2019 Annual WASLA Conference Field Sessions
Register HereThursday Field SessionThursday, March 21 | 1:00 - 4:30pm Walking Tacoma's Ruston Way offers a unique view into the culture of the coastal city. Built upon a foundation of resource extraction and the associated toxic biproducts, urban waterfronts are also prime recreation opportunities. The Ruston Way trail traces the water's edge and is dotted with parks and restaurants, and later this year will include 11+ acres of new park space and the long sought a missing link connection into Point Defiance Park. The trail is also integrated with other infrastructure including bulkheads, stormwater facilities, roadway, utilities and an active rail line. All of this infrastructure is threatened by sea level rise. This walking tour will take advantage of Ruston Way’s unique vantage point to discuss resiliency and remediation through the lens of several projects currently in design and construction. We will discuss the challenges and opportunities in transforming our spaces around past and anticipated transgressions, specifically contamination and sea level rise. The one-way walk will head west on Ruston Way toward Dune Peninsula Park and over the Wilson Way bridge finishing in Point Defiance Park. Saturday Field SessionsSaturday, March 23 | 9am - 12pmDesigning within the Campus Context: University of Puget Sound Join us for a walking tour through the University of Puget Sound's historic, forested campus located in Tacoma's North End neighborhood. We will see and learn about projects over the past eight years including Commencement Walk, Weyerhauser Hall, Thomas Hall, Wheelock Student Center, and myriad treasured nodes within the campus. Projects within campuses are often associated with buildings, these projects can be building focused and led by architects. Commencement Walk was a rare opportunity for Landscape Architect led project, not associated with a building, that had far reaching impact in terms of physical area of work through the campus core, and also to future projects. This project offered the opportunity to work with the University to learn about campus wide circulation and use patterns, set the tone for landscape and lighting standards, and to learn about the how the campus functions for ordinary school days and event days such as commencement walk. The university has a long legacy of donor and graduating class oriented landscape elements which necessitated a sensitive, respectful approach to ensure that the necessary deference afforded to these elements was balanced with the needs of today's students and staff. Saturday, March 23 | 12:30 - 4:30pm Join ASLA Washington Chapter for a sketch crawl, an event that combines the art of hand sketching in an urban setting, with sightseeing and libations. Learn some tips and tricks for on-site sketching, all skill levels are encouraged to attend! This event is led by Craig Stoffel, ASLA, PLA. Craig is a landscape architect in the Denver office of the award winning firm Hord Coplan Macht. He has been leading sketch crawls for ASLA chapters for several years across the country. The goal for this event is to have fun, connect with professionals across the state, and explore Downtown Tacoma. This ticketed event has limited capacity Register Here |