Archinect - News

SRG Partnership announces merger with CannonDesign

2024-02-02T17:14:00-05:00

The Seattle/Portland-based SRG Partnership has announced its merger with CannonDesign in a move that will be felt widely in the health and wellness, education, science and technology, and sports and recreation sectors in the Pacific Northwest market and beyond.

SRG will be reorganized as SRG + CannonDesign. The new entity brings CannonDesign into the region for the first time. CannonDesign now has 18 offices and nearly 1,300 staff working globally, counting the additional employees moving over from SRG.

Edward J. Ray Hall at Oregon State University. Photo credit: SRG Partnership

“There's a clear synergy in our firms’ shared commitment to design excellence,” David Polzin, CannonDesign’s Executive Director of Design, said at the announcement. “SRG’s portfolio is outstanding, both regionally sensitive and transcendent of place. Their teams’ dedication to being environmentally responsible, resilient and equitable is evident in their work.”

A project at Washington State University's Evere...

Six featured architecture and design jobs in Portland, Maine

2023-11-24T08:22:00-05:00

The latest edition of our curated job highlights from Archinect Jobs features five employers in Portland, Maine, looking to expand with new, exciting job opportunities.

To learn more about the various positions firms are offering, make sure to check out Archinect's Guide to Job Titles series. Also, consult our Archinect Tips collection for helpful guidance on how to get that next job.

Woodhull seeks an Interior Architect/Designer - Custom Residential
"Woodhull’s Residential Studio is eager to bring on an Interior Architect/Designer who will be an integral part of the design team. Woodhull’s goal is for interiors to inform a project's architecture as much as the architecture informs the interiors. We are looking for a skilled interior architect/designer who has, at minimum, three years of professional technical design experience behind them. We are also happy to connect with formally trained architects who have a special interest in interiors."

Paradise Road by Woodhull. Photo: Trent ...

Five contemporary uses of timber by Woodhull: Your Next Employer?

2023-10-10T17:22:00-04:00

Following last week’s visit to Los Angeles-based Office Of:, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to Portland, Maine this week to explore the work of Woodhull.

Founded in 2003, the firm prioritizes “durability, honesty, and thoughtful use of materials” across its residential and commercial portfolio. “We think of craft as a verb,” the firm explains about its values. “While we are always proud of the finished product, the thoughtful and intentional process of getting there defines us.”

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for several positions. For candidates interested in applying for a position, or anybody interested in learning more about life at an architecture studio, we have rounded up five contemporary timber projects by Woodhull that exemplify the studio’s ethos.

Seaweed. Image credit: Trent Bell

Seaweed, South Portland, ME

Woodhull was commissioned by Seaweed Co. to create an “architecturally significant building” that could “lead the way in Maine’...

Construction underway of major timber roof for ZGF’s Portland airport expansion

2023-06-29T11:26:00-04:00

Construction is underway for the expansion of Portland International Airport. As we reported last year, the ZGF-designed expansion will include a roof formed of 2.5 million feet of timber. New images of the scheme by roof installers Mammoet show components for the timber roof being moved into place on the construction site.

Image credit: Mammoet

The roof was fully prefabricated between the airport’s active runways over the course of a year and comprises twenty roof panels in five distinct shapes. Prior to being moved into their final position, the panels were disconnected into approximately football-field-sized pieces in order to minimize disruption to airport operations. At midnight on the day of each move, the runways closed for the one-mile transport of the panel from the fabrication site to the construction site.

Image credit: Mammoet

Each panel was installed using stationary skidding propelled by strand jacks and lowered with the skidding jacks onto column isolators. The next set...

Portland Museum of Art unveils competing conceptual designs for new $100 million expansion

2022-11-21T15:35:00-05:00

Four finalist concept designs were just unveiled by the Portland Museum of Art for a planned expansion of the institution set to be completed by 2026 in the thriving New England cultural capital.

The $100 million project will add a total of 60,000 square feet of space to the existing museum in the form of a new six- or seven-story structure meant to accommodate the PMA’s collections, which have recently grown.

"Right now, because of our growth, the real risk is not to build," Director Mark Bessire explained. "If museums don’t continue to grow, if you fall back, it can take a generation to recover."

The project concludes the overhaul of Portland’s Congress Square district and will include restorations of some of its existing buildings, three of which are more than 100 years old, funded by a capital project that has already raised more than $30 million. Former USC School of Architecture Dean Milton Curry and White Arkitekter Partner Monica von Schmalensee were among the 13 jurors who ...

