how we work
Our work involves careful consideration of place — the people and communities who occupy and use it, and the stories and natural systems that make it specific and unique.
Our projects are designed to age gracefully. We use durable, low maintenance materials and embrace the weathering process as an authentic part of the story of any particular work and site. We see nature and the environment as ever-present collaborators.
A recent award-winning project for the City of Raleigh — Alluvial Decoder — illustrates how we integrate landscape, art, and design to address the nuances of place, weaving cultural context, site analysis and data into an experience that is narrative and memorable.
case study: alluvial decoder
Alluvial Decoder is a site-specific intervention along the City of Raleigh greenway on the banks of Crabtree Creek.
Since the development of Crabtree Valley Mall in 1972, the project site has been subject to dramatic and dangerous flooding during tropical storms, hurricanes, and times of intense rainfall. City of Raleigh Stormwater and Raleigh Arts commissioned us to help educate visitors about the floodplain and the complex history of the site.
A busy greenway path runs along Crabtree Creek at the site of the project. The area is also surrounded by heavily-traveled roads. The design for the project considers encounters from the path as well as views from afar, making the project visible and accessible to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
©Jordan Gray
Twenty-five steel markers in the field along the creek make the magnitude of historic floods tangible for visitors and passing traffic. Environmental graphics and signage in the underpass entry decode the patterns on the flood markers and provide additional context and understanding while a reinstituted native meadow creates a natural riparian zone along the trail.
The visual language and color system is inspired by maritime signal flags, a reference to the origin of many of the named storms represented. Designed to flood, Alluvial Decoder reveals the relationships of rising stormwater to past events in real time. It serves as an experiential reminder of the hazards of development, the wonder and fury of nature, and the simple steps we might take to mitigate such challenges now and in the future.
The project has received numerous awards including the Raleigh Medal of Arts, an Editors’ Pick - Best of Design Award from The Architect’s Newspaper, Google’s Geo for Good Impact Award, Fast Company’s Innovation By Design Award (Urban Design Honorable Mention) and honors from the American Planning Association and American Institute of Architects. It is currently shortlisted for the International Award for Public Art and a Finalist for the 2024 World Architecture Festival (Landscape).
©Negin Naseri
©Jordan Gray
testimonials
The impact of an immersive experience in particular is much greater than simply printing a sign or telling a story. As an artwork, Alluvial Decoder was designed with careful attention to concept, aesthetics, and the history surrounding the site — all while being executed on an extraordinarily tight budget and with significant site constraints.
– Kelly McChesney, Public Art Director, Raleigh Arts
Through the Alluvial Decoder project, the artists have invited the curious to seek an understanding of Raleigh’s flooding history, and through this journey participate in conversations surrounding the environmental and public safety benefits of critical issues such as floodplain management and ecologically sensitive development.
– Wayne Miles, Raleigh Stormwater
Alluvial Decoder elegantly educates participants about the city of Raleigh’s floodplain while also providing a visceral understanding of the flood heights of various storms in a thoughtful, tactile and artful way. The installation is not only a beautiful piece of public art, it is also deeply educational and allows viewers to walk away with a much greater understanding of the impact of storms and development upon our watershed.
– Jenn Hales, Public Art Curator, Raleigh Arts
First flood (one month after project install)
Markers across the creek (greenway path in background)
90 second video project overview
project partners
Raleigh Arts (client)
Raleigh Stormwater (client)
Luke Buchanan (muralist)
Cricket Forge (fabrication, installation)
Ryan Pound | RAD Graphics (signage)
Rob Stevenson | Bennett & Pless (structural engineering)
credits
videography by Jordan Gray and Lincoln Hancock
images © Keith Isaacs Photo unless otherwise noted
additional images © Negin Naseri and © Jordan Gray
designed by a gang of three
Will Belcher, William H. Dodge, Lincoln Hancock
