ASSOCIATES

Marina Alvarez is inspired to create places that improve both the cultural and ecological health of the landscape.  Educated at the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor’s Degree in Evolution & Ecology and at the University of Michigan with a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture, she brings a diverse set of graphic and analytical design skills to Jones & Jones.  In addition to formal academic training as a landscape architect, she is interested in understanding how a design may influence human interaction and behavior, and applying this experience to the design process.

Marina’s project experience at Jones & Jones includes master planning for large zoos and parks, as well as site and trail planning for small parks and farms. She recently took part in the completion of the Ravensdale Park Master Plan and the Midway Conceptual Site Plan Report for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument Management Plan. She is currently a project team member for the Dublin Zoo African Savannah and Dublin Zoo Children’s Farm projects in Dublin, Ireland.

Molly Cherney acquired a great part of her knowledge of the architectural profession in places like Malaysia, Cambodia, France, and Rome and in various capacities as intern, researcher, teacher, traveler and builder.  Her experience has led her to examine how human beings, through time, have used their built environments as a way to understand both their place in the natural world and their relationships with each other. The practice of architecture, from her perspective, is one way to explore and revitalize these connections, which also play an important role in environmental stewardship and community building.

Molly joined Jones & Jones in 2007, after receiving a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington.   She is currently a project team member for The Oregon State University Cultural Centers and Agua Caliente Cultural Center in Palm Springs, California.

Garrett Devier draws upon 12 years of experience as an environmental educator, ranger, and trail builder in the North Cascades National Park, where he taught environmental education for the North Cascades Institute, patrolled as a Forest Service Wilderness Ranger, and led crews that built or maintained dozens of trails. His approach is to use design as pedagogy for making connections between people and their natural and cultural landscape.  His master thesis at the University of Washington focused on the design of an interpretive trail corridor for Fort Clatsop at Lewis and Clark National Historic Park in Oregon.  

Garrett’s work for Jones & Jones makes great use of his GIS mapping skills. He currently works in facilitation and planning for the Puget Sound Partnership, and in identifying signature landscapes as a basis for conservation strategy of Swauk Prairie in Central Washington. 

Josh Distler strives to create architecture which both draws strength from and adds life to the site it inhabits.  With a BA in geology and classics from Amherst College, an MS in geology from the University of Montana, and a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington, Josh is interested in knitting the layers of meaning and texture in each place together with the people who will be living and working in it.  His attention to sustainable design and the craft of building springs from his experience in construction and design-build projects in Mexico as well as in the United States.

Josh is particularly interested in the application of green design to community architecture.  His volunteer work has included a green roof demonstration in Oxbow Park in South Seattle, the making of gathering spaces in low-income Seattle neighborhoods, and in building straw bale housing for migrant workers in Central Washington. 

Since joining Jones & Jones in 2005, Josh has been a team member for projects including Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center, Mount Baker View Park, Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, Hanford Reach Visitors Center, Washington State Parks Green Vision Plan, and the Seattle Chinese Garden.  Prior to joining Jones & Jones, Josh was an associate architect in the Seattle office of Bohlin, Cywinski, Jackson. 

Charlotte Essex believes in design for longevity and usefulness, especially when it comes to serving the needs of communities. She thrives on coming up with creative solutions for projects with limits. One of her first ideas was to take an old wooden schoolhouse near her college—Norwich University in Vermont—and convert it into a community center for children. Her commitment led her to volunteer for Architects Without Borders, where she designed buildings for an orphanage in Sri Lanka. Charlotte enjoys working to meet project requirements, and to educate clients and project stakeholders on best practices and green building options. Since joining Jones & Jones in 2008, Charlotte has worked on the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum and the Al Ain Desert Wildlife Park in the United Arab Emirates.

With a background in ceramics and art history, Dottie Faris has always been fascinated with art as a cultural expression. Her approach focuses on the use of landscape architecture to express or reveal a cultural understanding of place, and how landscape architecture can be used to highlight the existing, but perhaps unappreciated or hidden, cultural and physical character of a site.  Key to this approach is her understanding of how design concepts are expressed across scales: from the small site details to the larger
gestures of the site design.