Meet the ‘audacious, joyful’ RIOS collective: Your Next Employer?

2022-11-04T13:06:00-04:00

Following last week’s visit to Atlanta-based Houser Walker, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to Los Angeles this week to meet the international design collective RIOS.

Founded by Mark Rios in 1985, the collective has evolved from its architectural and landscape architecture routes to occupy offices across LA, Austin, Boulder, and Portland, as well as international offices in London and Singapore. Among the studio’s ongoing work is a $600 million Hollywood media studio project which we reported on last month.

Over on Archinect Jobs, the collective is currently hiring for several positions in their Los Angeles office. For candidates interested in applying for a position, or anybody interested in learning more about life at an architecture studio, we spoke with the RIOS team for a behind-the-scenes look at the firm.

Harlow at Sunset Las Palmas Studios by RIOS. Image credit: Hunter Kerhart

How did RIOS get started?

RIOS was founded in Los Angeles in 1985 by Mark Rios. For...

Meet ‘band of makers’ Skylab Architecture: Your Next Employer?

2022-10-24T11:52:00-04:00

Following last week’s visit to Los Angeles-based LAUN, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to Portland, OR this week to meet self-described “band of makers” Skylab Architecture.

Since its founding two decades ago, the firm has grown into a 30-strong team of architects and designers working on a mixed-use portfolio including residential, retail, and workplaces. Most recently, our editorial featured the firm’s Serena Williams-themed office building located at Nike’s World Headquarters in Oregon.

From their office in Portland, the firm is currently hiring for several positions on Archinect Jobs. For candidates interested in applying for a position, or anybody interested in learning more about life at an architecture studio, we spoke with Skylab principal Robin Wilcox for a behind-the-scenes look at the firm.

Snow Peak USA Flagship and Headquarters by Skylab

How did Skylab get started?

Skylab began with a spec house, 1680 Montgomery, before rolling the profits into the ne...

Portland State University enlists Australian architect to develop Indigenous Center and surrounding oak savanna

2022-10-13T10:02:00-04:00

Kevin O’Brien, an acclaimed Indigenous architect from Australia, has embarked on a year-long collaboration with Portland State University. His involvement centers on the restoration of a campus oak savanna and the design-build of a facility at the site that will host the school’s Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITECK) program.

O’Brien joins the University’s School of Architecture as its 2022 Distinguished Visiting Professor. He will lead a one-week Indigenous design methods workshop for undergraduate and graduate students. He will also meet with students in PSU’s Indigenous Nations Studies program, engage with architects from local firms, and host a public lecture. As stated on PSU’s website, “O'Brien will challenge students to rethink their assumptions about architecture's relationship to the land, how they imagine the city, and how we learn through doing.”

The Queensland-based architect works as a Principal at Australian practice BVN Architecture. He als...

Jobs at architecture firms in Portland, Oregon: 6 exciting companies currently hiring

2022-09-16T13:58:00-04:00

If you are looking for architectural job opportunities in the Pacific Northwest region — and Portland, Oregon in particular — don't miss this week's curated employment highlight from Archinect Jobs with a selection of current openings for architects, interior designers, urban designers, and marketing managers.

To look up specific job titles from the architectural profession, consult Archinect's Guide to Job Titles series. Also, follow our Archinect Tips series to improve your portfolio, resume, interviewing skills, and increase your overall chances of getting that next job.

Skylab Architecture seeks a Project Design Architect and Senior Design Architect
"We are seeking a Project Designer/Architect to join our team. This position requires a hands-on approach to working with the design, consultants, and contractor teams. Comprehensive experience working on all aspects of architectural design practice is beneficial including responsibility from the development of design concepts to draw...

2.5 million feet of timber used to construct roof on ZGF’s Portland airport expansion

2022-07-22T14:14:00-04:00

Construction has commenced on the ZGF-designed expansion of Portland International (PDX) Airport. The defining feature of the main terminal project, set to be completed in 2025, is a new lattice roof formed by 2.5 million feet of timber.

Image courtesy of ZGF Architects

The scheme was conceived from a desire by the airport to create a more cohesive passenger experience and to bring a sense of unity to the airport after 70 years of expansions and additions. ZGF’s answer was a singular terminal building housed under one undulating, mass timber roof, accompanied by an interior strategy which prioritized biophilic design, interior landscaping, daylighting, and natural materials.

“Upon entering the new terminal core, visitors are invited to take a walk in the forest,” the architects say. “Views to the airfield, daylight, interior landscape, and art recalling the region’s natural beauty are present throughout the passenger journey.”

