Portland Architecture

The Architect's Questionnaire: Brian Melton

Brian Melton (Erica Melton)

BY JENNIFER WRIGHT

Brian Melton, a lead designer at DiLoreto Architecture, has passion for detail and craftsmanship, as seen in projects like modern renovations to his his circa-1913 worker cottage and a recently constructed backyard structure housing a woodworking/music studio. Both spaces serve as hosts to ongoing creative experiments that continually hone Melton's construction mastery. The intentional experiment of living large in a 700-square-foot home has enabled the designer to utilize deliberate space saving measures in elegant ways, even as his family has grown. These are lessons that will be expanded upon as he begins to develop 10 acres recently acquired outside of Pacific City: a decidedly personal project which ultimately reconnects him to his formative years growing up on the central coast of California.

Portland Architecture: When did you first become interested in architecture as a possible career?

Brian Melton: That is a great question. I actually always wanted to be a musician. I started playing rock/punk music at an early age. Most of my friends were/are musicians. I surrounded myself with musicians. I married a musician. I was living in the Bay Area, immersing myself in the music scene there, constantly playing music with my friends. And my best friend at the time simply said to me, 'You make furniture, build and draw way better than you play music.' That was in 1998 and I was 23 years old. Two years later I was at Cal Poly starting my academic career, and I thank my friend almost daily for being so blunt.

Where did you study architecture and how would you rate the experience?

I studied at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo from 2000-2005. In 2004, I was fortunate to spend a year abroad living, studying, and working in Italy, which was a thoroughly rich experience. Cal Poly is a fantastic school. I truly didn’t appreciate the education I received there until I started working as an architect here in Portland and meeting peers who graduated from other programs. Cal Poly gives you a holistic educational experience that spans the spectrum between quality design and the practical constraints architects have to deal with every day.

Poly Canyon entry facade (Brian Melton)

Furthermore, Cal Poly has an amazing resource called Poly Canyon: a fifteen-acre parcel behind the campus that backs up to the coast range in California, comprised of riparian corridors folded into rolling hills of grass and peppered with live oak trees. On these 15 acres you find a landscape of student-designed and built architectural, structural, and landscape architectural projects, ranging from a straw bale arch to the first weathered-steel house in the US, which is still being used as student housing. For my senior project, I designed and built a meditative space in Poly Canyon. Even though this resource has been available to the students for decades, I was astonished to find out I was the first person to build in the canyon in over twelve years. Incidentally, 12 years prior, computers were introduced to the school, a very interesting correlation. Historically, projects in Poly Canyon focused on innovative structural follies; mine was the first project to focus on architectural concepts rooted in spatial experimentation and perception.

 

What is your favorite building project that you’ve worked on?

What a tough question. It all depends on the criteria, I suppose. I truly invest my life and soul into every project and emotionally get tied to each for different reasons. Architecture is a strange profession. You can work on a project for years, invest your life and emotions in each project, and in the end, what do you have? A picture. Every project I work on is mine until the inevitable day when I hand over the key, then it is the clients', and when I visit my completed works it is like running into an old girlfriend on the street: an intense familiarity coupled with the sadness of loss. In the end, though, seeing the people inhabit the spaces I have created is truly a joyful experience.

But my favorite project? Well, there are a few candidates, starting with St. Edward Catholic Church. It isn’t very often that one gets to work on a spiritual space that will help connect thousands of people to the divine over the lifetime of the church. It also isn't often once can influence the city fabric and character designing the first vertical industrial building built in Portland in over 65 years, with a project called The New York. Or I might choose Nordia House, a refined architectural project both spatially and in the details. But in the end, I would have to say my favorite is my own house and property; a continually evolving architectural experiment that I get to live in (the girlfriend who didn’t get away!). Treated much like a boat, every inch of the place is thoughtfully carved to enrich the daily use; every piece of furniture (made by me) is an extension of the spaces; every detail (whether good or bad) I get to live with.

Melton Studio (Brian Melton)

Who has been an important mentor among your colleagues?

Chris DiLoreto. I came into architecture with a good sense of design, but had no idea how to operate as an architect. Chris has taught me the subtleties of architecture: how to steer clients in the right direction, how to navigate the landscape of bureaucratic quagmires, how to identify which battles to take on and which ones to let go. He truly has a passion for architecture. I can’t even begin to quantify the amount of hours we have spent talking about architecture, details, projects. Additionally, he trusts all of us in the office and gives us the freedom to run our own projects. He is there in any capacity we need for any given project. I suppose that is why I (we) have been working with him for over a decade now.

What part of the job do you like best, and as an architect what do you think you most excel at?

Details! I live for them. As I said in another interview, “I eat details for breakfast.” I have an intuitive and practical understanding of the qualities of materials and how they come together. I suppose it comes a bit from my upbringing. I grew up in the country. My father was/is a farm mechanic and ran a shop on the upper part of our property. He had a full mechanic shop, a machine shop, a welding shop and everything in between. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, so we had to build/fix everything ourselves. If we wanted to add onto our house, we did it; if we didn’t have the right tool for the job, we made it. Which reminds me of a story: I was 12 years old and Roy Obayashi (a local strawberry farmer) pulled into the property with a Pinto and forklift. The Pinto ran, but the forklift didn’t. I was working for my father at the time, and after Roy left, my father turned to me and said, 'Make the forklift run, then walked away. I had to figure out how to put a Pinto motor in a forklift and tie it into the forklift transmission. After two months, I finished the project. What a valuable experience of troubleshooting, detailing and execution!

St. Edward Catholic Church (DiLoreto Architecture)

Architecture is a series of details and a union of materials connected together to make space. Each detail should reflect the whole of the project, resonating the emotion of the space. Done right, details can provide those intimate moments when people interact with architecture, bolstering the intended spatial emotions. Details are the subtle memories of our life, like the polished bronze door handle which immediately says to the user, 'This is where you put your hand, this is where they put their hands.'

What are some Portland buildings (either new or historic) that you most admire?