Dottie’s project experience includes designs for large parks, small urban plazas, and zoological and wildlife parks.  She is currently a project team member for Northwest Native Canoe Center at Seattle’s South Lake Union Park and the Al Ain Wildlife Park in the United Arab Emirates. Prior to joining Jones & Jones in 2007, Dottie was a landscape designer for Charles Anderson Landscape Architecture, where she worked on the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park.  Dottie has a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Lewis and Clark College. 

Michael Fiegenschuh is a passionate advocate for ecological and cultural sustainability.  He believes a harmonious connection between the natural environment and the built environment is essential to the success of any architectural endeavor.  In his ten years of architectural experience, Michael has worked on a wide variety of projects, many of which focus on environmental and cultural interpretative experiences.  As a LEED Accredited Professional, he also strives for high-performance, sustainable designs which minimize the ecological impact on their surroundings, responsibly manage their carbon footprint, and provide healthy environments.

Since joining Jones & Jones in 2005, Michael has served as Project Architect for the Hanford Reach Interpretive Center in Richland, Washington and as Project Manager for the Grand Ronde Museum and Cultural Center in Grand Ronde, Oregon.  He was a member of the Steering Committee for the AIA Seattle Committee on the Environment (COTE) from 2001-2005.  Michael currently serves on the COTE Case Study Subcommittee and is active in the National Parks Conservation Association.

As an advocate of sustainable and artful architecture, Rachel Greene believes that the built environment should address both practical and spiritual needs. After earning bachelors and masters degrees in Architecture from Washington State University, she worked at Seattle-based PB Architects designing residential housing. Rachel also volunteered as a Municipal Development Volunteer in the Peace Corps in El Salvador, where she helped educate people about the importance of their natural environment. Rachel joined Jones & Jones in 2008, and currently works on the Al Ain Desert Wildlife Park project in the United Arab Emirates.

As a landscape designer, Lindsey Heller brings a varied project background and valuable cache of abilities to Jones & Jones.  Her project experience and interests include national and regional park development, habitat and shoreline restoration, cultural landscapes, transportation corridor studies, and ecological design.  She is adept in construction administration, bid document preparation, site planning, and has an engaging approach to design development at all levels.  A guiding principle in her approach is to uncover or create relationships between the goals of the projects and the environment and through advanced analysis methods and guided by sustainable practices. 

Since joining Jones & Jones in 2006, Lindsey has been a team member on projects including the Campo Gorilla Reserve at Los Angeles Zoo, and the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum in Palm Springs, California. 

Morgan Hougland has 15 years of project experience, ranging from architectural design to exhibit design and fabrication. As a project designer for TCA Architecture, Morgan designed both the Duvall Headquarters Fire Station and The Duvall Family Life Center in the historic district of Duvall, Washington. Prior to his work at TCA, Morgan specialized in converting historic structures into lofts and restaurants within the downtown historic area of the City of St. Louis. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and a Masters of Architecture degree from Washington University, located in St. Louis, Missouri.

As a LEED Accredited Professional, Morgan believes in designing spaces through a holistic integration of systems, to preserve our heritage and environment while inspiring a sense of place. He joined Jones & Jones in 2007, and is currently a project team member for the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum in Palm Springs, CA.

Jeremy Imhoff shares Jones & Jones devotion to landscape, and the ecological and cultural foundations of architecture.  He is dedicated to leading-edge “green” design strategies, setting an example of ways to minimize consumption of energy and other natural resources.  His interests and commitments largely stem from his undergraduate studies in architecture and landscape architecture at the University of Minnesota, and his graduate education in architecture at the University of Washington, where he was involved with the Daylighting Lab in exploring methodologies for maximizing the use of solar energy.