Image courtesy of ZGF Architects

The roof is inspired by ...

Bike racks are now being used as hostile architecture in Portland, Oregon

2022-06-17T20:06:00-04:00

On Wednesday, a reader shared with the Mercury a photo of 22 newly-installed single U-shaped bike racks on one block along the eastern sidewalk of NW Broadway. The city's homeless encampment reporting system shows that members of the public have repeatedly reported campers on the sidewalk that's now dotted with bike racks […] The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), which regulates sidewalk use and bike rack installation, said the new racks were completely off their radar.

Bike racks have also been deployed in Seattle to prevent tent encampments after that city’s campaign of police sweeps, which have been mirrored recently by its smaller Pacific Northwest neighbor. The owner of the vacant property adjacent to the racks is himself the developer of an adaptive reuse scheme that transformed a disused former city jail into a private shelter called Bybee Lakes and has lobbied in the past for the removal of encampments downtown, according to the Mercury.

Portland’s growing number of unhoused citizens has been victimized recently by the city’s installation of more common forms of hostile architecture as part of a $44 million public safety spending initiative passed in late November. Three months later, a damning report revealed that Portland’s former mayor Sam Adams (now one of Mayor Ted Wheeler’s top advisors) had been floating an eight-page proposal to warehouse the unsheltered population into three massive semi-temporary facilities operated using soldier...

Take a first look inside Adidas' new North American Headquarters

2022-05-25T18:13:00-04:00

When it premiered last fall, LEVER’s new building for the Adidas North American Headquarters in Oregon was talked about as a potential game-changer for an industry still struggling to find answers about the future of workplace design. Celebrated as one of the most inspiring corporate office concepts in recent memory, the effort was included in the 2022 Wood Design Awards and recently got the profile treatment from FastCompany.

Photo: Jeremy Bittermann.

In collaboration with San Francisco's Studio O+A, LEVER was able to erect two new buildings on the apparel giant’s existing Adidas Village campus just north of Downtown Portland in University Park.

Photo: Jeremy Bittermann.

One, a six-story glass-curtain facade design called the Gold Building, features a variety of collaborative work considerations such as flexible workstations, a café, and several maker spaces contained within what the firm deems as a “unique hybrid structural system” composed of pre-cast concrete columns and girders, ...

Richard Neutra-designed Oregon home hits the market at $3,750,000

2022-05-23T14:26:00-04:00

A Portland house with a provenance like no other is for sale. The revolutionary dwelling was designed 82 years ago by modernist architect Richard Neutra for lily hybridizer Jan de Graaff and his wife, Peggy, heir to the Macy’s department store owner who died on the Titanic.

The home, originally constructed in 1941, is located at 1901 South Comus Street. It was listed on Thursday, May 19th through Oregon-based real estate company The Hasson Company with an asking price of $3,750,000.

The three-level residence is celebrated for its embodiment of Neutra’s International style with its floor-to-ceiling windows and custom wood built-ins. It is one of only two Oregon homes designed by Neutra, who was commissioned by the de Graaffs to design a house for their modern furniture and art collection.

The house spans 6,887 square feet and sits on a 0.85-acre lot, offering unobstructed mountain, city, and river views. It features five bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms.

Architecture Jobs in Portland, Oregon: 11 awesome companies hiring right now

2022-05-17T11:09:00-04:00

If you're looking for a new architecture job in the Portland area, we've got you covered. Rose City is currently offering a number of opportunities worthy of serious consideration, and we've rounded them up for you right here...

Furioso Vineyards by Waechter Architecture, Dundee, Oregon

Waechter Architecture, a Portland-based firm known for its sustainable modernism, was recently named by Architectural Record annual Design Vanguard as one of ten emerging firms worldwide. They work primarily on cultural, civic, education, hospitality, mixed-use, commercial, and residential projects. They are currently seeking a Business Development Director.

Universal Plaza by RIOS, Tigard, Oregon

RIOS is an LA-based practice with satellite offices in Boulder, Austin and Portland. The Oregon office is currently seeking a Project Designer to assist and develop appropriate design solutions on multiple projects. Click here to view this opportunity, or check out their job listings for offerings across al...

LEVER Architecture to design new home for Portland State University's School of Art + Design

2022-04-13T14:15:00-04:00

Portland, Oregon-based design firm LEVER Architecture has been selected to design a new space for Portland State University’s School of Art + Design. LEVER was selected from a group of 11 firms competing for the project.

