Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1385297
Cottonwood Park, Coquitlam, B.C. Aldergrove Community Centre, Langley, B.C. Trinity Western University, Langley, B.C. Park Avenue, Surrey, B.C. Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre, Surrey, B.C. Grandview Park, Vancouver, B.C. J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 7 VDZ+A in Port Kells, Surrey. Van der Zalm admits that was a humbling step in the orga- nization's growth. Work during that time was challenging, and the new office had poor heating and cooling. Diesel fumes would occasionally waft through the floor boards from the cold root cellar storage and forklift equipment below. "I remember that so well," laughs Jerke. "We didn't have comfortable chairs yet, so we were working on a variety of things including Dairyland milk crates. Staff were very supportive and we soldiered through, no-one complained." A true testament to the cast of characters that VDZ+A attracts. Through resilient and creative staff working collaboratively, VDZ+A has had the opportunity to work with some special clients, in some challenging and beautiful environments. When it comes to projects, VDZ+A's portfolio is incredibly diverse, and the positive impact those projects have had is inspirational. Holland Park is a great example of the firm's early work: this was VDZ+A's first significant public commission and Surrey's first urban park. The park has a focus on horticultural display, community gathering, and respite from the surrounding urban context. Major program includes an amphitheatre at Rose- Holly fountain with accommodation for up to 2,500 people, a facilities building that includes meeting space, bathrooms, and storage, an expansive open space, display gardens, and public art. In 2009, VDZ+A opened an office in Beijing, China, where many large-scale planning and design projects were completed. This experience, as well as the many complex private development works undertaken by the firm over the past decade, have honed the firm's skills as shepherding significant projects through the planning, design, and construction phase. In recent years, VDZ+A has been working with developers on the new transit-oriented multi-tower, multi-phase King George – the Hub in Surrey's City Centre. The team grew up fast as a result of these projects! "We've been working on the Hub for more than eight years and will be going on for another two or three," says Jerke. And while VDZ+A has worked on a multitude of projects in the public and pri- vate realm all across North America, the one area for which the firm has become perhaps best known is its involvement in extreme sports, and in particular, skatepark planning and design. "We have had the privilege of working with communities around the world on skatepark planning – City of Seattle, Chattanooga, Tennessee, City of Vancouver, and communities in Europe and South America. We have also been involved in some compelling and exciting design projects in major Canadian and U.S. cities. Since completing some of those seminal projects we have been working with clients on skatepark planning, design, and construction, just about everywhere in North America," says van der Zalm. Some noteworthy skatepark and BMX bike facilities include the award- winning Arlington, Texas Skatepark - dedicated to the memory of Cody David Rocamontes, an Arlington skateboarder who in 2009 was struck by a car on an Interstate 20 service road after skateboarding. Safety and accessibility for the new park was of course paramount. In fact, the list of groundbreaking skatepark projects that VDZ+A has been involved in is remarkable! Other standouts include the Seattle Space Needle plaza, The Forks at the museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg, the Vancouver Skateplaza, St. Johns Historic Plaza in New Brunswick, and Ed Benedict Plaza in Portland, Oregon. All of these designs throw out the idea of the skatepark being pushed into the back corner of parks, and instead welcomes it front and centre. While COVID has undoubtedly impacted the way in which VDZ+A works due to public health measures, the team continues to forge forward on amazing, complicated, and impactful projects, while embracing the evolution of landscape architecture as it becomes ever more entrenched in sustainability (particularly through stormwater management) and now, engineering. "Large engineering firms have been impacting our industry and as a result, landscape architecture is now, more than ever, demanding an integration of sci- ence and art. As landscape professionals we need to speak authoritatively about both landscape beautify and functionality. There will always be a place for tradi- tional design forward approach, but for us, the integration of technical aspects of resilient landscapes, demands on green infrastructure, and performance of designed landscapes has led us to establish and develop a civil engineering department within our firm. This complements our urban forestry team as well. "Our civil team, landscape architects, and arboriculture staff engage in a direct and collaborative process so that we can conceive creative solutions to challenges like stormwater management, functional infrastructure, and resilient spaces. Climate change is pushing this requirement ever more into focus, and our firm is well positioned to lead in this respect. We see a great opportunity moving forward to be part of fully integrated projects. In the next 20 years of our firm's growth we will continue to accept complex projects and foster deeper relationships with our community, clients, and places – built on trust," says van der Zalm. A