Since joining Jones & Jones in 2005, Jeremy has been the project team member for projects including the Monterey Hotel-Chief Seattle Club Renovation in downtown Seattle, the Northwest Canoe Center in Seattle’s South Lake Union Park, and Snoqualmie Point Community Park within the Mountains to Sound Greenway.

Ints Luters has a decade of project experience encompassing natural resource conservation plans, river parkway master plans, regional design standards, regional park master plans, transportation corridor planning and design, park design and urban design. His ability to collaborate with a wide variety of interests, usually in a public forum, has been pivotal to the success of many such projects.

Int’s core focus is regenerative design.  He seeks to understand the natural systems and cultural contexts and the scales at which they form the whole for each project and its site.  This knowledge is used to develop integrated design solutions.  The resulting environments are characterized by a richness of natural and cultural forms and functions, deeper meaning, and lasting value.

At Jones & Jones, Ints’s work as a project landscape architect has included the Confluence Project Land Bridge in Vancouver, Washington, the redesign of U.S. 93 in Montana, and the Concept Plan for the revitalization of Wrangell, Alaska’s downtown.  Prior to joining Jones & Jones in 2000, Ints was with the firm of Withers, Sandgren & Smith in La Canada, California, where he first put the ideas of regenerative design into practice.  Ints has also held academic positions at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California.

Todd Merrin is interested in applying his knowledge in natural resource conservation and GIS towards solving challenges in Landscape Architecture. He started his education with a bachelors in Natural Resource Management from Cornell University, and followed with a bachelors degree in Landscape Architecture from California Polytechnic University. His internship with Isabelle Green in Santa Barbara taught him to design with conservation and simplicity in mind.

Todd is currently building his skills in Stormwater Management, LID (Low Impact Design), and Green Infrastructure Planning in order to help create mutually beneficial spaces for people and nature. Joining Jones & Jones in 2008, Todd currently works on projects for the Puget Sound Partnership and the shoreline management plan for Lake Roosevelt in eastern Washington.

Brian Orishak brings to Jones & Jones a background and interest in architecture that reflects the culture of people and place, as expressed through the use of materials, craftsmanship, and sustainable design. 
 
He has applied his exploration of materials and craftsmanship in the design and construction of custom furniture and lighting fixtures, as well as to the making and the repair of musical instruments.

Prior to joining Jones & Jones in 2007, Brian worked on children’s museums, wellness centers, and restaurants, as well as various private spaces.  Brian’s background also includes work as a research biochemist before pursuing a career in architecture.

At Jones & Jones, Brian is currently a project team member for the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, and has participated in developing conceptual designs for the  campus cultural centers at Oregon State University. 

Brian attended the Boston Architectural Center, and received a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington.  

Cory Parker’s expertise is in transforming landscapes through ecological and cultural restoration.  He has 14 years of experience as a landscape architect, managing environmental planning, parks and open space, as well as stream and river restoration projects. 

Since joining Jones & Jones in 2001, he has managed many projects, including landscape and stream restorations associated with the reconstruction of Montana’s US Highway 93;  interpretive plans for two farms in the Puget Sound basin with certified “salmon safe” streams; and the master plan for Ravensdale Park in King County, Washington

Before Jones & Jones, he worked with L.C. Lee & Associates, collaborating with wetland ecologists, botanists, and soil scientists to re-create complex, riparian ecosystems.  He has also worked for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, designing master plans of parks, urban stream corridors and streets for local governments and tribes. 

Cory received his Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Washington (with a thesis on people’s perception of urban riparian landscapes) and his Bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of California at Davis. 

Emily Podolak combines her design skills and knowledge in ecological restoration to help bring communities into harmony with their environment. Originally from Colorado, Emily’s travels across different regions of the United States expanded her native plant knowledge. A two-year stint in Tucson, Arizona, involved working full-time to address land use and environmental issues, while also volunteering to design a community garden for children. After obtaining her masters in landscape architecture from the University of Washington, she worked on wetland mitigation issues at Raedeke Associates in Seattle. Emily joined Jones & Jones in 2008, and currently works on the Al Ain Desert Wildlife Park project in the United Arab Emirates.

