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Portland design commissioners told backers of the 17-story 5 MLK project at the Burnside Bridge’s east end that their efforts to reduce the appearance of an unbroken mass have improved the design.

Gerding Edlen’s mixed-use proposal received advice from the Design Commission last week. Plans for a former Fishel’s Furniture site call for a building with approximately 220 apartment units, 10,000 square feet of ground-floor and lower-level retail space and 170 underground parking spaces. The design makes extensive use of landscaping; it may become one of Portland’s most landscaped buildings. Architectural drawings show lush greenery is envisioned on several aspects of 5 MLK.

The 5 MLK project will, along with Yard, frame the Burnside bridgehead from the east side of the Willamette River. The project is part of an area development boom that includes Yard by Key Development and Guardian Real Estate Services, Slate by Beam Development and Fair-Haired Dumbbell by Guerrilla Development.

5 MLK’s design includes a 鈥渘otch鈥� that reduces the building’s profile as viewed from the west. The tower would rise to 200 feet.

鈥淥ur basic massing and design concept is meant to metaphorically connect natural land forms, with particular attention to the river,鈥� said Donald Copper of Chicago’s GREC Architects.

Copper said he worked to mitigate the potential 鈥渃anyon effect鈥� of the large Yard and 5 MLK buildings standing across Burnside Street from each other (5 MLK is also located a block east of Yard).

At the sixth-floor level, the design includes a bridging element via an aperture. Terraced landscaping climbs up the base of the building, and then continues through the aperture.

Commissioners on Thursday praised the architects for better unifying the base and tower.

鈥淭he integration of the two pieces is definitely moving in the right direction,鈥� Commissioner Julie Livingston said.

Chairman David Wark encouraged the architects to make extensive use of gardens and landscaping.

鈥淢aybe this is a case where more is better,鈥� he said.

Copper said he’s considering using large, operable windows on the residential units.

Gerding Edlen partner Kelly Saito said he’ll be happy to consider the Design Commission’s advice.

鈥淚 think that they’re suggestions we can definitely look at,鈥� he said. 鈥淭heir suggestions affect more the appearance than the use. It doesn’t affect the feasibility; it’s whether it works with the architecture.鈥