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Issue link: https://landscapecontractor.epubxp.com/i/701277
Land Expressions is a landscape architecture and con- tractor firm headquartered in Spokane, Wash. Founded in 1987, the team focuses on collaboration to get the job done efficiently, whether their client is a homeowner, a commercial building owner or a developer. When choosing projects to feature in this issue, we were so impressed with the projects Land Expressions submitted to us that we knew we could not feature just one - we had to include both. We still got more than we bargained for, with double the features in double the projects. Gresham Children's Fountain Called in to renovate an existing art plaza, Land Ex- pressions designed and built two splash pads at the Gresham Children's Fountain in Gresham, Ore. The new plaza was to be a multi-use space: splash pads by day and choreographed water and light show by night, with space for vendor tents, music, events and even vehicles. The first step was to demolish the existing rundown plaza, and excavate space for the three needed vaults. Subgrade structures were then placed: a pump pit, surge tank, and access for bypass from a sanitary sewer to a stormwater system. The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) took more than half of the project's six month timeline. The technical mapping included placement of four pipes for each spray fixture (supply, drain, and two conduits); extensive surveying, as the concrete slopes in two direc- tions and each fixture had to be dialed in horizontally and vertically; pulling all wire; and placing all cast-in- place fixtures. The structural fill came next, followed by the use of a crane to place the concrete elements. Finally, the softscape, shade structures and site furnishings were installed. The splash pads, 42'8" and 51'6" diameters, were de- signed with different age groups in mind. While both are open within the space, one is aimed at younger chil- Above: Land Expressions, a firm located in Spokane, Wash., designed and built two water features at two different locations. This one, the Gresham Children's Fountain at the Gresham Arts Plaza, Gresham, Ore., involves two splash pads that brought new life to a previously rundown city center plaza. DOUBLE DOWN By Alli Rael, LC/DBM 28 LC DBM