Portland Architecture

Architects, friends "All In" to fight cancer

A group of local architects and their friends - including Matt Loosemore of SUM Design Studio, Matt Janssen of Ankrom Moisan, Chris Maycut of V3 Studio and Jason Jones of Mahlum Architects - are holding an event this Saturday to raise money in the fight against cancer.

"All In 4 Cancer" is a one-day event, planned to be held annually, to generate funds for one patient's ongoing battle. The recipient this year will be Kris Shewczyk, a husband and father that has battled a malignant brain tumor since 2005. Previous years' All In 4 Cancer event proceeds have gone to Marc Maycut (Chris's brother), who is now cancer free after battling stage 5 colon cancer for five years.

The event, set for this Saturday starting at noon, will be held at the Olympic Mills Commerce Center (107 SE Washington Street). Acting as masters of ceremonies will be Isaac & Suke, who host sports radio station 1080's afternoon drive-time show. Later in the evening will be a succession of DJs and music. There will be a poker tournament and a silent auction as well as three prize giveways: trips to Hawaii, the Oregon coast, and a camping/fishing excursion in the Deschutes River.

Thanks to these architects and other good people involved in a very admirable community event. Personally, I've lost two relatives to cancer in the last few years, not to mention a friend or two, and I'm sure most people reading this can recall something similar. So let's all plan to make a contribution, even if your plans tomorrow take you somewhere else.

Habitat for Humanity takes the LEED with young designers' help

Although the open house to celebrate Habitat for Humanity’s first LEED-Platinum rated project was held a month ago, it’s not to late to applaud the Webster Street project.

Consisting of two duplexes (a 900 square foot two-bedroom and a 1200 square foot four-bedroom), the Webster projects are 40 percent more efficient than code requires. They are the first LEED-rated Habitat homes of any kind in Oregon, let alone Platinum-level, and two of only a handful nationwide.

The homes were built with a slough of volunteers and professionals lending their time, money and efforts: Walsh Construction, Cascadia Green Building Council, and Bank of America, among others.

But particular credit goes to the two young designers involved: Scott Mooney and David Posada.

Mooney works at THA Architecture and Posada at GBD Architects, but they became friends while attending the University of Oregon’s masters degree program for architecture (they graduated in 2005).

The homes grew out of a design competition for young architects sponsored by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council in 2007 to design a LEED-certified duplex on a lot owned by Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East.

“Over the course of the last 18 months, David and I have been volunteering our time on nights and weekends (independent, but with the full moral and resource support, of our respective firms) to adapt our concept into something more feasible and affordable that would allow Habitat to fully realize this unique project,” Mooney told me recently.

Habitat for Humanity already builds relatively efficient homes with Energy Star appliances and Earth Advantage sustainability methods. But the Webster Street projectm even with donated goods and services, was more expensive and required greater technical expertise and collaboration.

Stepping up, Bank of America gave $75,000 to help pay for materials, and their employees regularly volunteered to work on the construction. Just as importantly, Walsh Construction provided a pro-bono site supervisor (not usually a presence on simple Habitat homes) and recruited skilled construction-industry volunteers.

The Webster duplexes are built with metal roofs and structural insulated panels, which drastically reduce heat gain and loss through the building. Two cisterns capture rainwater for irrigation in the summer. Stone for the shared courtyard came from the driveway of the house that once stood on the site. The utility room houses a 50-gallon water heater that is so efficient it warms the house through a floor heating system while providing hot water for other uses. The homes have concrete floors with radiant heat. Countertops in the smaller home are Paperstone, richly colored and made of 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper in Hoquiam, Washington.

It’s enticing to think of a future in which Habitat for Humanity builds all of its homes to LEED specifications (certified or not) and involves real architects. Were we to pair great design and construction with the hugely beneficial efforts of Habitat, our community could help revolutionize what is already a very laudable nonprofit.

In the meantime, lets give our thanks and praise to the many professional and amateur volunteers making this project happen, but especially to Mooney and Posada for both a a transcendent design and effort.

Knight gives $100 million to OHSU

For all of those people complaining that Nike co-founder Phil Knight only gives money to Oregon Ducks athletics, check out the $100 million he's giving to Oregon Health and Science University, announced earlier this morning.

The donation, easily the largest in OHSU's history, will go specifically to their Cancer Institute. The center recently lost Lance Armstrong's cancer doc, Craig Nichols, to Providence Health System, but apparently Lance's athletic company of choice was not dissuaded to give a mighty bankroll to Pill Hill.

The first $2 million will go towards building a laboratory suite at the hospital, but the remaining $98 million Knight Fund will be "at the discretion of the director" of the Cancer Institute, Brian Drucker.

