Lonza
Location: Bend, OR
Project Partners:
Architect: BCA
Builder: CS Construction and KNCC
Landscape Contractor: Botanical Developments
Photographer: Cheryl McIntosh
SZABO Landscape Architecture developed a cohesive landscape framework that unifies the previously fragmented Lonza biopharmaceutical campus into a clear, connected environment. The design organizes several disparate lots around a central pedestrian spine, transforming the sprawling site into a walkable campus where buildings are tied together by a shared Central Oregon landscape narrative.
Beginning at the lower end of the site, the landscape sequence moves through metaphorical ecosystems of the region, using planting, grading, and hardscape to evoke riparian corridors, canyons, meadows, and alpine slopes. A central “canyon” plaza, defined by sculpted pour‑in‑place concrete walls recalling basalt formations, anchors this narrative and provides an identifiable heart for the campus. Planting design reinforces each zone with riparian species near basins, transitioning upslope to grassland, wildflower, and alpine plantings that echo the high‑desert and mountain context.
Curvilinear, naturalistic pathways respond to the irregular siting of existing buildings, creating intuitive, direct pedestrian routes while recalling the meandering character of rivers in the Oregon landscape. This approach stitches together entrances, plazas, and outdoor workspaces into a single legible circulation system, enhancing wayfinding and day‑to‑day usability for staff and visitors. Varied planting palettes, groves of aspens, native grasses, boulders, and accent trees are paired with each building to reflect distinct Oregon landscape typologies while still maintaining a consistent overall campus language.
To support long‑term resilience and maintenance, SZABO Landscape Architecture upgraded and coordinated irrigation infrastructure across the multiple parcels, a technically complex effort given existing conditions and phasing constraints. The reconfigured system and plant selections prioritize low water use and climate‑appropriate species, reducing resource demand while supporting healthy, regionally expressive landscapes. Collectively, these interventions recast the campus as a unified, walkable environment where architecture, ecology, and daily campus life are closely intertwined.
