Beverly comes to Hollywood

photos by Brian Libby 

Portland’s Hollywood district is home to a new mixed-use project, The Beverly Condominiums, at NE 44th Avenue and Sandy Boulevard.

Slated for LEED Silver certification, the five-story building was developed by Gerding Edlen Development, now the largest sustainable building developer in the United States. This, along with another recently completed Gerding Edlen mixed-use project, The 20 on SE Hawthorne Boulevard, represents the developer moving to Portland’s east side. In the past, Gerding principally made its name with larger west side projects such as the Brewery Blocks in the Pearl District as well as Atwater Place, The John Ross, The Meriwether and (more recently) The Ardea in South Waterfront. 

Named after a former famous resident of the Hollywood district—children’s author Beverly Cleary—The Beverly was designed by GBD Architects, Gerding’s most frequent architectural collaborator. If you put together all five Brewery Blocks, The Casey, The Gerding Theater, the OHSU Center for Health and Healing and now The Beverly, The 20 and The Ardea, that’s an incredible number of major projects between this developer and architect in the last decade-plus, all of them fairly large in scale. (And that doesn’t include the work Gerding and GBD have done together in other cities like Los Angeles and Bellevue.) I can’t think of another developer-architect partnership in this city in the current era that has been more impactful. 

The brick and wood-clad Beverly is anchored by a Whole Foods Market and Chase Bank on the first floor, with two floors of parking above. The top two floors are devoted to 53 condominiums (all one or two bedrooms), which enjoy views of Mount Hood to the east and downtown Portland looking west.

 

 

The residential units share a handsome rooftop interior courtyard that feels quite different (more intimate) compared to the massiveness of the overall building. It’s a series of small forms stacked on top of the big, broad base and middle of the structure.

Inside the condos, living areas feature hardwood floors in natural red or saddle oak and wool carpet. Kitchens are built with maple or ash cabinetry with stainless steel hardware.

For optimal indoor air quality The Beverly was built with materials emitting low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or formaldehydes. The building team, led by general contractor R&H Construction, also recycled all construction waste. And The Beverly provides 100 percent storm water filtration.

When I first heard about this project, I was disheartened because constructing The Beverly meant the mid-century modern bank on this site, an elegant glass and concrete structure, had to be torn down. At the same time, there is reason to cheer this new building because of the density it adds to the Hollywood district given its relatively close-in location and its proximity to a MAX stop. The Beverly is part of Gerding Edlen's broader focus on what's commonly referred to in sustainability talk as "20-minute living," or the notion that most of the things we need (jobs, shops, services) can be found within a twenty-minute walk.

 

Viewing the block-sized building from Sandy Boulevard, I enjoyed the façade’s interplay of textures, particularly the natural wood cladding of the upper portions and how it contrasts with the brick below.

Standing on the street outside the building can look monolithic and imposing, particularly towards the back. However, because of the triangular building footprint created by Sandy Boulevard, The Beverly is at its most slender and visually appealing at the point from which it will most people will see it. What’s more, it is very difficult to make a parking garage look humane and vibrant. They’re a necessary aesthetic evil of having automobiles.

  

Naturally, were the parking garage underground and The Beverly instead a three story building with Whole Foods and Chase on the ground floor and the condos directly above, it could have made for a more attractive piece of architecture and a more pleasant experience for the casual passer by. The subterranean parking would also have added significant costs to the project, and the land cost east of the river must not have allowed it in the building’s budget. As a result, the residential units on top of the garage feel less connected to the street and the neighborhood. That makes the building feel less attractive ultimately than comparable projects like Museum Place downtown, which GBD also designed, or the Brewery Blocks that Gerding Edlen and GBD previously collaborated on (one of which has another Whole Foods).

 

To be honest, I'm not sure exactly how to judge a project like The Beverly. It earns very positive marks by a number of measuring sticks, from its sustainability to the attractiveness of its materials to the way it contributes to Hollywood’s future as a higher-density, transit oriented neighborhood. But it’s a bulky building with a parking garage enlarging what would otherwise have been a more intimately scaled mixed use building. And yet I'm also not sure if it's fair to critique a building's design based in part on what might have been in terms of program (with underground parking). In that way, perhaps this project is a reminder of both the opportunities and challenges, economically and in terms of design, along Portland’s continued path towards higher density. 

Comments

[Bob R.]

Yes, I miss the bank as well (and not just because I was a customer.)

Although the mid-century modern structure had, on paper, what we may consider flaws by current standards, such as setbacks from the street and a large surface parking lot, it also somehow fit well with the surroundings and stood prominently without shouting about its architecture.

Although it has now been replaced, rendering past ideas moot, for years I wished that the front planter setting had been converted to a fountain. I suspect that originally it was built as, or was intended to be, a fountain.

(I'm 40 now, but remember a number of modern fountains which are now lost to time and neglect, such as the may fountains that used to grade Lloyd Center when it was an outdoor mall.)