The multiple-award-winning firm, which was recently named the Jury’s Choice winner in the 2022 Wood Design Awards for their work on the Adidas North American Headquarters, has designed an array of innovative projects that also include Meyer Memorial Trust, the Artists Repertory Theater renovation, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. LEVER is known for its use of mass timber as a sustainable building material, its research focus, and its client-centered design approach.

“Portland State is thrilled to be working with LEVER on this important new building for our campus,” said Portland State University President Stephen Percy. “The new home for the School of Art + Design will serve as a beacon for the important role our creative community plays in the Po...

Mahlum Architects creates first Living Building Challenge-certified building in Portland for itself

2020-04-17T18:52:00-04:00

When Pacific Northwest architecture firm Mahlum set out to design its new Portland, Oregon headquarters, one question the firm asked itself was whether it was willing to “walk the walk” with regards to environmental sustainability.

The firm’s response, as its newly completed Living Building Challenge (LBC) offices can attest, was an enthusiastic “yes!”

View into the studio’s open office area. Photo courtesy of Lincoln Barbour.

The LBC certification system, for the uninitiated, is widely considered as the “most rigorous sustainable building program in the world,” and offers up a variety of approaches for achieving a “symbiotic relationship between people and all aspects of the built environment,” according to the architects. Administered by the Living Building Futures Institute, LBC is billed as “a philosophy first, an advocacy tool second, and a certification program third.” Codified by a list of 20 “imperatives” organized according to thematic “petal” categories, the system focus...

Pacific Northwest High-Speed Rail study advances with help from Microsoft

2019-10-13T09:00:00-04:00

Microsoft is giving another $223,667 to study the possibility of building a high-speed rail line connecting Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, and Portland, adding to a previous donation. The company is providing a total of $573,667 to the project. Other funders include the Province of British Columbia; the Oregon Department of Transportation; and Washington Department of Transportation.

According to Geek Wire, The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) estimates that the proposed Cascadia Rail high-speed rail system connecting the three cities could spark $355 billion in economic growth in the region, while bringing in around $160 million to $250 million in annual revenue for the rail authority.

In total, the high-speed rail project could cost anywhere from $24 billion to $42 billion to build, reports Geek Wire. WSDOT also expects the high-speed rail to contribute to significant reductions in carbon emissions over time.

Folded facades define an origami-inspired residential development in Portland

2019-09-24T14:00:00-04:00

Many residential developments today try to balance the issues of density and materiality with neighborhood scale, and the Origami residences by Waechter Architecture are no exception.

The 12-unit townhome development occupies an entire city block in northeast Portland's Piedmont neighborhood and is designed by the architects to present a sculptural configuration that simultaneously gestures to the surrounding ranch houses while also pointing toward a more urban vision for the city.

Overall view of the backyards for the project. Image courtesy of Jeremy Bittermann.

To achieve this somewhat contradictory design objective, the architects deploy a continuous wall of folded facades that hearkens to old school row house and pitched roof typologies all at once. "We wanted to avoid a strategy of either fragmented individual buildings or a monolithic block," writes Ben Waechter, founder and principal of Waechter Architecture.

Concept model highlighting the project's massing. Image courtesy...

“We never could design a building as beautiful as the trees,” Oregon celebrates the legacy of architect Pietro Belluschi

2019-08-11T07:00:00-04:00

Every day, people work, live and pray inside Pietro Belluschi’s light-filled, modern creations. The legendary architect shaped Portland’s skyline with revolutionary structures like the Commonwealth Building, which generated tinted glass-and-aluminum lookalikes across the globe. In August and September, educational and celebratory events spotlighting Belluschi’s impact will take place in Portland to honor the 120th anniversary of his birth.

The Young Architect Conference seeks to reinvent the traditional conference format for a new generation of professionals

2019-07-25T20:39:00-04:00

Michael Riscica, the founder of Young Architect has created a new kind of architecture conference. One that is geared specifically for the emerging generation of students and professionals. From his past experiences participating and speaking at architecture conferences, Riscica has identified some common characteristics that he feels need to be improved. In his view, traditional conferences tend to focus too much on lecturing from the stage and not enough on engagement and interaction. They do not typically focus on the next generation of the profession, and products and economics can sometimes grab too much of the focus. Riscica believes that an engaging conference should be "harnessing the power of the minds of the audience to see how we can serve our profession and our communities."

As emerging professionals rise to positions of power, preparation, mentorship, and growth become indispensable characteristics to embrace. The Young Architect Conference aims to address these areas. ...

