ERLA Receives WASLA 2026
Merit Award for Quincy Square
Emily Russell Landscape Architecture (ERLA) has received a Merit Award from the Washington Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (WASLA) for Quincy Square in Bremerton, Washington.
The award recognizes built landscape architecture projects on publicly owned sites, considering design quality, execution, environmental sensitivity, sustainability, and value to the community and profession. We’re proud to see this significant public landscape in our own community recognized by our peers.
"We’re immensely grateful to have been part of a collaborative effort to create a public space that will continue to bring people together for years to come." - Emily Russell, Owner / Principal ERLA.
Music, Culture, and Community
Inspired by Quincy Jones’ connection to Bremerton, Quincy Square honors Black Bremerton residents who have made significant contributions to the City's progress, by transforming a former auto-oriented street into a welcoming public plaza where music, culture, and community shape everyday life. This project provides a flexible civic space for performances, celebrations, and everyday gathering. Interactive musical elements, public art, interpretive signage, busker stage, flexible seating, and community dining invite users to participate, while Northwest-native plantings and Apollo Sugar Maple groves bring wildlife habitat into the downtown experience.
The result is a public gathering space that celebrates Bremerton’s identity, acknowledges local history, and creates new opportunities for community connection and celebration.
Section Title
A Collaborative Public Project
Quincy Square grew from a shared vision to reimagine downtown Bremerton. Since the initiative began in 2014, ERLA has worked with the project team, community members, local businesses, and civic leaders to help shape a public space rooted in the city’s history and aspirations. Community discussions and feedback informed the site design, from the balance of pedestrian and vehicle movement to the creation of flexible gathering spaces that support both everyday use and large community celebrations.
The 4th Street Action Group, consisting of a large group of community leaders, local business owners, and concerned neighbors, helped launch and advance the vision for Quincy Square since its conception. The Downtown Bremerton Association continues to be an important civic partner in managing the programming of the space for year round community events. In addition to community partners, ERLA collaborated with Rice Fergus Miller, Parametrix, Consor Engineering, Active Construction, and the City of Bremerton Public Works to transform the street into a distinctive civic destination.