The interior of the old bank was subdued but impressive, including a large full-height fireplace, and wood trim.

Although the new building aspires to Green standards, I wonder how much of the old building was preserved as recycled materials? What of the woodwork, and the safety deposit boxes?

The new building is a tad late (weren't we promised a grocery store by October '09?), and is already less-than-Green for one of the tenants: The new Washington Mutual branch barely had dry paint before Chase took over the chain and _completely_ remodeled the interior. Although I don't miss the "pod people" layout of the old WaMu, the new Chase layout is boring, and banishes the drive-thru attendant and some other staff to a windowless enclosure.

I bring up the Chase/Wamu issue because "Green" shouldn't just be about building materials or energy consumption, it should also be about respect for what already exists and respect for the employees and customers who inhabit a space on a daily basis.

Time will tell just how green this new space genuinely is.

[Bob R.]

PS... The Hollywood district now has a "high-end" store (Whole Foods), a middle-to-high-end store (Trader Joes), and a low-end store (Grocery Outlet) all within walking distance of each other. What it's missing is a mainstream/mid-priced store -- the "Hollywood Fred Meyer" (not in its original location) is arguably not in the core of Hollywood and not within walking distance of much that is Hollywood.

(For those who don't know, the current Rite Aid is in what used to be the original Hollywood Fred Meyer location.)

[anon]

yuck. that courtyard is fug. to each their own, i suppose.

[billb]

I must disagree B ,I find the bldg to be nicely scaled , because of the parking levels. We dont need more 3 story buildings , think Paris. + I look forward to the day when the space is converted to cheap apartments for out-of-work Architects!

[Steve L.]

Since this development is named after Beverly Cleary, I would have hoped it would have more amenities for children, particularly natural play areas. I am not that familiar with the project, but from what I see here, the pavered and planterized courtyard doesn’t look very child friendly and lacks the native natural beauty that Ms. Clearly so missed when her family moved to Portland from rural Oregon. To me, the courtyard looks like a West Bank settlement.

In addition, I think Ms. Clearly would understand the importance of an elementary school to a walkable “20 minute neighborhood.” How far a walk is it from The Beverly to the nearest elementary school?

[s]

Steve,
Hollyrood-fernwood and Rose City Park (where Marysville was relocated) are both less than a mile away. The public library is also a couple block away.

[Steve L.]

You are right about Hollyrood-Fernwood, though the route is not safe for young children to walk.

As for Rose City Park, I think that is only for the Marysville folks. I think RCP School is closed to RCP neighbors or Hollywood unless they were going to Marysville.

[Mudd]

Sorry, but I don't miss the old bank at all. It was very awkward and out of place. I guess some think that is the hallmark of good mid-century modern design but it is not.

I don't think that photos do the courtyard justice on this building. It is actually quite wonderful up there when experienced in person. Nice and quiet, even with the active city below.

My only dig on the building is that I would have made a much bigger gesture on the corner where the WF entry is. That is such an important view of the building but the design is much too understated for my taste. But then again, everyone's a critic. Very nice addition to my neighborhood.

[Mudd]

I don't like what I wrote about the bank. Let me re-phrase...

Just like many buildings that are designed today, not all mid-century modern buildings were designed well. The bank was not a GOOD example of the movement. It sat very awkward in its site and presented terribly to the pedestrian. Some of the overall massing of the building was okay but overall, it just wasn't a good enough example of mid-century modern architecture to fret over in the context of historic preservation.

[ka]

I agree Mudd - we are all such romantics when it comes to taking down a building. It was a greek temple sitting in a parking lot, and a bad temple at that. I remember the building style appearing confused - it was classic in proportion and scale, and modern as an object? It had an almost transitional post-modernist feel to it. We need better buildings and greater density. I also agree, I think the pictures in general don't really capture the building well - not bad photos, just they look like they were taken to describe anything - more vignettes, and some maybe taken on the go. Certainly not a great design, but better photographs might help describe the layers and textures a little better to the unfamiliar readers.

[Mo]

GBD needs an editor.

Sorry, but a huge missed opportunity.

[george]

my daughter loves hardscaping and planters just about as much as she loves turf grass. not sure why anyone would assume that something hard is child unfriendly.

looks like a great area to run around and play in. couple circuits there for big wheel chases. good area for tag. sidewalk chalk. etc.

its more a matter of how much child fun the condo residents will tolerate.

[eenie]

It seems to me that all other questions about the relative "kid friendliness" of the development are rendered moot by the fact that the condos are all 1- and 2-bedroom; pretty unlikely that there are going to be too many families living there. Ironic, for a building named after Beverly Cleary.

[JB]

Why does Portland have small sidewalks for pedestrians? I've notice while visiting the city and various neighborhoods that the buildings seem to be built very close to the curb and offering small space for people to walk. Also, why does the city have few plazas?

The city seems approachable. However, the architecture seems similar and dull. Why do all the building looks so much alike?