Oregon legalizes "missing middle" housing

2019-07-01T13:50:00-04:00

Oregon legislators took a historic leap toward greener, fairer, less expensive cities Sunday by passing the first law of its kind in the United States or Canada: A state-level legalization of so-called “missing middle” housing.

In a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, both of Oregon's legislative houses have voted to eliminate single-family zoning across the sate, legalizing so-called "missing middle" housing, including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and row houses.

If signed into law next month by Oregon governor Kate Brown, the bill will allow up to two housing units on all residential lots located within cities that have at least 10,000 residents. For cities of 25,000 residents and up, the bill allows up to four units per lot, including row houses and cottage clusters.

Missing middle housing was largely common in American cities prior to the invention of zoning codes in the early 20th century. In the century since, a pervasive focus on single-family residential areas, coupled with the long-term effects of racial segregation and redlining, has limited housing options for Americans while also eroding a key economic stepping stone for immigrants, first-time homeowners, retirees, and other groups. As a...

Portland to study downtown subway

2019-06-28T14:50:00-04:00

Metro Oregon and Portland's TriMet are studying the possibility of creating a new below-ground transit route through the city's downtown.

Planning for future growth, the organizations are working to link the Lloyd Center shopping mall on the eastern banks of the Willamette River with Southwest Portland through downtown. The transit authority currently runs approximately 40 trains per hour during the busiest times of the day across the downtown area, a figure that will need to increase by at least 50% in coming decades to accommodate projected population growth.

The new route could, according to Metro Oregon, reduce travel time through downtown Portland by up to 15 minutes while adding 15,200 daily riders to the city's transit system.

TriMet is planning to hold community meetings as it moves to initiate a formal process for approving and constructing the tunnel.

Portland Building is no longer historically significant

2019-06-13T16:58:00-04:00

A new audit conducted by the city of Portland, Oregon presents an alarming view into the contentious renovations currently being undertaken for the Michael Graves-designed Portland Building.

Among a flurry of critiques aimed at the project organizers, the report states that changes performed to the building's outward material configuration have been so transformative as to effectively nullify the iconic postmodern tower's historical significance.

The report warns: "Despite the importance of historic preservation, there was no minimum requirement identified for this project principle. The project team [only] identified an aspirational goal and anticipated benefit to 'maintain the historic and iconic status of the building.'"

The Portland Building in 1982, Image courtesy of Wikimedia user Steve Morgan.

The project, guided by a desire to mitigate water infiltration along the building's concrete facade, will essentially re-skin the 15-story tower with a pressed aluminum rainscreen desi...

Does your job search include lush forest scenery, ample bike paths, and Nike? Check out these Oregon-based architectural job opportunities

2019-01-25T12:05:00-05:00

Looking for a taste of the Pacific Northwest? Oregon offers a little bit of everything. For those searching to work in an city filled with green landscapes, parks, eco-friendly coffee shops, and a charming city culture, Portland is the place.

Below are 8 Portland-based firms looking to hire the perfect candidate for their team.

Yost Grube Hall Architecture seeks a Project Manager, Senior Marketing/BD Director, and two other candidate positions
Yost Grube Hall Architecture is a growing design firm seeking energetic, self-motivated, creative people looking to work in an open, team-based environment.

Waechter Architecture is seeking an Architect/Designer
Waechter Architecture is seeking a designer with 1-3 years of office experience who will work as part of a team, assisting project leads with all aspects of project work from design to construction administration. Each person i...

Itching to move west? Here are 10 west coast firms still looking for the perfect candidate

2018-12-12T15:20:00-05:00

With 2018 slowly coming to a close, firms are prepping for the new year. This week Archinect has picked west coast-based firms who are still searching for the perfect candidate to join their team. Ranging from four major cities along the west coast, check out firms hiring in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle.

Noa Design + Construction seeks an Architectural Designer in San Francisco
Candidate must have experience in high end residential projects. The designer position requires exemplary design skills and proficiency in detailing and in the technical fundamentals of architecture and interior design. The architectural designer will work under the direct supervision of a senior designer collaborating on all phases of design, production, and on-site administration. This position requires the ability to work within all phases of design and construction. As a major component our work focuses on integrating de...

Electric Lettuce redefines the retail marijuana experience with a polished 1960s vibe

2018-08-07T17:37:00-04:00

As legalized marijuana begins to sweep the U.S, the rapidly expanding cannabis industry has ushered in a new era of high-design shops trading out tie-dye and Grateful Dead tees for smoking devices that look straight out of an Apple store and products wrapped in designs by Pentagram.