At the top of the list: Memorial Coliseum. Architecturally it's an amazing project. The entire roof is supported with only four columns! Even more important is the social aspect of the building: a modernist dream of equality: the general seating bringing everyone together from all walks of life in one space. The curtain surrounding the bowl that can lift up and visually connect the users to city they are from, the very reason why the Coliseum exists. Compare it to the Moda Center: once inside, you have very little connection to the place you’re from. There is a clear hierarchy of users in the seating arrangement, literally stratifying the classes of our city.

I also love Belluschi's Central Lutheran Church. What a great object in the city fabric and an outstanding plan. The proportions are perfect.

Another project is The Belmont Street Lofts by Holst Architecture, which was one of my favorite buildings when I first moved here and still is. It is aging magnificently. I love the detailing and proportions.

What is your favorite building outside of Portland and besides any you’ve worked on?

That is easy: the Pantheon in Rome. It's an absolutely pure space in its intent and execution: a truly distilled project that is aging like no other.

Top: The Pantheon (Wikimedia Commons); bottom: Memorial Coliseum (Brian Libby)

 

Is there a local architect or firm you think is unheralded or deserves more credit?

Nat Slayton. He is a masterful designer and his houses are inspiring! He understands how to build, materials, details. He builds architecture first through a deep understanding of the importance of the plan. Additionally, he appreciates the significance of proportion, which I feel most architects today ignore. As a designer of space (which is the most important part of architecture vs. mere looks) he is a master: connecting the plan with details, section and environment, emotion and space.

What would you like to see change about Portland’s built environment in the long term?

Less buildings that are dated and that look like Sketchup models. More thoughtful designs responding to the place where we live. It rains here - a lot. I can’t tell you how many projects out there are approximations of good design. The designers do some zoomy moves to make a project look “modern” yet they miss the mark spatially and functionally.

Secondly there seems to be a lack of forethought about the future. Most of the projects I see going up today look their best the day they are completed and age in a bad way. I strive to have my projects age gracefully. How will they be as a ruin?  

Nordia House (DiLoreto Architecture)

How would you rate the performance of local government like the Portland Development Commission, or the development and planning bureaus?

All in all, not bad. PDC in general is doing a good job. One can’t hit the mark every time. For example, helping to loosen the zoning codes to allow for more mixed-use projects, especially in industrial areas of Portland: let people live there if they want. I understand it is a delicate balance, but we should allow for some flexibility without having to go through overwhelming bureaucratic procedures to get a non-conforming use through the City of Portland.The development and planning bureaus seem to be overwhelmed. It is taking months to get a project reviewed. They need to staff up to serve the community in a timelier manner.

Who is a famous architect you’d like to see design a building in Portland?

Tadao Ando. I think Portland needs an example of a thoughtfully restrained yet powerful project.

Name something besides architecture (sneakers, furniture, umbrellas) you love the design of.

Converse Chuck Taylors - my complicated socks!

What are three of your all-time favorite movies?

I love Raising Arizona, Twelve Angry Men (the original with Henry Fonda), and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

 

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Design Calendar: May 16-31

Jackson Tower (Brian Libby)

BY BRIAN LIBBY

Master of Architecture Thesis Presentations
Master of Architecture candidates from Portland State University's School of Architecture, representing courses (taught by Renee Y. Chow, Robert Kirkbride, Seth McDowell and Whitney Moon) present their final theses, the culmination of this professional graduate degree program, with design proposals addressing social, historical and environmental issues. Shattuck Hall, SW Broadway & Hall Streets. 9AM-5PM Monday-Wednesday, May 16-18. Free (RSVP required).

Classical Downtown Portland Tour
Downtown Portland contains an extensive collection of classically influenced buildings, many of which are clad with glazed terra cotta, a building material that was at its height of popularity in the early 20th century. On this Architectural Heritage Center tour, attendees will see the city’s first “skyscraper”, a bank that could have been a Greek temple, and learn about several architects from this period who left an indelible impression on Portland including A.E. Doyle, the firm of Whidden and Lewis, and the Reid Brothers from San Francisco. Tour begins on SW Broadway at Pioneer Courthouse Square - above the fountain. 6PM Wednesday, May 18. $20 ($12 for AHC members).

Modernism And Beyond: The Architecture Of Downtown (South)
Downtown Portland contains an abundance of post-World War II architecture by Pietro Belluschi, Michael Graves, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. This Architectural Heritage Center tour explores the southern portion of the central business district. You’ll learn about the controversial as well as the award winners, the architects and firms that designed them, and the issues of the times that led to such dramatic changes to our built environment and skyline. Tour begins at Salmon Springs Fountain - SW Naito and Salmon St - in the park. 6PM Thursday, May 19. $20 ($12 for AHC members).

East Portland/Grand Avenue Historic District
Along Grand Avenue, once the main commercial spine in the original and separate city of East Portland, lies an amazing mix of architecture from Italianate to Art Deco. Among the many buildings, including a few hidden gems, this Architectural Heritage Center walking tour will revealthe well-known Barber Block, a one-time mortuary, and West’s Block, the oldest building on Grand Avenue and home of the AHC itself. Tour begins at Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Avenue. 10AM Saturday, May 21. $20 ($12 for AHC members).

A Spring Sunday Morning at The Shire
Acclaimed Portland architect and preservationist John Yeon sometimes described The Shire as "my Chinese landscape." There's nothing like a spring morning when the clouds are floating past Multnomah Falls to understand why. Walk the paths Yeon groomed with captured views of the falls and learn about his and his family's century-long legacy protecting the Columbia Gorge. State Route 14 near Washougal, Washington. 10AM Sunday, May 22. $30 (free to students and John Yeon Center members).

Denis Hayes and the Emerald Corridor Initiative
In 2013, Seattle’s Bullitt Foundation opened a new headquarters billed as the most energy-efficient commercial building in the world given its status as the first commercial building in the United States to meet Living Building Challenge standards. Two years later, the $32-million, 50,000-square-foot building proved itself, generating 60 percent more power than it consumed. Denis Hayes, the foundation’s president and the founder of Earth Day, hopes to kickstart a transformation of the entire Cascadia region into an equally deep-green model of sustainability. In January, Hayes announced that the $110-million foundation will direct all of its resources toward the Emerald Corridor Initiative, which Hayes describes as an effort to “make Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver leapfrog cities in much the same sense that the Bullitt Center is a leapfrog building—raising the bar for the planet by demonstrating what is possible.” Hayes will share his vision for the initiative as part of the Bright Lights discussion series hosted by Randy Gragg. Jimmy Mak's, 221 NW 10th Avenue. 6PM Monday, May 23. $10 suggested (free to students).

