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The 2017 Portland Winter Light Festival is presenting some valuable opportunities for metro-area firms. Teams’ light-based creations are on display through Saturday along the Eastbank Esplanade. Visitors can check out the art near OMSI, the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, the Hampton Opera Center and across the Willamette River at Zidell Yards.

鈥淲hen we do these things, it’s an opportunity for younger staff to show some of their own voice and do some things that they don’t get to normally do,鈥� said Nic Smith, a Hacker associate architect.

Hacker created a community pavilion with the help of Fortis Construction. Attendees will be surrounded by 16 strands of multicolored LEDs and by more than 250 square feet of acrylic mirrors. But the experience won’t be completely visual.

鈥淲e will be blasting opera music,鈥� Smith said.

One of Hacker’s principals, Jonah Cohen, helped organize the event.

鈥淲hen the call for proposals went out, we decided it would be silly not to partake,鈥� Smith said.

Pushing the boundaries of design is the key idea for many of the firms involved. Landscape architects at Walker Macy created a graffiti lantern display that will allow visitors to create their own exhibit.

鈥淭he concept is that light is the focus,鈥� said Nathan Kappen, a Walker Macy associate landscape architect. 鈥淲e asked how we can engage people. We want to make visitors the focus.鈥�

The display is essentially a canvas, 4 feet tall by 8 feet wide, covered with paint that can be scratched off. Lights behind the canvas will reveal visitors’ designs or messages created after they scratch off paint.

鈥淲e just see this as something that will evolve,鈥� Kappen said. 鈥淲e want to see how this will reflect people’s thoughts.鈥�

However, the team will keep tabs on the display.

鈥淲e have to be prepared to paint over or scratch off any obscene or objectionable material,鈥� he said.

Kappen said the project has allowed him to expand his horizons.

鈥淔rom a design standpoint, it allows me to explore different ideas that I couldn’t with my day-to-day work,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am learning a different medium (from landscape architecture). It’s branching out and continuing the design dialogue.鈥�

2.ink Studio, meanwhile, wanted to create an immersive experience, according to Jamuna Golden, a landscape designer with the firm.

鈥淲e also wanted it to be participatory,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think part of it was we wanted something that was inhabitable.鈥�

The result is a 10-foot-tall kaleidoscope structure with five strips of lights wrapping the interior. It also uses approximately 2,800 mirrors to reflect the light.

鈥淚t’s a pretty heavy-duty structure,鈥� Golden said. 鈥淭he plywood frame has small glass mirrors. You will walk through the kaleidoscope that will be filled with LED lights.鈥�

She said the structure is oriented toward downtown and the experience changes depending on the time of day.

鈥淎ny time we can design in unique ways, it is something we want to be part of,鈥� she said.

The festival also allows firms to build stronger connections with others in related industries.

鈥淭he biggest value has been reaching out and getting talent beyond our walls,鈥� said Robert Petty, a ZGF Architects associate partner. 鈥淭hese business-to-business exercises are pretty valuable.鈥�

ZGF Architects is building a display of 20 lighted pylons.

鈥淚t will be controlled by three podiums that will be controlled by the touch of visitors,鈥� Petty said. 鈥淚t should be nice at night lit up or look like sculpture during the day.鈥�

More information on the festival is available at .