The Magic of Open-Water Swimming in the Puget Sound

Swimming into the sunset by SCJ's Chelsea Lee. Author Susann Babaei, a project engineer with our Seattle Transportation Design team, recently joined a swimming group that ventures the open waters of the Puget Sound. Susann is a motivator and resource…

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Trailblazing the SCJ Way

The outdoors has become a refuge for many as the pandemic wears on. From reducing cabin fever to treating Zoom fatigue, spacious parks and beaches provide options for socially distanced picnics, and campgrounds at reduced capacity are giving families space…

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Horsey the Chestnut Tree: Connecting People to Place

A horse-chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) has taken center stage in the design of an assisted living and memory care center project in Covington, Washington. Lovingly referred to as Horsey by the project design team, the nearly 50-year-old tree stands at…

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Play The Next Play

Author Chris Overdorf attended West Point where he studied geography and computer science before unfortunate injuries sidelined his military career. Chris is SCJ’s Principal Landscape Architect in our Wenatchee office.  Author and SCJ Principal Landscape Architect Chris Overdorf as a…

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Elevating Public Art in Airway Heights

Airway Heights 2015 Festival and Car Show A giant Radio Flyer™ wagon in a Spokane park. A 540-pound metal Triceratops in Wenatchee. A series of fourteen-foot-tall fish trap sculptures made of bronze and basalt at the Port of Kennewick. How…

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Helping Salmon Thrive on The Olympic Peninsula

Salmon protection and habitat restoration are at the heart of an extensive fish passage barrier removal project initiated by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Throughout Washington state, there are thousands of rivers and streams that flow under roads…

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New Craft District Aims for Excellence in Tumwater

Always surround yourself with people you can learn from. This was a guiding principle of Leopold Schmidt, founder of the Olympia Brewing Company in Tumwater, Wash. Leopold Schmidt, founder of the Olympia Brewing Company. Photo courtesy of Olympia Tumwater Foundation.…

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