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Women of color will lead the design process for the first four Multnomah County public library projects that were approved in November 2020, county officials announced on Monday.

LEVER Architecture and Noll & Tam Architects of Berkeley, California, will spearhead the designs of the North Portland Library renovation and the new Albina Library.

Bora Architecture & Interiors, along with Colloqate Design of New Orleans, Louisiana, will design the new Holgate Library and the Midland Library renovation and addition.

LEVER’s team will be led by principal Chandra Robinson.

鈥淧ortland is my hometown and I am so proud to lead our team to envision the future of our Albina and North Portland libraries,鈥� Robinson stated in a news release. 鈥淎uthentic engagement with our community of library patrons and neighbors is critical to the design process and will help shape a space that will welcome and inspire all Portlanders.鈥�

Bora principal Jeanie Lai and Colloqate design principal Bryan Lee Jr. will lead the other design team.

鈥淚’m delighted to have this opportunity to lead our team to reimagine and maximize the potential of future libraries in Portland,鈥� Lai stated. 鈥淭hinking past the library as a building for books, we will work closely with the communities of Holgate and Midland as well as leaders of the Library Capital Bond Program to create inclusive places for connections, bringing people together to grow and flourish.鈥�

Multnomah County voters this past November passed a ballot measure authorizing $387 million in bonds to finance the library projects. The projects focus on diverse and underserved areas of the county.

鈥淚 am delighted to work with people and organizations who share the library’s commitment to creating meaningful social infrastructure with and for the people of Multnomah County,鈥� Director of Libraries Vailey Oehlke stated. 鈥淟ibraries are far more than book repositories and we now have an opportunity to demonstrate that, with spaces that will offer our community new and more forward-looking ways of using and experiencing their libraries.鈥�

Separately, the Deschutes Public Library District Board recently selected Steele Associates Architects of Bend and The Miller Hull Partnership, a Seattle-based firm, to design a series of libraries in Central Oregon.