Green River College: Mel Lindbloom Student Union
Green River College
Auburn, WA
HBB designed the landscape fronting Kennelly Commons to reinforce the curvature of the building’s façade, defining an outdoor terrace and entry plaza with a staircase. Accent planting, including specimen trees, shrubs, and groundcovers, highlight the main entry and seating areas while the remaining landscape enhances the campuses forested character. Open lawns provide flexible green space. The parking lot is lined by rain gardens which collect and treat stormwater runoff and integrate moisture tolerant trees, in addition to sedges and rushes. The landscape design preserves several stands of existing conifers and enhances existing forested areas with native understory plantings of conifers and shrubs. Two “patio deck” areas expand usable space to the south of the building. The landscape also includes extensive vine plantings against large, exposed concrete retaining walls.