OHSU has already announced plans earlier this year to build a "Life Sciences Collaborative" set of buildings between the Ross Island and Marquam Bridges. Might a future cancer research center be built in this spot? Or somewhere else in South Waterfront?

With the condo boom suddenly over, and South Waterfront only partially built out, one can't help but wonder how this $98 million might help OHSU realize its ambitions along the Willamette.

Now if Knight would just stop ruining Oregon's football uniforms.

PSU's $25 million green grant

As numerous outlets have reported today, Portland State University will be given $25 million over the next decade (contingent upon the school generating matching grants) from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation of Portland. The grant is for additional investments in research and teaching about sustainable environmental practices. 

The $25 million grant is by far the largest in PSU's history; the largest previous amount was $8 million. By comparison, the 27,000 student university's entire operating budget last year, according to Bill Graves' Oregonian report, was $346 million.

Graves also was told by PSU provost Roy Koch that the money will be used to support studies and research on sustainable practices in transportation, business, architecture and other areas. 

Thinking about architecture in particular, what might this mean for Portland State? The school only recently attained an accreditation for master's degree programs. If the school is to be a leader in sustainability, as the grant intends, shouldn't they have an accredited undergraduate degree program in architecture? 

[Update 9/12: A commenter writes, "NAAB (the accredidation folks) have closed the door on any new undergraduate programs. so PSU and any other schol seeking accreditation for a new professional degree has no choice but to seek the graduate designation."]

Also, there are numerous colleges whose environmental studies departments and/or buildings comprise some ambitious architecture, perhaps most notably architect Will McDonough's Lewis Center at Oberlin College (pictured) and Mahlum Architects' Seminar II building at Evergreen State College. Might Portland State University eventually have a landmark center for environmental studies? If so, although I often argue for bringing in talented outside firms for big signature landmark projects, there are plenty of local firms that could compete well given their first rate green design credentials: SERA Architects, Opsis Architecture, and of course GBD Architects. But countless firms, from Zimmer Gunsul Frasca to BOORA to Thomas Hacker Architects, know how to make a LEED gold or platinum building these days as well. GBD has already done it for another school tied to PSU: Oregon Health & Science University.

What else might those in the design community like to see done with this $25 million to forward the cause of sustainability in Portland at at PSU in particular? Oh, and one other thought: Apparently this foundation has been in operation since 2002. Where have they been before this? And is the $25 million the end of their donations, or the beginning? James and Marion Miller have both passed away, but one wonders if their foundation might be interested in future benefaction -- like, for example, towards a contemporary art museum?

An Architects Without Borders Fundraiser and...Indian House Music?

As mentioned in previous posts, a team of Portland-area architects, designers, and engineers from Architects Without Borders-Oregon is providing pro bono design for a master plan of the Wollega Academy, a 40-acre site in Dongoro, Ethiopia, as well as design for several new school and housing buildings.

“Currently rural folks, kids and adults, work all day - back breaking work,” says AWB’s Abbey Dacey, “then come to this campus to study with sixty or seventy others, in a classroom big enough for thirty. It is hot, it is dark and it is ten o’clock in the evening, and they are here because education is everything and this is what is available. A lot of things are needed; Architects Without Borders can at least help out with a school.”

The Wollega Academy expansion in Ethiopia will make it one of the only schools in the region providing full educational curriculum for grades 9-12.  AWB-Oregon has joined with local contractor Mike Philips to begin work on a new campus, which features large, day lit, naturally ventilated classrooms, dormitories, and a new library. The new campus will give students of Wollega the opportunity to engage learning in a safe, comfortable setting, virtually unknown in Ethiopia.

The AWB-Oregon chapter is having a fundraiser this Thursday evening at Holocene (1001 SE Morrison St) at 8pm to raise money and drafting supplies (to be shipped to the school's technical drawing teacher) for AWB-Oregon's efforts. Entertainment will be provided by Adrian Orange’s blend of electronic, pop, folk and Brazilian jazz, as well as DJ Anjali’s mix of Indian and other south Asian house music, while a slideshow photos from the Dongoro site plays overhead.

Or, if you’re like me and not a frequent follower of Indian house music (I'm sure it's very nice), you can always just make a donation to AWB-Oregon. And of course if you’re an architect, how about a little design work to save the world?

Actually, now that I think about it, we've got an Ethiopia fundraiser, and a group of musicians: Hey, why not a rendition of "We Are The World" for old time's sake? Or at least "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Maybe if people don't start giving to AWB-OR within a prescribed amount of time, I can start hollering like Ray Charles: "Come on, now, let me hear ya!" Or grunt like Springsteen passing kidney stones: "There's a choice we're makin', and we're savin' our own lives." Indeed.