New Construction Technology and the Indian Housing Crisis
India is in the midst of a housing crisis, with a shortage of 49 million units according to one study. At this month's Architects Without Borders meeting, engineer Chad Norvell will speak about his experience working in India for WorldHaus, a social enterprise that uses new technology to build innovative, low-cost housing. He'll discuss projects completed in both dense slums and remote villages using a combination of local materials and pre-fabricated structures to reduce construction costs. He'll also touch on what distinguishes a social enterprise like WorldHaus from more familiar organizational and corporate structures. AIA Center for Architecture, 403 NW 11th Avenue. 6PM Wednesday, May 25. Free.

Pioneers To Postmodern Downtown
This Architectural Heritage Center tour spans the entire range of Portland's architectural history. Attendees will learn about the first wooden structures near the river as well as the elaborate cast iron, stone and terra cotta decorated buildings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From there one will be transported into the modern age and the sleek designs of Pietro Belluschi and the Post Modernism of Michael Graves. Tour begins at SW corner of SW Pine Street and Naito Parkway. 6PM Wednesday, May 25. $20 ($12 for AHC members).

Piedmont And Walnut Park Neighborhood
In addition to the well-known neighborhoods of Irvington, Ladd's Addition and Laurelhurst, Portland is also home to the lesser known but architecturally rich neighborhoods of Piedmont and Walnut Park. These areas contain many fine examples of familiar styles such as Queen Anne and Arts & Crafts but also the less frequently seen forms of Byzantine, Jacobean and Prairie style. Along the way during this Architectural Heritage Center tour, attendees will see the work of architects like Joseph Jacobberger, whose North Portland Branch Library has stood as a neighborhood landmark for more than a century. Tour begins outside the North Portland Library, 512 North Killingsworth Street. 6PM Thursday, May 26. $20 ($12 for AHC members).

Last Sundays at the Watzek House
The University of Oregon's John Yeon Center for Architecture and the Landscape hosts an open house Portland's only National Historic Landmark residence, the Aubrey Watzek House. Completed in 1937, the Watzek House's bold yet timeless synthesis of many traditions of residential architecture into a refined new language became an important inspiration for the Northwest Style of Modernism. Published widely and exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art next to such icons as Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye and Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, the house has influenced generations of architects. 1061 SW Skyline Boulevard. 1 and 2:30PM Sunday, May 29. $20-30 (free for Yeon Center members and students).

 

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A conversation with Ted Wheeler

Ted Wheeler (Friends of Ted Wheeler)

BY BRIAN LIBBY

This is the third installment in our series of conversations with City Council candidates, following interviews with Jules Bailey and Stuart Emmons.

Wheeler was born in Portland and comes from a family that made its fortune in the lumber business: the Tillamook County town of Wheeler is named for his great-grandfather, who started a lumber mill there that later became part of Willamette Industries. His education is impressive: a bachelor's degree in economics from Stanford University, an MBA from Columbia University, and master's in public policy from Harvard University. (While at Harvard, he wrote a book on government innovation.) Initially working for financial services companies like Bank of America and Copper Mountain Trust as well as his own investment company, he entered politics in 2006 by defeating incumbent Diane Linn to become Multnomah County Chair. When state treasurer Ben Westlund passed away in office in 2010, Wheeler was appointed to fill the vacancy, then was re-elected later that year and in 2012. In both his county and state rolls, Wheeler has been credited with improving dire financial situations, be it Multnomah County's budget shortfall. In his spare time, Wheeler is an avid outdoorsman, having climbed Mt. Everest, snowshoed to the North Pole and finished two triathlons.

The following questions were answered by a combination of email and phone.

Portland Architecture: What is an individual building or open space in Portland that you have found personally meaningful, or a source of civic pride, or have really enjoyed spending time at over the years?

Ted Wheeler: the Portland Transit Mall – I really appreciate that this space combines design elements and functionality for the community. It is friendly to pedestrians and has a variety of transit options. It is also welcoming to businesses and provides a variety of services and amenities in the area.

Portland is seeing a wave of older homes being demolished, but much of what is replacing these houses seems to be one-for-one and geared to the affluent, not adding density or affordability. How can we change that?

I’ve identified this very issue as a way we can do better in adding appropriate infill density to our neighborhoods while increasing the city’s affordable housing stock. As we add an estimated 20,000 people a year to Portland, and with the commitment we made to the Urban Growth Boundary, we need to be more flexible with zoning to allow duplexes, triplexes, garden apartments and accessory dwelling units. I think we can make these zoning changes while at the same time working to ensure new construction fits with the design and architecture of the existing neighborhood.

The county and the city have the same goals when it comes to getting more permanent affordable housing into the community, and should be working hand in glove — not at cross purposes. Yet the county tax assessor reevaluates the value of a home once an ADU is added, which can significantly increase property taxes. That dissuades homeowners from making improvements that would increase neighborhood density. We should do more to better align our goals and our incentives to accomplish them.

Although many if not most local leaders seem to support an urban growth boundary to protect farmland and prevent excessive sprawl, rapid rises in median rents, home values and the cost of living have caused some to question these values. Can Portland keep growing more dense without pricing out our less affluent citizens?

Our commitment to the Urban Growth Boundary means we’ve also committed to increasing density in the urban core, along transit corridors, as well as in neighborhoods. In areas where we already have density — like downtown, in town centers, and along transit corridors — we should build big, build tall, and build dense. Our housing affordability crisis comes down to supply and demand, and springs from the fact that we have a housing shortage in the range of 20,000-30,000 units (according to state economists, that’s how many units we underbuilt by as a region between 2006 and 2015).

Growing denser does not mean we need to price out our less affluent citizens. As I mentioned above, the county and the city need to coordinate better to not only allow, but incentivize affordable infill density like ADUs, garden apartments, duplexes, and triplexes. Further, as mayor I will streamline the permitting and application process and fast-track affordable housing projects to get more affordable housing online faster. I will also look at changes to the city’s costly and onerous design review process in order to streamline affordable housing projects.

