Awarded the first-place prize, this design explored the question of whether natural habitats in urban environments, such as remnant Oregon oak savannah, could be enhanced, restored and cultivated through a careful development that also supports increased density for people.

 

The design team studied the remaining natural oak habitat particular to Northwest Oregon and the Willamette Valley region and its relationships to the larger fabric of the neighborhood, to the street level, and at the home-lot scales. These studies provided the foundation for the integration of many qualities beneficial to people, animals, and plants: sunlit paths, wildlife travel-ways, multi-storied urban tree canopies, rainwater collection systems, pedestrian and bike access, shared outdoor spaces, privacy screening, and ongoing propagation of the oaks for regeneration.