Welcome to the latest GGLO news.

GGLO’s crack team of designers transformed a chunk of John St. into a captivating azur hangout at the Seattle Great City Initiative’s Summer Street Scene Party yesterday, next to the South Lake Union Discovery Center. GGLOers, friends, and new acquaintances stopped by to chat, eat, nurse their babies, and chill in the shade, making “The Hang Out” installation a success.

The competition asked designers and artists to “transform ordinary, identical parking spots into unique innovative, attractive and inviting urban spaces,” and a handful of GGLO’s LA group--Laura, Anne-Emilie, Marieke S R, Wilma, Kent, Zack, and Meredith--took on the challenge.

Starting with a few charettes where they mulled over what was lacking on the ordinary South Lake Union street, the inspiration for The Hang Out came from Laura’s images of laundry hanging above the streets of European and Asian cities. The group was hooked: not only is hanging laundry a delightful sight, it conveys so many important messages! Drying laundry outside saves energy and keeps greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. It creates shade on hot July days. And, in South Lake Union, where condos and HOAs dominate the landscape–and often prohibit public drying--it puts a personal touch in the public realm.



With the addition of tables and chairs to three Breezecatcher umbrella-style clotheslines, the team created a fantastically comfortable and inviting place to hang out uniquely suited to summer urban streetlife. (Buy yours from Paul at The Clothesline Shop.)

The City of Seattle held a ribbon cutting ceremony at Fremont Peak Park on November 10th, 2007. The opening was a spectacular reflection of the park’s goal – to support the surrounding community and to create an urban oasis. A cake modeled on the park, music, a clear sky and more than 250 neighbors filled the senses and inspired all visitors.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better day: the sun was shinning, we had live music, the skyline was clear – the whole site was at its best, just in time to for everyone to experience”, said Marieke Lacasse of GGLO, the Landscape Architect for the project.

Fremont Peak Park is a new 24,000 SF park in Seattle that integrates a significant stand of native trees with works of art to create an ‘urban oasis’ with panoramic views of northwest Seattle and the Olympic Mountains. Comprised of three residential lots, the site is tucked into a neighborhood high on the west slope of Palatine Avenue North.

The challenge for GGLO was to design a quiet, contemplative setting that preserved existing vegetation, enhanced access to the panoramic view, and captured the artistic spirit of the surrounding community. Three park zones, a natural meadow, a woodland, and a showcase viewpoint are connected by paths that borrow from the Greek myth of the Minotaur. Native plantings broaden habitat potential and protect neighbor privacy.

For most visitors, the view will be the motive to visit Fremont Peak Park, with art elements and contemplative and natural settings serving to enrich the park experience. The project design team included GGLO and Laura Haddad.