In addition to working with a design team to develop a Master Plan for the Rio Salado and its  Gateway Plazas, Strich produced “Layers of Time" ceramic tiles for the columns of the plazas' shade structures.  He molded the monochrome concrete relief tiles from found objects, some of which were donated by area residents. They reflect five stages of history along the river: geology, natural history, Native American culture, European settlement and agriculture, and the contemporary, multicultural urban environment.

Strich also created and installed green, cut steel panels in the railings along the edges of the semicircular plazas.  The panels incorporate different patterns derived from the desert riparian environment, connecting the plazas to the reconstructed riparian habitat within the Salt River corridor.

Strich also designed streetlights for the gateway plazas and the bridge crossings within the project zone. ​