Our new studio is located in the former Oregonian Building, an architectural landmark design by Pietro Belluschi built in 1948. Closing an era at our former Pioneer Square office of 28 years, we renovated and revived our new 17,054 sf space, still situated in downtown Portland, as an environment of discovery and innovation that would reflect and inspire our design process. We retained the original beams of The Oregonian’s printing press and the east-facing windows that once highlighted the paper-making process in homage to the publication and its integral part in shaping the face of Portland. As architects we are honored to carry on the tradition of respecting and transforming our community and the built environment from such s significant historical space.
The studio is filled with a range of spaces to encourage gathering, spontaneous conversations, curiosity and knowledge. An open materials library in the mezzanine is easily viewable and accessible to all. A central kitchen area, the heart of our studio, fosters camaraderie and doubles as a meeting space. Open project pods, where teams display current work, are active meeting and learning areas inspiring ideas and dialogue. Finally, a dedicated maker space encourages design exploration and creativity.
Targeting LEED Platinum, our new office is flooded with natural light and boasts demonstrated energy savings of over 30% compared to a code building. LED lighting leads the way at 50% less connected load than a typical building. Daylight sensors, programmable timeclocks and dimmable settings reduce energy use from lighting even further, while adjustable shades manage direct sunlight.
Based on the belief that “buildings are habitats for people,” our spaces intentionally connect to nature. Lush trees outside the 24-foot-high windows complement ample foliage throughout the interiors; large-scale ceiling fans mimic natural breezes for thermal and airflow variability; and the row of east-facing windows provides dynamic and diffuse light that shifts throughout the day. In materials, raw, naturally textured concrete merges with cross-laminated timber (CLT) at the mezzanine, pods, kitchen and entry.
Completed in 2017, the creation of our new studio allowed us to thoughtfully evaluate how design can permeate all seams of our practice. Our workplace now exemplifies our values of openness, collaboration, and the way an environment can foster innovation and inspire excellence. As architects who hold fast to a passion to build better spaces for a better world, coming into this studio every day has truly transformed our culture of design.