Wes Simmonds has a strong background as a landscape architect in planning, design, analysis and GIS technology.  Also a carpenter with 20 years experience as a fine furniture builder, he has a keen eye for details.  His talents range from large-scale planning to the fine details of construction.  These talents stand him in good stead for a diverse practice which focuses on land conservation, cultural centers, museums, zoos, and wildlife parks. 

Since joining Jones & Jones in 2004, Wes has worked with partners Grant Jones and Chris Overdorf to develop ILARIS—an award winning watershed-based GIS tool for analyzing and cataloging signature landscapes.  He has also worked on the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center in Bellevue, Washington, the Southern Ute Cultural Center in Ignacio, Colorado, and the Vancouver Land Bridge in Vancouver, Washington.  In one of his favorite specialties, zoos and wildlife parks, he has worked on Africa Live at the San Antonio Zoo, and most recently on the Al Ain Wildlife Park in the United Arab Emirates.

Prior to joining Jones & Jones, Wes worked in regional planning at the Denver Regional Council of Governments, where he specialized in population and employment estimation, forecast modeling and GIS modeling.

Karen Davis Smith strives to create meaningful places of beauty through the union of landscape and architecture. Her main interests are in cultural and interpretive projects, especially those that benefit animals and the earth.

Karen spent the past few years at Boxwood as a project manager and designer, working on projects such as the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium and the PAWS Campus in Lynnwood, Washington. Her passion for sustainable and innovative design is evidenced by her involvement with the AIA Committee on the Environment, training with the Biomimicry Guild, and as a past organizer and cofounder of the Seattle-based Sustainability Salon roundtable group.

Karen joined Jones & Jones in 2008, and currently works on the Al Ain Desert Wildlife Park project in the United Arab Emirates.

Kari Stiles has a strong background in biological sciences, project management, and education.  Since joining Jones and Jones in 2008, Kari has applied her experience as a research scientist, designer, and educator in the fields of biology, ecology, ecological design and planning, and GIS to the firm’s involvement in the Puget Sound Partnership and various zoo design projects.

Prior to joining Jones & Jones, Kari was a research scientist studying plant growth responses to environmental conditions. She completed her PhD in 2001. While pursuing an additional degree in Landscape Architecture, she was an instructor of studio, lecture, and laboratory courses in the departments of Landscape Architecture and Biology at the University of Washington and the Department of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at the University of Virginia.  Kari has also been a Neighborhood Park Program Director at the Seattle Parks Foundation, where she guided the development of the Foundation’s neighborhood park program, and assisted community groups in designing and developing neighborhood parks and green spaces.

With a 20-year tenure at Jones & Jones, Colleen Thorpe exemplifies the integrated environmental design approach of the firm’s core professional team. Practicing in both fields of architecture and landscape architecture, Colleen specializes in projects that express cultural identity and the intrinsic nature of landscape place. 

Colleen has project experience in sustainable site and building development, and has applied her knowledge in a range of geographical and regulatory conditions. Her work at Jones & Jones encompasses Native American cultural centers, zoos, and community design.  She has extensive experience with both urban and rural sites, and brings her broad, award-winning project experience to urban streetscapes, schools, parks, and lodges. 

Piper Woodworth recently returned to her home in the Pacific Northwest. After graduating from the University of Oregon, she spent just over four years in San Diego, CA where she worked at CCBG Architects, Inc. Previous work experience also includes time at Chan Krieger Sieniewicz, an integrated architecture and urban design office in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  During this time, Piper worked on public and civic projects. Throughout her education and professional career, she had opportunities to travel across the United States and Europe.  These experiences, combined with a childhood in rural Oregon, have instilled within her a love for nature and passion for the built environments of our world. Piper joined Jones & Jones in the spring of 2008, and her project list currently includes work on the Southern Ute Museum and Cultural Center.