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SUBMITTED?BY: HOWARD S. WRIGHT

Even before the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building was named one of the country’s top 10 examples of sustainable design by the American Institute of Architects’ Committee on the Environment, the folks at Howard S. Wright knew the renovation project was something special.

鈥淚t’s that we’ve made a difference, a difference that will be good for people,鈥� said Matthew Braum, a project manager for Howard S. Wright, which served as general contractor for the renovation.

Back in 2009, it was hard for some to imagine that an aging 1970s era concrete and glass building in downtown Portland would one day become the darling of the local green scene. When the idea was floated to use $137 million in federal stimulus money to renovate the building, more than a few people said the money would be better spent tearing down the existing structure and building an entirely new one.

In the end, though, the renovation went forward with an eye on turning the building into a structure worthy of a LEED platinum rating.
Everything about the renovation was about innovation,鈥� Braum said.

The redesign features biophyllic and rhythmic aluminum shades on three sides of the building to optimize interior light while reducing thermal warming. It is 55 percent more energy efficient than the original structure and features elevators that generate energy to replenish the grid as they descend. Intelligent systems provide continuous monitoring of systems in the building.
Cutler-Anderson Architects of Seattle, which worked on design aspects with Portland-based SERA Architects, called the project 鈥渢he kind of thing we reach for as designers.鈥�

The building features 20 levels 鈥� including two that are underground 鈥� and more than 500,000 total square feet of office space that accommodates 16 federal agencies and approximately 1,200 employees.

鈥淚t’s satisfying to me,鈥� project manager Braum said, 鈥渢hat, as a team, what we’ve accomplished will be here for another 50 years to serve the community.鈥�

PROJECT?TEAM + STATS:
Location: Portland, Oregon
Cost: $137 million
Start date: September 2010
Completion date: May 2013
Owner/developer: General Services Administration (GSA)
Architect: Cutler Anderson, SERA Architects
Engineers: KPFF Consulting Engineers, McKinstry, Stantec
General contractor: Howard S. Wright