SW First Avenue and Yamhill Street, 1969 (City of Portland Archives)
BY BRIAN LIBBY
Merchants and Markets: Historic Yamhill District Tour
Exploring the heart of Portland’s late-nineteenth century commercial district, this Architectural Heritage Center 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. The tour also will visit the Willamette’s first bridge, the first public market, and the city's first Chinatown as we discuss how the district spearheaded the first preservation efforts for Portland’s downtown. Tour meetup location revealed with ticket purchase. 10AM Tuesday, September 4. $20 ($12 for AHC members).
Historic Camas Tour
Camas benefits greatly from its proximity to the regional population centers of Vancouver and Portland. However, the city has also taken pains to preserve some of its own long heritage, and offers a pleasing blend of history and progress, from a modern, state-of-the-art public library to several buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This Positively Portland walking tour will explore the downtown area and note how the nearly complete shutdown of the paper mill has changed the atmosphere in this historic town. The downtown now hums with activity in the cafes, restaurants, art galleries and shops. Tour begins at Caffe Piccolo, 400 NE Fourth Street, Camas. 10AM Friday, September 7. $15.
Information Session: Master of Architecture and Graduate Certificates
The Portland State University School of Architecture offers two options for master's level study in architecture, together with a graduate certificate in public interest design, a graduate certificate in urban design, and a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture. Those interested can meet the teaching faculty and director, talk with current students, learn about the curriculum and the teaching philosophy, discover leadership and design-build opportunities for students, tour our studios and lab facilities, and find out more about the application process for programs. Portland State University, Shattuck Hall, 1914 SW Park Avenue, Room 235. 11AM Friday, September 7. (Session repeats 11AM Friday, October 12 as well as on November 9 and December 7.) Free.
Community Open House: Knight Cancer Research Building
Designed by SRG Partnership, the Knight Cancer Research Building is the first structure completed as part of the Knight Cancer Challenge, a billion-dollar fundraising effort led by Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny. Designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification, the building seeks to change the face of cancer research by encouraging what's known as team science, in which multi-disciplinary teams work together. Distinctive architectural features include a huge column-free conference center on the ground floor, a southern facade shaped by sawtooth-like window bays, a series of glass-enclosed lab bays, and a roof deck with views looking out to the Willamette River and Mt. Hood. The building is also the subject of Brian Libby's upcoming book, Collaboration For A Cure: The Knight Cancer Research Building and the Culture of Innovation, which explores not only the design but also the collaborative construction process, drawing from lean construction and integrated project development delivery methods. Knight Cancer Research Building, 2600 SW Moody Avenue. 9AM Saturday, September 8. Free.
Classical Downtown Portland Tour
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. Visitors on this Architectural Heritage Center tour 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 meetup location revealed with ticket purchase. 10AM Saturday, September 8. $20 ($12 for AHC members).
Portland Heights and Vista Avenue Tour
This Architectural Heritage Center tour explores Portland Heights, a mostly residential Southwest Portland neighborhood with Vista Avenue running through its center. It was once a very difficult area to build in, or even get to, before it became a popular residential district, as transportation options increased in Portland during the late 19th century. Today the mixture of homes, ranging in style from Colonial Revival to Art Deco, is a veritable “who’s who” of Portland architects and their masterworks. Attendees will see homes designed by the likes of A.E. Doyle, Emil Schacht, Edgar Lazarus, and Morris Whitehouse. Tour meetup location to be announced. 10AM Tuesday, September 11. $20 ($12 for AHC members).
Carbon Based Lifeforms Creating Zero Carbon Buildings
In the last decade, carbon levels increased 20 parts per million, the population grew by one billion, global temperature increased by half a degree Celsius, and 25 percent more people moved into our cities. The world is rapidly changing and will be a very different place by 2030. In this talk from the Portland Building Enclosure Council, Eric Core Freed, an award-winning architect, author, and Sustainability Disruptor for Morrison Hershfield, will explore dozens of disparate trends in technology, sustainability and the construction industry and connect the dots to get a glimpse into how we can save the world AND save our businesses at the same time. During this energetic and entertaining session, Freed will train and engage attendees in a collaborative process to better address systemic barriers to healthy, high-performing, sustainable, resilient buildings. Mercy Corps, 45 SW Ankeny Street. 12PM Tuesday, September 11. Free.
Solar Drinks + Clean Energy
Presented by Solar Oregon, the ongong "Solar Drinks" series is an opportunity for sustainable energy advocates to meet other community members who support solar renewable energy and green building design. For this edition, Solar Oregon members will be joined by members of the Sierra Club to share information about the Portland Clean Energy Fund and how the community can benefit from clean energy technologies. Go Forth Electric Showcase, 901 SW First Avenue. 5PM Thursday, September 13. $5-10 suggested donation.
My Existential Crisis and Other Random Acts: Martha Schwartz
Martha Schwartz Partners, based in London with offices in Brooklyn and Shanghai, is a leading international design practice whose work focuses on activating and regenerating urban sites and city centres. Situated at the intersection of public realm, urban design and site specific art, MSP has 40 years of experience designing and implementing installations, gardens, civic plazas, parks, institutional landscapes, corporate headquarters, master plans, and urban regeneration projects. The firm's work demonstrates a deep commitment to the urban landscape as it performs as the platform for sustainable cities that are healthy across all aspects, sectors, and domains of urban life. Schwartz, who is trained as a landscape architect, will be speaking as part of Portland Design Events' ongoing lecture series, which always begins with a short presentation from a local designer, which in this case will be Andreas Stavropoulos of BASE Landscape Architecture. Schwartz's lecture will be comprised of two parts: first an introduction to her work and portfolio, and then a discussion of climate change and its impacts on design. Ziba Auditorium, 810 NW Marshall Street. 5:30PM Thursday, September 13. $15 ($10 for emerging professionals, $5 for students).
Frank Lloyd Wright, the Gordon House, and the Usonian Style
In 1936, Frank Lloyd Wright designed his first Usonian-style house in Wisconsin as a response to the needs of the growing middle-class in America. Fast forward to 1956 when Conrad and Evelyn Gordon, a farming couple from Oregon, approached Wright at his studio in Taliesin West outside of Scottsdale about designing their farmhouse on the banks of the Willamette River near Wilsonville. The result of that collaboration, the Usonian-style Gordon House, stands as the only Wright-designed structure in Oregon. In this Architectural Heritage Center lecture, Gordon House director Kathryn Burton will discuss the meaning of the term Usonian, the philosophy behind the style and its architectural characteristics, using the Gordon House as a case study. Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Avenue. 10AM Saturday, September 15. $20 ($12 for AHC members).
Downtown Oregon City Tour: The First Capital of Oregon
Come and explore the downtown of Oregon's first incorporated city. On this Architectural Heritage Center walking tour you attendees will see buildings and landmarks along Main Street, including the historic Arch Bridge connecting Oregon City to West Linn, while also learning about the history of the city that was platted by Dr. John McLoughlin and was once the capital of the Oregon Territory and the end of the Oregon Trail. Tour meetup location to be announced. 10AM Saturday, September 15. $20 ($12 for AHC members).
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