91视频

As ORW Architecture celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, the firm鈥檚 recent People Choice Awards for its design of the Medford Police Station and the Jackson County Justice Court illustrate how it continues to add to Southern Oregon鈥檚 roster of landmarks.

The firm is led by David Wilkerson and Jim Roemer, principals; Andy Owen, principal architect and project manager; Jeff Bender, principal and director of design; and Dana Ing Crawford, principal architect and project manager. Wilkerson said they kicked off the anniversary celebration last year by beginning a transition in leadership with a new generation of partners.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say it鈥檚 put us in a different direction, but it has set us on a course for the future,鈥� he said.

ORW Architecture will continue to do high-quality work for clients while striving to enlighten them and other members of the public about the value of architecture.

鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly rewarding to work on projects that make a difference in our community,鈥� Crawford said. 鈥淥ur work covers a broad range, from civic and educational to medical and commercial, but they are all about serving our community. That鈥檚 a legacy value that continues to live on.鈥�

The firm鈥檚 involvement in the American Institute of Architects Southern Oregon chapter, which includes Crawford serving as its president last year, is part of its efforts to reach out and engage a broader group of clients and community members, Bender said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not any different here than it is in much larger environments, and that鈥檚 to educate our clients not only about the value of architects but also the value of architecture, the poetics of design and what can be accomplished by being sensitive to one鈥檚 environment,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 think we鈥檝e been very lucky in having clients who have been open to that, but we鈥檝e also been successful in maybe bringing around some others to see that the investment and maybe a little additional first cost in terms of construction just plays so well in terms of creating buildings and environments that raise everybody up,鈥� Bender added.

When asked about significant milestones that mark the firm鈥檚 history, the principals cited the mid-1990s as a turning point. Ken Ogden, of counsel, joined in 1994 and the firm鈥檚 leaders at the time made the decision to purchase AutoCAD, which as then cutting-edge technology. Roemer joined ORW the following year, helping to put the firm on a new trajectory.

鈥淭hat really led the firm in the direction it is today, with the younger generation of architects,鈥� Wilkerson said. 鈥淭he founding partners practiced one way, and the newer approach was much more collaborative and technology driven.鈥�

Roemer added that involvement with Building Information Modeling soon followed, as did a more interactive and collaborative approach with the contractors ORW worked with on projects. 鈥淭hat really adds to the success of our projects and especially the complex ones,鈥� he said.

Roemer and Wilkerson became firm partners in 2005 and, five years later, began work on the signature and award-winning Lithia Motors headquarters project. The mixed-use office and retail building in downtown Medford is the anchor of The Commons, a six-block downtown development district. With nearly 12,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor and three stories of corporate offices above, the headquarters building borders the two park blocks that are at the heart of The Commons.

鈥淭hat project showed that we were able to compete with the larger firms and take on that scale of work,鈥� Wilkerson noted.

鈥淭hat was a very significant event because it strengthened the direction of the firm,鈥� Bender added.

The principals said a major source of pride is that, while they did have to reduce hours at times during the Great Recession, they did not have to lay off any employees.

鈥淥ur staff is like family to us and we knew that if we let anybody go, they would leave the region and go somewhere else. When we find good folks, we want to hang on to them,鈥� Wilkerson said. 鈥淲e also knew that after the recession there would be a pretty quick rebound and we wanted to be positioned for that.鈥�

Owen said one of the biggest challenges the firm faces is the ability to find talented staff. While Southern Oregon offers plenty of natural beauty and opportunities for outdoor activities, the market for talented, young architects is very competitive.

In addition to the Lithia project, other signature projects for ORW Architecture include its work for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Ashland Surgery Center and Ashland Family YMCA, and its historic preservation work for Southern Oregon University. Jackson County also has been a key client, awarding the firm more than $50 million in projects since 2005.

鈥淔rom a legacy standpoint, there are a great number of some of the most important civic buildings in Medford and the surrounding area that have been products of ORW and its preceding firm,鈥� Bender said. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 easy to forget those things came from this office, but it鈥檚 nice to drive around town and say, 鈥極h yeah, those great buildings were done by a team that worked in our office.鈥欌��

Looking ahead to the coming decades, the principals said their goals include continuing to build ORW Architecture鈥檚 capacity, both in terms of staffing and the ability to perform work on more projects. While the Rogue Valley is its home and most of its work is located there, the principals would like to do more throughout southern Oregon, northern California and along the Oregon coast.

鈥淲e have several long-term and repeat clients and that is something we want to continue to ensure, that those clients continue to come back to us,鈥� Owen said.

Wilkerson said the firm will continue to design the most interesting and challenging projects for the best clients in Southern Oregon and Northern California.

Roemer summed it up this way: 鈥淲e will continue into the next generation of great architecture.鈥