“The mission of an architect is to help people understand how to make life more beautiful, the world a better one for living in, and to give reason, rhyme, and meaning to life.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
Ask the average American to name an architect who changed the way we build and live, and their answer is typically, Frank Lloyd Wright.
Wright designed 1,114 architectural works of all types, 532 of which were realized, and created some of the most innovative spaces in the United States before his death in 1959.
Only one of Wright’s visionary works is in Oregon: The Gordon House, which resides in the Oregon Garden in Silverton as a public museum, after being moved from its original location along the Willamette River in the winter of 2001.
There are few opportunities in life to match Wright’s genius, so when the Gordon House Conservancy called DeSantis Landscapes about reimagining the Gordon House gardens and walking paths, and installing a new irrigation system as part of the Conservancy’s capital improvement campaign, it was an easy ‘yes’ for the DeSantis Salem team: Estimator Kyle Glynn, Project Manager Rick Moisa, Foreman Arturo Raymundo, and Crew Leader Julio Salazar.
The Gordon House landscape and the entire Oregon Garden site is irrigated by water flowing through a cascading system of constructed wetlands and habitat ponds, in which plants, microorganisms, and natural processes interact to filter, clean and cool the City of Silverton’s treated wastewater.
“As an irrigation source, the wetlands are an engineering marvel,” said Moisa, who led the Gordon House landscape irrigation and grounds improvement project and says the complex, multi-function wastewater filtration story shows how humans can give nature a helping hand to speed up the process by which water is purified. “It was an honor to work on such a well-known site and with such visionary client,” added Moisa, a master builder who’s been with DeSantis Landscapes since 1996, and remembers when the Oregon Garden and its wetlands were being constructed in the mid-90s.
Today, the treated wastewater travels through the wetland system at a rate of 300 gallons per minute in peak season through a series of terraced filtration lagoons into a holding tank where it’s used for landscape irrigation. During the winter, it’s redirected through a network of pipes into the Silver Creek watershed.
Ken Hector, Chairman of the Oregon Garden Foundation Board of Directors, and Mayor of Silverton from 1993-2008, said that the City of Silverton was an early mover in using reclaimed water for landscape irrigation and it continues to lead on issues of climate action, clean energy, and waste reduction. “As an ecological bridge, the constructed wetlands are the best possible use of biodiversity and environmental mitigation to treat effluent, protect groundwater quality, and improve the natural habitat. Plus, it makes good economic sense by reducing demands on freshwater supplies,”
Hector was involved with the Oregon Garden project from the beginning and says protecting Oregon waterways continues to be a shared vision. “Wastewater should not be considered a ‘waste’ anymore, but a resource. Using reclaimed water to irrigate landscapes through constructed wetland systems like this one have the potential to transform costly resources into business models that add value to our entire economy,” he adds.
The Gordon House is a popular destination spot for weddings and public events. “Having a consistently high-performing landscape creates a lasting impression and is critical to the site’s architectural legacy and visual appeal,” said David Pierce, retired Landscape Architect and Chairman of the Gordon House Conservancy.
“The landscape and soil quality at the house is the healthiest it’s ever been and the plants and pollinators have never been happier. We can now manage how and when we irrigate and use the water with smart WiFi-controlled technology, a huge leap forward after years of hand-watering. The lawn is looking better than ever and the gardens around the House are so much more attractive.” The Oregon Garden is an 80-acre botanical wonderland with its specialty gardens representing the ‘horticultural nirvana that is the Willamette Valley and Pacific Northwest,” added Pierce.
DeSantis Landscapes has served the Oregon Garden for more than twenty years. The Gordon House is the firm’s third project. DeSantis Landscapes received a Grand Award from for the Oregon Garden Children’s Garden from the National Association of Landscape Professionals and an Award of Honor in the area of Environmental & Sustainable Design from the Oregon Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects for its work on the Oregon Garden’s Amazing Water Garden.
The Gordon House landscape revitalization project was made possible by private donors, volunteers, and a grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust, as well as support from KPFF, Greenworks, DeSantis Landscapes, Fox Pro Landscaping, Garden World Nursery, Al’s Garden and Home Centers, and Wilco Farm Stores.
To learn more, go to:
- The Gordon House and the Gordon House Conservancy: https://thegordonhouse.org
- The Oregon Gardens and The Oregon Gardens Foundation: https://oregongarden.org
- DeSantis Landscapes and the firm’s 50-year history restoring, renewing and caring for Oregon’s urban environment: https://desantislandscapes.com
- Oregon Garden Children’s Garden https://oregongarden.org/childrens-garden
- Oregon Garden Amazing Water Garden https://oregongarden.org/amazing-water-garden/
