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Portland Design Commission members would like to see more oomph in SERA Architects‘ design for a planned 203-room hotel in the South Waterfront District.

Commissioners on Thursday told the design team for the estimated $46 million Hyatt House hotel project at 2098 S.W. River Parkway that they would like to see further refinement to the six-story building’s ground floor, main entrances, courtyard and wall-mounted water feature. Instead of voting on potential design approval, commissioners asked the team to return with modifications at a hearing on Oct. 23.

Design Commission Chairwoman Guenevere Millius said it would be nice to see the envelope pushed a bit more.

鈥淲e see a lot of similar architecture and a lot of similar moves,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou’re seeing this commission pushing a bit more on projects that are hitting all the marks. We’re pushing for some fine detail. I know that can be challenging when you’re working for a corporate client. They strive to have a sameness about their buildings wherever you go. I sympathize with running a corporate program in front of the Design Commission.鈥�

The Hyatt House design team was back before the Design Commission on Thursday after a hearing in early September. Modifications included additional canopies, a more prominent glass facade at the southwest corner and a wall fountain next to the garage entrance on Southwest Moody Avenue. Plans also call for ground-floor corner retail spaces, below-grade stacked parking for 48 cars and a second-story courtyard deck with eco-roofs.

Many of the changes to the design involved emphasizing the entrances with canopies and adding interest to the facade, such as pumping up a glass curtain wall 鈥渟hadow box鈥� on the southwest corner, SERA Architects associate Gary Golla told the commission.

鈥淲e felt like we needed a stronger element on the corner,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t creates a different type of framing on the corner.鈥�

This is also why a simple trellis system next to the garage entry was enhanced with the addition of a fountain for water to trickle into terraced planters that step down from the second-story deck to the sidewalk, said Carol Mayer-Reed, a partner at Mayer/Reed, the project’s landscape architect.

鈥淲e’re getting this layering of water and green coming out that will create this articulation on the wall,鈥� she said.

Commissioner Ben Kaiser pointed out that the fountain would draw a lot of attention to the garage door and away from other parts of the building.

鈥淭he energy of that is pushing it toward the garage door,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll of a sudden this northeast corner has lost all that energy and the eye goes to the garage door.鈥�

The water feature planters look too much like steps going up the wall, Commissioner David Wark said.

鈥淚 kept thinking about wanting to climb them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚s that an attractive nuisance?鈥�

The water feature could be more dramatic and feel less like an extension of the building, Commissioner Tad Savinar said.

鈥淚t’s in the same tones as the rest of the building, so it feels heavy to me,鈥� he told the design team. 鈥淵ou described it as a 鈥榤oment.’ I think that’s exactly what should happen, instead of stretching the architecture across the building.鈥�

Despite changes to the design, commissioners said they were left wanting more.

鈥淔or me, the southwest corner is kind of the starting point,鈥� Wark said. 鈥淚f you were to look at that shadow box as the Hyatt identity, it’s the most public and visible corner. From that the identity can be very strong, stronger than it is now.鈥�

More could be done to draw visitors into the proposed hotel, Savinar said.

鈥淚 would like the building to welcome me as a guest,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 just think there should be something racy and attractive that says, 鈥榃elcome home,’ as opposed to a graphic entry.鈥�

Kaiser told the design team he hoped to see some unique flair in the building plans the next time the project comes before the commission.

鈥淚 hope the architecture doesn’t end up completely calm,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n these moves, hopefully you don’t go safe and quiet.鈥