Oregon used to be defined by resource-based industries like timber and agriculture, but increasingly Portland in particular has become a hive for creative industries from architecture to athletic apparel to apps. Do you subscribe to Richard Florida's notion of a creative class as crucial to a city's prosperity?

Portland is on fire economically. People want to move here, live here, and raise their families here. These are our designers, educators, artists, musicians and entertainers. Portland has always been a creative city, and has built its reputation on its strong creative class. For decades, Portland has been a destination for artists and creatives. Portland creatives are now applying their talents to technology, design, clean tech R&D, manufacturing, and research. These are jobs that have little to no carbon footprint. Creative work is one area where sustainable job growth in our city is taking place.

Portland recently committed nearly $200 million to renovate the Portland Building and about $80 million to redevelop the US Postal Service site along NW Broadway. Do you support these moves?

I have expressed concerns about the Portland Building. The $200 million price tag is significant, and I am not satisfied that we have fully vetted lower cost alternatives. I am also concerned about the lack of opportunities for women and minority contractors on the project. The post office site offers many opportunities, in terms of density, affordability and the economy. It’s a major piece of land in the heart of the city. We have to get this right. While I am excited for the possibilities, I do have some questions. For example, the city paid $37 million for a piece of property assessed at around $12 million. How did that happen?

Last year reports of a major earthquake ravaging the Pacific Northwest sometime in the next 50 years caused a major uproar. But is the city doing enough to prepare?

There are two key ways we can prepare for a large-scale disaster in Portland, specifically a major seismic event. The first is to support the Bureau of Emergency Management's work in this area. Preventing the loss of life and tending to our basic needs in the aftermath of a major earthquake will prove challenging given the potential destruction of key infrastructure. BEM has worked to recruit and train Neighborhood Emergency Teams made up of every day citizens to respond to emergency needs in their own neighborhoods. BEM has also established a set of sites around the city for Portlanders to go if they need emergency assistance. The second way the mayor can prepare the city for an earthquake is to educate the citizenry on the city's emergency preparedness plans, and more importantly, to inform every household of the things they will need to have on hand in the case of a major quake. The best way any of us can prepare for an earthquake is to have supplies and have a plan.

Should we be spending our transportation dollars on light rail and streetcar lines, or on paving roads and adding sidewalks? Or is this a false choice?

We need to prioritize both.

Many mayors have made changes to city bureaus like planning: Vera Katz split planning from development services, for example, and Sam Adams merged planning and sustainability. Are we set up to be successful in our current structure? And what do you think of the current structure in which a mayor assigns oversight of city bureaus to different members of City Council: Might there be a better way to prevent siloed thinking and encourage collaboration?

The bigger problem isn’t whether you create a bureau of environmental services or a bureau of planning. The problem is the overall structure of the government as it currently exists: we’re the only large city left in the USA that has this commission form. I think Galveston, Texas has a similar form of government but they’re about one-fifth our size. BPS and BES and Housing and Transportation: an urban planner would make a strong case that those functions need to communicate and collaborate well as part of a systematic approach to planning and design. But trying to force that into the commission form means they could be siloed from a budgetary or a system or a human resources capacity. Part of the conversations I’ve had at this point, I’ve spoken to some of the bureau heads and leaders. I do not see anything that suggests I need to do a lock stock and barrel overhaul of those bureaus, but we need to group those bureaus thoughtfully amongst commissioners who understand they can’t be stand alone functions. It’s getting back to the big picture of the commission form: think of a diff scenario. We’ve all been scared since that Pulitzer Prize-winning New Yorker article by the threat of a really big earthquake. You’ve got police, fire, the OEM: they don't necessarily need to be under separate commissioners. The budget and communication isn’t balanced. What good is it to increase police on the street if the 911 dispatch doesn’t have funding? That’s a scenario we currently have. I want to make sure we have the community, the collaboration, the budget, the human resources and technology that will allow us to do the kind of planning we need to do.

Let me take a deeper dive. This form of government was created, I believe, in 1914. Many other cities across the United States had it but concluded it was not an effective form of government. The city was much much smaller then. I don’t think it extended past about 42nd. A smaller group of elites ran the city, predominantly white men. In my mind we’ve outgrown whit structure of government. You may the smartest guy in the city, but on Day One you’re handed keys to bureaus with huge budgets, thousands of employees, labor unions, limited resources, and told, 'Here you go, Cowboy.' And you’re in charge. There’s an expertise question. There’s communication and collaboration issue, and the silos. And I think there’s a social justice component in that communities of color, lower income communities, and the geography east of 82nd seems to not be very well represented by this form of government. Everyone has to run citywide. You can be a passionate advocate for a particular community and represent a rapidly growing segment of the population. But running citywide you may not get elected. In an increasingly diverse community I don’t think this form of government leverages that in a way a more modern structure of government might.

It’s got to come from the public. I’m not running on a reform platform. Last time it was done it was seen as a power grab from the mayor. But I do think there are pitfalls of this form of government. But that means the public needs to assure city council they want a charter review.

Some have argued that local elected officials risk being over-influenced by developers and other local moneyed interests. How might you assure less connected citizens that they have a voice?

Back in September, I took the Working for the People of Portland pledge, which means that no one who has worked on my campaign or consulted me can lobby me once I’m elected Mayor. I agree that we need to increase transparency and accountability in government to earn the trust of Portlanders.

Can you name any local architects or firms working today whom you admire? Or any recent projects?

The buildings that best epitomize successful integration with our design and transportation goals are emerging in the Lloyd District. These are apartments intended for urban, transit-oriented citizens. They take advantage of existing and planned transportation corridors. They are not intended to be particularly car-friendly. If we can encourage density in areas where it makes sense, I believe we can alleviate some of the pressure placed on established neighborhoods.

I’m also a big fan of Bjarke Ingels’ work.