Electric Lettuce, a recreational dispensary with multiple locations across Oregon, delivers this modern stoner culture in spades. Deeply rooted in the 1960s—with a waiting lounge decorated in vintage cannabis paraphernalia where customers can listen to records spinning Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix—the store evokes a classic counterculture feel with a polished touch.

Photo by Lincoln Barbour.

The team behind the store—JHL Design working alongside branding agency OMFG Co.—have worked together before to deliver another one of Portland's fancy weed stores, Serra. Serra is a sophisticated, minimalist shop that one would reasonably walk into thinking it was a jewelry store. Electric Lettuce, on the other hand...

Record setting 12-story timber tower slated for downtown Portland gets the axe

2018-07-17T19:52:00-04:00

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture decided to run a pilot program to support two tall wood demonstration projects in order to test the potential of the increasingly popular building material. The first was a 10-story residential tower in Chelsea designed by SHoP. The second, a 12-story high rise slated for downtown Portland's Pearl District that would've been the tallest building in the country to use cross-laminated timber.

The New York project was scrapped last year, made unfeasible by a cooled-off real estate market and regulations prohibiting wooden towers over six stories that would've required onerous finagling. The deal to build Oregon's record-setting wooden tower, though, was still moving forward.

Designed by the Portland-based firm LEVER Architecture, the project had received a promising amount of support and pledge of public dollars. Money from the USDA's Tall Wood Building award helped fund testing and research; the Portland Housing Bureau had promised $6 milli...

Finalists named for Portland's Broadway Corridor site

2018-03-15T18:22:00-04:00

Portland's urban renewal agency has named three finalists to shape the redevelopment of the soon-to-be-vacated downtown post office blocks. Not among them: a headline-grabbing but unlikely proposal for two massive skyscrapers, the taller of which would be nearly twice the height of any existing building in Portland.

Prosper Portland has selected 3 finalists for the 14 acre post office site located in the heart of the city: McWhinney, Related Cos., and Continuum Partners. It comes as no surprise that William Kaven's two tower proposal was not selected.

Broadway Corridor total development site of 32 acres in Portland. Image: Prosper Portland.

The redevelopment effort will include approximately 500 units of public housing developed by the Portland Housing Bureau and about 2,000 units of privately developed housing—of which 10 percent will include rent restrictions for low-income households.

The Colorado developer McWhinney has proposed a partnership with the James Beard Public Market, a food culture concept which would include 100 to 120 vendor stalls as well as full service restaurants. The New York developer Related Cos. has partnered with local real estate firm Melvin Mark Cos. and the homelessness nonprofit Central City Concern.

The iconic Portland Building's postmodern, multicolored facade is dismantled

2018-03-09T16:09:00-05:00

Designed by Michael Graves, the pioneering Portland Building is at once considered to be a postmodern icon as well as the "ugliest building in Oregon". A rectangular block of four, heavily ornamented, salmon and turquoise facades, the building can easily be likened to a small, fancy French cake. But, beyond the merits of its aesthetics, the 15-story office tower has also been criticized for its structural mishaps that include seismic deficiencies and water intrusions issues.

Concern over these flaws, as well as a healthy dose of po-mo hate, have led to long held discussions regarding its potential destruction. In 2015, the conversation was finally brought to head when the city decided to move forward with a major, $195 million reconstruction of the building.

Photo by Joakim Lord. Courtesy of Docomomo Oregon.

The rebuild, which was approved by the Landmarks Commission due to the building's historical significance, will mean updates to the building's operating systems and seismic retr...

William Kaven unveil full proposal for Portland's Broadway Corridor

2018-02-15T13:42:00-05:00

William Kaven Architecture have just released additional renderings of the firm's redevelopment proposal for Portland's Broadway Corridor, giving a more complete picture of their broader scheme.

In addition to the initial release of Portland's tallest towers last November, the firm has now fleshed out what the rest of the 5 million square foot development will entail.

Portland Broadway Corridor conceptual plan by William Kaven Architecture. Image: William Kaven Architecture.

Their concept of reconnecting Union Station to the Pearl District involves removing the Broadway ramp and creating a pedestrian-centric district organized around an extension of the North Park Blocks.

The firm also plans major shifts to public transportation, integrating a central hub for a high-speed rail and underground mass public transit next to Amtrack's Union Station.

Portland Broadway Corridor conceptual plan by William Kaven Architecture. Image: William Kaven Architecture.

This pedestrian friendly pla...