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The Canyons
Submitting Company: R&H Construction and Kaiser + Path
Location: Portland
Cost: Confidential
Owner/Developer: Kaiser + Path
Architect: Kaiser + Path
Engineer: Catena Consulting Engineers
General Contractor: R&H Construction
Subcontractors: Acousti-Level Floor Systems, Alarm Tracks, Ashland Bros. Concrete Sawing, Benelli Construction, Blackstone Fire Protection, Bliss Roofing, Builder Services Group dba JB Insulation, Cardinale Fine Cabinetry, Centerline Concepts Land Surveying, Compaction & Recycling Equipment, Concrete Inspection Services, Craftsman Contracting, D&H Flagging, D&R Masonry Restorations, DeBenedetto’s Commercial Flooring, Dennis’ Seven Dees Landscaping, DePaul Services, Don Rhyne Painting, Eagle Striping Services, Edwards Painting, Geotech Foundation Company – West, Haier US Appliance Solutions, J R Johnson, Jack’s Overhead Door, Jacobs Heating & Air Conditioning, Jani-King of Portland, Kent Crane Inspection Services, Kone, Lanz Cabinet Shop, LaRusso Concrete, Marion Construction, Maxim Crane Works, McDonald & Wetle, Mid-Valley, Modular Paving Systems, Multivista, Northwest Scaffold Service, Outdoor Fence, Pacific Foundation, Pacific Northwest Environmental, Pacific Stainless Products, Pacific Stone Installers, Paragon Tile & Stone, Peake Sun Control, Pioneer Sheet Metal, Prairie Electric, Primo Construction, Prominent Construction, QED Lab, Quality Cleaning Service, Railpro of Oregon, Sarabi Studio, Standard TV and Appliance, Structurlam Mass Timber, Tapani Plumbing, Timberland, Torgerson Painting & Wall Covering, United Subcontractors dba JB Insulation, VPI Quality Windows, WFJ Janitorial Services, Willamette Glass

The Canyons was designed for residents of all ages and abilities and with sustainability and accessibility in mind. Constructed using cross-laminated timber (CLT), the building offers 70 barrier-free apartments and its amenities include ground-floor retail, a wellness room and fitness center, a community room/lounge, secured bike storage and a 24-hour package locker.

Located in North Portland’s Williams District, the 110,000-square-foot development is essentially two buildings united by a six-story, open-air atrium featuring zigzagging CLT corridors, hence its name.

The Canyons also features The Alley, an open-air marketplace designed to unite building residents, community members and local small businesses in one central location. The Canyons Alley features a row of 11 small spaces designed for makers, eateries and other community businesses that is open to The Canyons’ ground-floor retail space and café.

Constructing with CLT helped to offset the building’s carbon footprint because panels can be made from young trees that have already consumed a large amount of carbon during their lifecycle. The CLT used in The Canyons stores an estimated 423 tons of carbon.

In addition to its sustainability and durability, CLT is beneficial in terms of schedule and budget. Compared to concrete, building with CLT saved over a week per floor during vertical construction. The reduction in schedule also led to cost savings and increased efficiency for subcontracting trades that followed framing.

All of the apartments feature exposed wood ceilings that bring warmth and a natural element into each unit. Wood is known to have a relaxing effect on people, which is especially beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic when residents are working from home, and reflects the Pacific Northwest.

Challenges included a tight construction site in a busy neighborhood, the complexity of building the open-air atrium, and protecting workers’ health and safety during the pandemic and wildfires.