 

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The Architect's Questionnaire: Randy Higgins

Randy Higgins (The Felt Hat)

BY BRIAN LIBBY

The latest entry in our ongoing series on local architects and designers and their inspirations takes us to Randy Higgins, currently a senior designer with The Felt Hat, which provides brand stewardship, marketing strategy and communication in all media for clients in a broad range of industries. As he'll discuss in the questionnaire, Higgins studied architecture at the University of Washington and played a key early role at Holst Architecture before later moving on to run his own firm, with projects like The Lumber Room, Elizabeth Leach Gallery and Mario's. But my favorite Higgins project may be the unique exterior paint job he created a decade ago for the Pacific Northwest College of Art's now-demolished Feldman Building; it translated an Arthur Rimbaud poem into a visual language of squares and rectangles. Most of all, beyond his portfolio of completed projects I appreciate his deep intellect and knowledge of design, from its conceptual underpinnings dating back to Vitruvius to the principles behind what it takes to make a successful retail design today.

Portland Architecture: When did you first become interested in architecture as a possible career?

Randy Higgins: When I was a kid, I dreamt of a house composed of interlocking interior and exterior rooms. I found it fascinating; so much so, I’d constantly imagine it, draw it and try to build it. Over time, new obsessions like National Geographic, M. C. Escher and Star Wars influenced how I imagined the house. Eventually the house became a complex world unto itself.

Registering for the draft inspired me to pursue architecture. My childhood was complicated; it left me knowing every decision has infinite consequences. Registration meant giving the government permission to send me to war. I didn’t want to live in a world where survival meant kill or be killed. My only hope was to make a better world. Since I spent half my life imagining worlds, I decided to spend the rest making real ones.

I thought architects made worlds. I was wrong; they make buildings. I stayed with architecture because it taught me how to make big complicated things. Only when I took literally the statement our world is made by design, did I understand it’s designers who make worlds. It was a case of learning the obvious last and when I did I left architecture for design. Now I design houses, interiors and small buildings for people who, like me, want a better world.

Where did you study architecture and how would you rate the experience?

I was the first in my family to consider college so I didn’t know what to expect. I knew about the Bauhaus, appreciated its holistic approach and assumed the University of Washington architecture school was the same. Feeling excited, unworthy and unprepared, I devised a two-part plan.

First, I began weekly used bookstore visits and began building a library of relevant books. Second, I enrolled in Seattle Central Community College. I didn’t care about the degree; I cared about creating the cross-disciplinary curriculum necessary for world making. Only when I felt ready did I allow myself to graduate and enroll in the UW.

The UW wasn’t the Bauhaus. They aspired to be holistic but were far from it. The discrepancy was confusing. I didn’t understand why, out of the entire range of world making conditions, the UW was satisfied with only responding to a small amount. My professors tried to help by telling me it would get better in graduate school. I didn’t believe them, because I saw the discrepancy increased as graduate students advanced in their specialized studies. Fortunately my continued bookstore visits help nourish the anemic content.

Setting my sights on graduate school, I deemed SCI-Arc the only school worth attending. Assuming attendance, I began work on my thesis and hit used bookstores for my primary source material. My thesis would attempt to resolve this discrepancy and in doing so make architecture into the world-building discipline I needed it to be.

I was accepted to SCI-Arc but never went. John Holmes offered me a job down in Portland at Holst Architecture, which was then just a two-person firm with Jeff Stuhr. John asked, 'Why don’t you come down and spend the summer and then go to Sci-Arc?' Then by the end of the summer he'd asked me to stay. I was their first full-time employee. I began applying my pre-thesis research to my design projects and that helped us win the Pacific Northwest College of Art competition. Holst was determined I stay. I accepted their offer of money, partnership and project leadership.

I never had the formal education I hoped for. Instead, it was my preparation habit, one that I still do every day, that taught me everything I know. This habit is why I’m the guy who declined architectural college in order to design an art college. And who later would spend years teaching architecture to PSU and PNCA MFA students with only a non-professional undergraduate degree in architecture.

Elizabeth Leach Gallery (Jeremy Bittermann)

What is your favorite building project that you’ve worked on?

I’m fortunate to have helped Elizabeth Leach with her gallery, Sarah Meigs with the Lumber Room and Mario Bisio with his stores. I wouldn’t have been able to help these, or any of my clients, if Sally Lawrence and James Canfield hadn’t first asked me to help them.

PNCA’s Feldman building and Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Eastside Studios were fraternal twins born of the same conditions. Both were forced to relocate because of the Portland Art Museum's expansion plans. Both had no money and nine months to find a new home or cease to exist. Both were considered impossible and for all practical reasons should not have succeeded. They did succeed and everybody benefitted. Both institutions were able to stabilize, grow and become what they are today. Holst received praise, awards and big commissions, changing it from a small firm into something larger. I was offered opportunities to teach, lecture and write. Without asking for any of it, I was on the architectural success track. But this was not the success I wanted.

I wanted to build worlds. PNCA and OBT required this because non- profits exist to make the world better. Helping them meant being part of a creative community bound by ideological belief and commitment to right action. The discrepancy between architecture and actuality I first in school and later in practice didn’t exist. The seriousness of their need wouldn’t allow it. These projects showed me the answer I’d been looking for. It’s the absolute response to the seriousness of the need that defines the difference between building making and world creating.

PNCA's now-demolished Feldman Building (PNCA)

The success I wanted was being able to spend everyday helping all my clients this way. Architecture wouldn’t allow it, since most commissions are speculative, requiring enough seriousness to make a building but not enough to make a world. Design, like art, is vaguely defined. It possessed the malleability I needed to create the practice I wanted. I completed PNCA and OBT, then left architecture for design. Showing me the way I wanted to practice is the benefit these projects gave me.

Who has been an important mentor among your colleagues?

Kim Stafford told me it’s not enough to teach somebody how to write; you must help them become a writer. This is what mentoring means. Mentors don’t just help you do stuff. They help you become the person you want to be. I know this, because I’ve been mentored twice.

Peter Dow gave me my first job at Kirkland, Washington's Cafe Juanita. At 15 I became a dishwasher. Six years later, I left after working my way to the highest kitchen position, second only to head chef. Peter let me, a high school kid with no culinary experience, cook his food, because he was personally committed to developing the potential he saw in me. He told me often that my goal was to leave the kitchen for architecture. When I felt ready, I asked him to recommend an architect I could work for. He arranged an interview with Larry Rouch.

Larry hired me on the spot. Because I had no architectural education or experience, he required I agree to a formal mentorship. Like Cafe Juanita, I started at the bottom and left six years later having worked up as far as the situation would allow. Larry ran his office like the cafe’s kitchen: every customer mattered, every thing mattered, everything that can be done must done perfectly.