The Right Kind of Gentrification

Joseph Gallivan has an excellent feature in today's Portland Tribune about the Falcon Art Community that developer Brian Wannamaker has made out of a 1911 apartment building along North Albina Avenue.

When Wannamaker  bought the building 10 years ago, he had to hire "a live-in security guard to shoo out the hookers and the people who slept in the halls." Today, however, it's a hub of musicians and artists, but also includes many of the low-income residents who were there when Wannamaker originally purchased the building. He's allowed their rents to stay below market value.

Meanwhile, the developer has created a strong sense of community. One artist was hired to paint portraits of longtime residents, which hang in the hallway. Wannamaker also built 24 work-only studios in the basement for artists, musicians and writers. He's also in the process of putting in an in-house bar. Naturally, the residents seem to love it -- even guitarist Johnny Marr of legendary 80s Manchester band The Smiths (a personal fave), who stayed here last year while producing an album for local act Modest Mouse. Gavin Shettler, owner of the Portland Art Center, also lived at the Falcon until recently.

If Gallivan's article is accurate, this is a guy who has eschewed the notion of maximizing profits in order to build something more valuable: a place where neighbors old and new, black and white, young artists and elderly retirees, are co-habitating. This is a place people want to be, and in the end I'll bet that will be lucrative for Wannamaker. There aren't hard feelings about longtime residents and members of one Portland's traditionally African American neighborhoods being driven away. Isn't that worth more than a few hundred bucks more collected in rent?

Halfway There, Morningstar Church Still Living on a Prayer

As reported in today's Oregonian by Erin Hoover Barnett, Morningstar Missionary Baptist Church is still about $1.8 million short in its efforts to build a new church after fire destroyed their existing facility earlier this year. They'll need about $2.6 million to create a new facility, and insurance only kicked in about $500,000. It's up to us, as Portlanders, to help Morningstar make up the difference.

Besides the need for funds, one quote in Barnett's article piqued my interest. "They favor a contemporary design," Barnett wrote, "yet one that would honor the history of the Gothic and revivalist church, built in 1919."

For all I know, maybe Morningstar already has an architect in mind. Maybe several have already volunteered. But if not, wouldn't this be an ideal opportunity for a Portland architect or firm to offer its services pro bono? After all, ecclesiastic design used to be the ultimate commission for architects. You've got a client here that's open to contemporary design. Who's going to run with this?

As far as brick-and-mortar rebuilding issues, so far the plumbers and steamfitters Local Union 290 is helping the church; you can reach them at 503-691-1997 to help. Or for regular contributions, donate to the Morningstar Catastrophe Relief Fund at any Wells Fargo Bank branch at 503-284-0200. Beside the union (who deserve a round of applause), I'd also like to see some other member organizations get involved: how about the Associated General Contractors, the Portland Business Alliance, the American Institute of Architects?

I also wondered: what if the church were to partner with a small developer or other partner (like an architecture firm) to create more of a mixed-use project? You could have a church on the first couple floors, and then some small apartments or condos above. Ideally, the units could be low-income, but if money remained tight, the strategy could be to sell condos as part of a funding package for the church. In other words, the 'air rights' could help pay for the new building. Why not let the forces of gentrification and land appreciation work for the neighborhood and the congregation?

Lots of attention and help often come right after disasters, but it often dies down as the months go by. There is no longer the inherent spectacle and drama of the fire to capture our imagination anymore, just a bunch of churchgoers meeting in an Emmanuel Hospital conference room every Sunday. Portland may not be the richest city around, but there's plenty of money, labor and expertise available from developers, contractors, designers and other building industry professionals that could be helping Morningstar out. Let's make sure they have more than than just prayers to rely on; or, to put it another way, let's make sure those prayers come true.

I'm not a churchgoer myself, but I found these words from Morning Star pastor Albert Wayne Johnson powerful:

"To the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church family, inner-city Portland - especially the surrounding community of morning star Baptist church - words cannot express the pain of this moment for all of us. This catastrophe is larger, broader, than the current membership attending week after week. The community is suffering because a city, state and nationally registered, historic landmark has been destroyed. But, our HOPE is not destroyed. We stand in ruins - we shall recover. Our foundation has been shaken - our faith is solid. Psalm 11 says, 'If the foundations be destroyed, what shall the righteous do?' We shall heal our church, heal our community, and restore to this community a ministry that serves with open arms. Help us."

