection of building and natural systems is a key asset of the Nike WHQ Campus that will be featured in the Playbook. At the Headwaters at Tryon Creek, we developed a landscape around the restoration of a buried creek slicing through the center of the site. After unearthing the historical ecological remnant, the new development - a mix of housing types - were situated around the natural feature with bridges spanning overhead and at ground level, connecting users in buildings and on the site to the natural movement of water through the site.
Beyond landscape maintenance guidelines, the Landscape Playbook will reflect a forwardthinking agenda on design and maintenance of site assets, blend the built and natural environment, and reflect the work/play culture and brand of Nike. Greenworks has a long history of creating landscape guidelines for a range of projects, including campuses, public agencies, and private developers.
Eugene, OR
Our most recent work involves maintenance-based guidelines for Eugene schools. Working with the 4J School District, our ‘Maintenance-Based Design Guidelines’ unlocked a new understanding of district goals allowing us to engage with facilities staff to outline K-12 specific standards that inform this project and ensure that it meets the latest 4J goals. By evaluating existing gaps between design and maintenance, we provided guidance for site teams to meet project goals, blend into context, and created engaging spaces for student enrichment, while right-sizing designs to available resources.
Portland, OR
Low maintenance, high-impact and sustainable landscapes are important features of campus landscapes, and offer the opportunity to transform lawns to sustainable meadows. GreenWorks started by creating three meadowscaping planting design templates, including front yard urban meadow, parkway strip meadow, and wet meadow. GreenWorks generated 3D perspective sketches for each design template and compiled the handbook into a publication intended to help gardeners, landscape professionals, and ecologists working with native plants within small urban plots.
Washington County, OR
Stormwater is a major site elements that drives the design of landscapes in the Pacific Northwest. Our work with Clean Water Services established a robust and technically proficient guidebook to innovative stormwater management strategies for sites, buildings, roadways, and parking lots. We created a series of easy-to-read sketches and fact sheets that clearly show what current LIDA applications look like and how best to apply them through illustrative diagrams, explanatory text and photographs.
Building the future of the Nike World Headquarters