I left Larry’s office when I realized the only way to learn more was to be directly responsible for everything, which meant running my design studio. At 27 my mentored experience allowed to gain the missing experience while ensuring clients didn’t suffer my learning curve. I closed the studio when John Holmes recruited me to Portland. We had worked together in Larry’s office and he wanted me to bring the lessons I learned to help his fledgling firm.

What part of the job do you like best, and as an architect what do you think you most excel at?

I love how design requires critical empathy. It’s beautiful how all of us are endowed with the ability to fully feel what somebody else is experiencing and at the same time not suffer the emotional complexity. It’s a fundamental design skill, for it allows us to completely embrace the seriousness of a client’s need while remaining clear-headed enough to create ways to help. I enjoy this experience and know from history the world is measurably better when others enjoy it as well.

Clients need me to understand their future, because they hope I can design a device that will allow them to meet or exceed their future expectations. I need to know everything I can about their future and the best way is for them to tell me about it as often as possible. Because clients are like everybody else, talking about the future is an emotional roller coaster. I work hard to keep them comfortable so the stories they share root from their most hopeful, courageous and creative self. It’s my job to translate these stories into images. These images are only right when the client loves them.

Mario's (Michael Mathers)

When I present I never pitch. I don’t want to influence the outcome because it’s their future, not mine, that we’re trying to manifest. Instead we revisit the stories, discuss how the design responds and then let them decide if it's right. If not, we talk about how to make it better and revise accordingly. If it's right, we enrich the design by moving on to other stories. I excel at this process.

What are some Portland buildings (either new or historic) that you most admire?

Knowing the language of architecture means being able to read buildings like books. I admire buildings that tell how the intentions are so seriously believed; they define every aspect. These buildings don’t always win awards, adorn magazine covers or become post cards. Attention is not their intention. They are devices designed to fully help a unique way of life.

Powells City of Books is the greatest bookstore on Earth. Its labyrinth layout encourages getting lost in the stacks. It has the more thought per square foot than another building in Portland and its inventory is constantly changing. If you want to understand Portland people, then spend some time at Powell’s and experience what we’re reading.

The Applied Craft and Design program started in an empty warehouse, with 18 students and a handful of faculty. The program’s leadership, curriculum and physical environment are intentionally insufficient, requiring the students and faculty to work together as collaborative creators. The resulting bricolage interior is more than just a building. It is a living example of how art, craft and design make our world.

50 years ago Lee Kelly bought a small dairy farm, converted the barn into his live/work studio and planted a forest. Today, the out buildings host artists in residency and his many sculptures are nestled beneath the mature trees. This is the world one of our most loved artists made to help him create. Nike needs a billion dollar compound to pump out its novel disposable goods; all Lee needs to make his perdurable art is an old barn.

What is your favorite building outside of Portland and besides any you’ve worked on?

Thanks to the Internet, every building in the world is knowable through photographs. I’m not sure this is a good thing. Much of what I appreciate about buildings can’t be photographed and can only be appreciated by spending time with the actual building. At its worst, building photography is like celebrity selfies: attractive facades implying inner meaning. At best, they provide a reason to visit.

My most favorite building I first learned about through stories and then later through photographs. Everything Donald Judd created at Marfa has been shot by some of the world’s greatest photographers. All these images pale in comparison to being there. The entire town of Marfa should be designated a world heritage site. After a three-hour drive through west Texas nothingness, the town with its funky bars, incredible bookstore and NPR radio station seems like a mirage. Donald Judd’s house, library, personal galleries and multiple studios feel as if he just stepped away and will be back any minute. The Chinati Foundation, created from a place originality dedicated to war and now home to dozens of genre defining art installations, is an example of what the world is trying to be. The two artillery sheds housing Judd’s 100 milled aluminum sculptures are alone a reason to visit. In the shed looking south, with the aluminum sculptures in the foreground, his 15 concrete sculptures in the middle ground and that flat Texas horizon beyond, I understood why Judd needed all that space. Everybody needs environments to help them do what they do. Marfa shows that to be truly creative, all one needs is absolute space.

Is there a local architect of firm you think is unheralded or deserves more credit?

I understand why we praise firms, but I’m not convinced it’s a good thing. Architecture firms, like any consumer brand, are abstractions that are strategically presented to show only what they want seen. The resulting praise can be warranted but it’s prudent not to assume praise based on isolated parts accurately applies to everything else the firm does. Praise (or blame, or any judgement), to remain accurate, must maintain its qualifiers, otherwise it’s best to neither give or receive.

Also praising firms ignores a habitually unheralded group. The architects, designers and other staff the firm employs to do the work deserve acknowledgement for their effort. Architecture is a hard job. Not every practitioner enjoys their job, but every practitioner deserves to. Lack of enjoyment limits absolute commitment to a project, because nobody commits body and soul to something they don’t enjoy.

Acknowledgement is different than praise, It’s simply letting somebody know their work matters, has value, and their efforts are not in vain. Acknowledgement given in small daily doses is enough to help somebody keep on keeping on.

How would you rate the performance of local government like the Portland Development Commission, or the development and planning bureaus?

We work with these agencies the same way we work with clients or any other collaborator. We research the requirements, figure out why they’re important and create the compliance that’s best for all. I’m sympathetic to folks who do have concerns. I know it’s hard to make something perfect so there is always a need to control influences. I also know much of an architect’s grumbling comes from a belief that it’s their role to educate others about what makes a good building. So when a government agency, neighborhood association or even a client tries to educate the architect, you can bet somebody’s gonna get their knickers in a knot.

Design Review could encourage willing and even creative compliance if they did what LEED did. Prior to LEED many of the black-shirt crowd belittled sustainability as thinky-feely Christopher Alexander stuff. LEED created the award system because awards motivate by creating market distinction. The result was a gold rush of firms competing for the top spot and the brands of many firms were built on their ability to comply. If zoning was presented as the recipe for making our unique civic cuisine, and awards were given for Most Portland Building, it’d encourage a lot of folks to see other criteria differently.

The Lumber Room (Jeremy Bittermann)

What famous architect would you like to see design a building in Portland?

