The ECC is an important public building that allows the City of Portland to provide a continuity of operation and management during the critical time of an emergency.

This state of the art 30,000sf LEED Gold facility is designed to meet Essential Facility standards and provides flexible office, training, and coordination space for a number of the City’s emergency management and security entities. It can also be used as a temporary location for the City Council. The nature of the building requires it to have a high level of self-sufficiency, allowing for immediate operation during emergency situations. MWA’s design team focused on strategies to enable the facility to operate in a ‘stand alone’ condition for instances when utilities, communication and other infrastructure may not be available. A high level of redundancy and on-site resources were integrated into the design to allow this to happen.

Most importantly, the ECC reflects the values and commitment of the City to its citizens. The ECC was carefully designed, with efforts to maximize passive and sustainable strategies for building operation while minimizing its impact on the surrounding neighborhood and local natural processes. Interior daylighting, efficient insulation design, and rainwater harvesting reduce both operating costs and the need to rely on off-site resources. Extensive native low-water landscaping and 100% on-site stormwater infiltration promotes efficient water management, reduces heat-island effect and presents a more refined appearance to both the neighbors and adjacent public park.