A 90-Minute Tour (or, Portland Architecture 101)

Next week I will be meeting with a group of summer-school students from Catlin Gabel school in Southwest Portland to tour downtown's significant architecture. The teacher, Peter Schulman, has asked that we survey some different historical periods to give them a sense of the city's design diversity. I obviously have some ideas of what to show them, but also wanted to open this up to suggestions.

Here's what is tentatively planned so far:

The group and I will be meeting at Pioneer Courthouse Square. I'll talk about the old Multnomah Hotel that used to be there, point out the recently remodeled Pioneer Courthouse, discuss the square itself and Will Martin's design for 'Portland's living room', and point out some of the turn-of-the-20th-Century terra cotta buildings by A.E. Doyle and others such as the Meier & Frank building and the Jackson Tower.

I also plan to show the group Pietro Belluschi's Equitable Building (now the Commonwealth) at Sixth and Stark, not only because it's Belluschi, but also because the Equitable was the world's so-called 'first modern office building' with a seamless facade of aluminum cladding and glass. Nearby the Equitable building is also Doyle's US National Bank and the Benson Hotel.

Speaking of Belluschi, I'd also plan to show the kids the Portland Art Museum and talk about Frank Lloyd Wright's letter of support on that project, and point out the new Mark Building with its combination of admirable historic preservation and mixed-bag renovation.

In downtown's Yamhill historic district near the river, there are probably some nice old buildings I could show, as well as in Old Town. Anybody recommend some specific ones?

The students will be coming from City Hall, so I don't need to show them that, but I think it's imperative to show them the Portland Building, not just in spite of its criticism but in part because of it. And since we'd be nearby, I'd also love to point out the Standard Plaza by SOM, which may be my favorite Portland building.

I'd also like to try and really point out MAX, even though it's not architecture. Rail transit is really our built icon as much as anything, right?

Some might find it funny if I don't show them any of downtown's tallest buildings, such as the Wells Fargo tower, the US Bancorp tower ('Big Pink'), or the KOIN tower. But Big Pink is the only one I like.

Time permitting, I could also show the group some Pearl District sights, such as the Wieden + Kennedy building, the Armory, Ecotrust and the Brewery Blocks.

Does anyone else have any additional suggestions?

PDX For Africa: Architects Without Borders Chapter Designing Ethiopian School

At 7PM on Monday night at AIA/Portland, the local chapter of Architects Without Borders will be presenting its design for a master plan and expansion of the Wollega Adventist Academy in Dongoro, Ethiopia.

Each architect, designer, and engineer is providing pro bono labor to design for a master plan of the school's 40-acre site, as well as design and documentation for several new school buildings. To be implemented in several phases, the expansion will include two new classroom buildings, two new lab buildings, a new library building, two new student dorm buildings, a dining facility, a new gymnasium, and an apartment building and single-family residences for faculty. Site infrastructure improvements are also included in the master plan.

Renovations of the existing buildings and construction of new facilities will be led by Mike Philips, a retired construction executive from Sladen Construction. Philips is coordinating American contractors to provide building expertise, supplies, and heavy machinery to local Ethiopian contractors and craftsmen, who will complete the work. Dongoro is a small rural community near the town of Gimbie that is approximately 285 miles west of the capital Addis Ababa. The Wollega Adventist Academy, originally built in the 1960s, is one of a handful of schools in region that supplements government-sponsored K-8 schools with secondary education. Administered by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the school currently provides education for grades 9, 10 and 11. With this expansion, the school will provide twelfth grade and college-level classes and grow from approximately 150 students to 300 students.

AWB Oregon chapter's first project was the design and construction of a grade school in Bata Atha, Sri Lanka. Subsequent pro bono initiatives include providing hurricane damage assessment training for volunteers traveling to Mississippi, performing damage assessments for homeowners in the Biloxi/Gulfport region affected by Hurricane Katrina, and submitting a Global Green Design Competition Entry. AWB-Oregon also collaborates with the University of Oregon and Portland State University architecture programs to encourage participation in humanitarian-based work through the academic design studio process and in the field, as well as with local and international non governmental organizations and related professional organizations. AWB-Oregon is led by a 5-person board of directors: Angelo Radich, President; Rod Merrick, Vice-President; John Blumthal, Secretary and Treasurer; Abby Dacey; and Shuki Einstein.

After the catastrophic weather events in Indonesia and the American Gulf Coast over the last couple of years, there’s been a lot of talk about architects doing more for under-privileged communities. Now, much of that initial fanfare to help out has died down. But here is our AWB chapter, going stronger than ever to devote design talent and sweat equity towards those who desperately need it. Bravo, people!