I recently saw BAM’s Lou Kahn exhibit, listened to Steven Holl talk about his debt to Kahn and attended the after party at Peter Miller Books. It meant I spent the day with Seattle’s best and brightest architects. The entire time I kept thinking of the incredible distance that separated Kahn/Holl and these architects. Both groups spoke the same language of architecture, but the depth of understanding, ability to manifest and commitment to their craft was night and day.

Folks like Kahn and Holl are a different species. The typical architect, whether from Seattle, Portland, or wherever, has more than enough talent to make an attractive building. But if you asked Steven Holl, Peter Zumthor or Alvaro Siza to design the same building, the potential result is a wholesale redefinition of what a building can be.

These architects see differently. Their buildings become a livable lens that help others see differently. It doesn’t mean seeing what the architect sees; it means creating a device that allows others to exercise their own unique way of seeing. Hopefully that experience will inspire different thoughts and lead to different actions. Portland is a lovely city, but if we are committed to helping make the world better, one different than what we have now, then it helps to have buildings to surround ourselves with buildings that encourage seeing differently

Holl's Bloch Building addition, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Wikimedia Commons)

Name something besides architecture (sneakers, furniture, umbrellas ) you love the design of.

I’d love to design a book. Truly beautiful books are miraculous marriages of form and content. It’s what our buildings once were, before, as Victor Hugo says, the book destroyed the building. For centuries we told our important stories through buildings. We once expected buildings to tell our most important stories. Movable type disrupted this. It encouraged literacy and provided an easier way to tell stories. Our buildings still tell stories, but typically limited to architectural stories about function, construction, precedent and various forms of delight. So now if we want to know important stories, we’ll read a book, not a building.

The Felt Hat folks know the world is a better when important stories are abundant and accessible. It’s one of the reasons we started working together in 2004 and why in 2014 I joined the firm. They are brilliant typographers and know how to create that gorgeous harmony of positive and negative space that defines a perfectly set page. They bring their keen typographic eye to every strategy, design and project they do. I doubt I’ll ever design a beautiful book, but I love working with folks who can.

What are three of your favorite movies?

Most all the books I experience in stores and have acquired for my own library are non-fiction. Partially it's because I consult these books the same way lawyers, architects or academics consult their reference material. Mainly its because non-fiction is a special kind of story. It’s a story that could be true. Since it's my job to render true the story of my client’s future, these books show me how to make trust worthy stories.

My favorite movies are just the opposite. I’ve never lost my fascination with dreams. I love how a fantastic story, when told through convincing real imagery, results in unique kind of reality. Movies, like dreams, allow us to directly experience new realities. Unlike actual reality, we can fully feel and suffer nothing, leaving us free to decide how the experience will or will not affect our life.

I appreciate how these questions have helped me think about what I do. I’ve never thought about movies this way but doing so helps me understand why ever asked, these three keep coming up as favorites: Wings of Desire by Wim Wenders, Apocalypse Now by Francis Ford Coppola, and A Matter of Life and Death by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

 

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Design Calendar: May 1-15

Rick Lowe (Portland Art Museum)

BY BRIAN LIBBY

Listening With Ears, Eyes, and Heart: A Gateway To Artistic Value In Unknown Places
Rick Lowe, who will deliver a lecture co-produced by the Portland Art Museum and the University of Oregon John Yeon Center for Architecture and the Landscape, is a Houston-based artist who has exhibited and worked nationally and internationally. Lowe is best known for Project Row Houses, a community-based art project that he started in Houston in 1993. Further community projects include the Watts House Project in Los Angeles, the Borough Project in Charleston, South Carolina (with Suzanne Lacy and Mary Jane Jacobs), the Delray Beach Cultural Loop in Florida, and the Anyang Public Art Program 2010 in Anyang, South Korea. President Barack Obama appointed Lowe to the National Council on the Arts in 2013, and in 2014 he was named a MacArthur Fellow. Portland Art Museum, Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave. 6:30PM Tuesday, May 3. Free (reservation required).

Portland’s Slabtown – An Historic Look at Inner Northwest Portland
North of Lovejoy Street and stretching from the Willamette River west to the hills of Forest Park when it was first named in the 1870s, Portland’s “Slabtown” was an isolated community filled with lakes, streams, sawmills, and working class houses. This lecture by Norm Gholston and Tracy J. Prince, co-authors of Portland's Slabtown explores the rich history of Slabtown through a collection of historic images. Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Avenue. 7PM Tuesday, May 3. $20 ($12 for AHC members).

Lunch & Learn: Accessory Dwelling Units
Accessory Dwelling Units are secondary housing units on single family lots, and have become quite popular lately in Portland due to a regulatory waiver of system development charges. This hour-long talk will be given by by ADU consultant, educator and advocate Kol Peterson, who built his own ADU in 2011 and is now managing editor for AccessoryDwellings.org, and city planner Phil Nameny, who works on regulatory improvement projects for the code development team. Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Avenue. 12PM Wednesday, May 4. Free.

PSU Masters of Architecture Open House
Are you fascinated by architecture? Do you have a bachelor's degree (or are graduating this spring) in any discipline? Portland State University's three-year Master of Architecture track could be for you. At the open house, you'll also have the opportunity to learn about all of our programs, which include the Bachelor of Arts or Science in Architecture, 2-year and 3-year Master of Architecture degree tracks, Graduate Certificate in Public Interest Design, and our new 2016 Summer Architecture Immersion Program. Portland State University, Shattuck Hall room 235, corner of SW Broadway and SW Hall Street. 12:30PM Wednesday, May 4. Free.

Old Town Historic District Tour
Learn about some of the oldest buildings in the city,  and the people who built them in this Architectural Heritage Center tour of Portland’s only National Historic Landmark District. The area also contains the highest concentration of cast-iron fronted buildings on the west coast and much of that iron was even produced locally. Tour begins at Skidmore Fountain, SW First Avenue and Ankeny Street. 6PM Wednesday, May 4. $20 ($12 for AHC members).

