91视频

Though it drew praise from design commissioners,聽Portland’s first modern wood-framed high-rise project took heat from Pearl District neighbors at its first design review hearing.

Two citizens called the Framework project 鈥渙ffensive鈥� to the surrounding brick and urban warehouse character of the Pearl. Mark Whitlow, a neighbor and land-use attorney, said he represented other opponents who believe the project would fit better in a different part of town.

鈥淲e’re mixing apples and oranges in the design cart,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want to be respectful, but it is just offensive for those of us who place ourselves in a neighborhood based on the character that is being eroded based on a decision at a time.鈥�

The project was denied approval at staff’s request for failure to resolve two issues 鈥� one involving certification of an eco-roof floor area ratio bonus, and the other an incomplete stormwater management plan. Project lead Thomas Robinson of Lever Architecture told the 91视频 that both technical matters would be resolved by the time the project next appears before the commission Aug. 18.

鈥淭his is an extraordinary building,鈥� Commissioner Tad Savinar said. 鈥淚’m very proud to have this in our city.鈥�

Design commissioners raised questions about parking, limited pedestrian cover by ground-level canopies, and whether to cover the building’s diesel-powered generator.

Framework is an ambitious and high-profile mass-timber project with a significant affordable housing component. When completed, it will be the tallest mass-timber structure in the U.S.

The 11-story, 90,000-square foot building planned at 430 N.W. 10th Ave. will feature ground-level retail space and a double-height community space with a small museum dedicated to the state’s timber industry. An Albina Community Bank branch will occupy one corner of the ground floor, below five levels of B-corp office space (including a space set aside for Beneficial Bank), and five floors (60 units) of affordable housing.

The affordable component is being developed by the housing authority Home Forward. The remainder of the building is being developed by project^ on behalf of lender Beneficial Bank (the parent company of Albina Community Bank).

The project has drawn buzz over its use of cross-laminated timber, a product some say could revolutionize construction and design, and reinvigorate the timber industry. Wood-framed buildings have long been restricted in the U.S. to around five floors, due to concerns over life safety issues tied to earthquakes and fires. A $1.5 million federal grant is dedicated to helping the team test design aspects like the building’s innovative rocking wall system, devised with assistance from Oregon’s public universities.

鈥淭here’s a lot to chew on,鈥� said Robinson, a former principal at Allied Works Architecture. 鈥淭his idea of creating a building from a renewable resource 鈥� is so important to the economics of Oregon, and also the benefits from a carbon-emissions point of view, and carbon sequestration.鈥�

Lever has been active in Portland for six years, with a portfolio that includes Arthouse Student Housing, Hive Modern and the soon-to-be-completed Albina Yard 鈥� the first structure in the U.S. built with domestically-fabricated CLT.

Pearl resident and project opponent Deborah Carnaghi said her neighborhood is already overloaded with traffic and its schools are overcrowded with students.

鈥淚t is really hard with low-income housing to manage them effectively, and so making sure you’re thinking through the people who are going to be living there. If smoking is allowed by bylaws, are there ashtrays out front? Stickers in windows? Can we tint windows?鈥