Historic Homes Of The Alphabet District Tour (Part I)
Northwest Portland’s Alphabet District owes its existence to Captain John Couch, his family, and in-laws. Development in the area includes everything from fairly modest homes to mansions – not to mention vibrant commercial areas. This is the first of two Architectural Heritage Center tours in which attendees will look at the wonderful historic homes that define a large portion of this National Register Historic District. Tour begins at the SW corner of NW 23rd Avenue and Lovejoy Street. 6PM Thursday, May 5. $20 ($12 for AHC members).

Lair Hill Neighborhood Tour
Named for pioneering Portland lawyer and newspaper editor William Lair Hill, this residential neighborhood is one of Portland’s oldest. As evidenced by this Architectural Heritage Center tour, Lair Hill contains a fascinating mix of historic homes, along with notable buildings significant for their connections to the city’s early immigrant populations. It’s also a neighborhood that was impacted by urban renewal and freeway development. Tour begins outside Lair Hill Bistro, 2823 SW First Avenue. 10AM Saturday, May 7. $20 ($12 for AHC members).

George McMath Preservation Award Luncheon
A lifetime achievement award for historic preservation, the George McMath Preservation Award for 2016 goes to Sally Donovan, who has led Donovan and Associates, a historic preservation firm in Hood River, since her graduation from the UO’s historic preservation program in 1987. Her list of National Register nominations, building surveys, preservation plans for counties and cities, large-format photography of historic properties, master plans for historic districts, environmental impact statements, and more runs well into the hundreds. Her firm, a Certified Woman Owned Business, specializes in the preservation and treatment of historic cemeteries. University of Oregon, White Stag Block, 70 NW Couch Street. 11:30AM Wednesday, May 11. $50.

Lunch & Learn: Activism Training
Whether one is a newbie to advocacy or an experienced veteran there is always something to learn to build your effectiveness. Based on 40 years of working for social change in Portland, former Metro councilor and nonprofit founder Rex Burkholder will share what he has learned about successful citizen activism including values-based messaging, leadership development, and coalition building across cultures and ideologies. Founder of three major nonprofits (Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Coalition for a Livable Future and Oregon Outdoor Education Coalition) Burkholder is the author of the 2015 book The Activist’s Toolkit, he will address how to make one's voice heard by decision makers and fellow citizens. Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Avenue. 12PM Wednesday, May 11. Free.

Pearl District Walking Tour
Over the last 20 years, Portland's Pearl District has been transformed from an outdated and tired industrial area into one of Portland’s premier residential and retail districts. A century ago, the area went through a similar transformation—from a working class housing area at the edge of a marsh, to the city’s premier industrial and warehousing area.  Many of Portland’s best known architects of the period designed buildings for important local and national companies. As this Architectural Heritage Center tour will reveal, most of these buildings remain, with their exteriors intact and new uses inside. Tour begins at SE corner of NW 10th Avenue and Johnson Street. 6PM Wednesday, May 11. $20 ($12 for AHC members).

Museum of Arts and Design, New York (Brian Libby)

Department of Architecture Lecture Series: Brad Cloepfil
Over the past two decades, no other Portland architect has established a worldwide reputation or collection of prominent commissions like Brad Cloepfil and his firm, Allied Works. Since completion of the award-winning Weiden + Kennedy building in 2000, Cloepfil's firm has gone on to design a host of acclaimed arts facilities, such as the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, New York's Museum of Arts and Design, an expansion of the Seattle Art Museum, and Denver's Clyfford Still Museum, as well as a new home for the Pacific Northwest College of Art in the early 20th century 511 Broadway federal building, completed last year. This lecture is part of the University of Oregon Department of Architecture and Allied Arts' Spring Lecture Series. University of Oregon, White Stag Block, 70 NW Couch Street. 5PM Thursday, May 12. Free.

CPID Talks: Mark Lakeman on Creating Sustainable Public Places
Mark Lakeman is a national leader in the development of sustainable public places. In the last decade he has directed, facilitated, or inspired designs for more than three hundred new community-generated public places in Portland, Oregon alone. He is a principal at Communitecture, a full service design firm that aims to create beautiful and sustainable places that bring people together in community. As Wakeman will discuss in this lecture sponsored by Portland State University's Center for Public Interest Design, through his leadership in Communitecture and its various affiliates such as The City Repair Project, The Village Building Convergence, and Planet Repair Institute, he has also been instrumental in the development of dozens of participatory organizations and urban permaculture design projects across the United States and Canada. Mark works with governmental leaders, community organizations, and educational institutions in many diverse communities. Portland State University, Shattuck Hall Room 217, SW Broadway & Hall Street. 12PM Friday, May 13. Free.

Hidden Brilliance: The Residential Architecture Of Joseph Jacobberger
Jim Heuer and Robert Mercer present the residential work of a truly brilliant architect who designed homes in a broad array of styles from Colonial to Craftsman, English Cottage to Jacobean. Jacobberger's skills turned standard styles into architectural sculpture, blending form with function, with his later designs foretelling the "Northwest Style" later practiced by Pietro Belluschi and others. Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Avenue. 7PM Wednesday, May 11 and 10AM Saturday, May 14. $20 ($12 for AHC members).

From Soda Pop To Swimwear: Sandy Boulevard Walking Tour
Sandy Boulevard has a long history of commercial and industrial architecture with styles ranging from brick utilitarian to Brutalism – all with a generous supply of streamline and zigzag moderne in between. This tour takes a closer look at a surprising section of the city; an area that hosts some of the city’s most notable businesses. You’ll also see firsthand how the automobile played a major role in the form and style of 20th century architecture. Tour begins at NE 14th Avenue and Couch Street. 6PM Thursday, May 12. $20 ($12 for AHC members).

Yamhill Historic District Walking Tour
Exploring the heart of Portland’s late-nineteenth century commercial district, this tour visits the Yamhill Historic District and nearby historic buildings of SW Second and Third avenues. The route is packed with the names of prominent city pioneers who made their mark as merchants, developers and architects as well as providing some of the city’s finest examples of cast iron, Richardsonian Romanesque and Classical buildings. We visit the Willamette’s first bridge, the first public market, and our first Chinatown as we discuss how the district spearheaded the first preservation efforts for Portland’s downtown. For parking/transit, be aware the tour ends six blocks from its start. Tour meets at SW Second Avenue and Salmon Street. 10AM Saturday, May 14.  $20 ($12 for AHC members).

  

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