91ÊÓƵ

A new, state-of-the-art building fit for the coast is in the pipeline for Clatsop Community College, in Astoria.

The new Maritime Science Building, designed by SRG Partnership, will be the first structure people see when they enter the Marine and Environmental Research Training Station (MERTS) campus. The 15,500-square-foot building’s exposed steel, mechanical systems and stairways all will evoke a maritime vessel.

The facility will house general and specialized classrooms for maritime science, environmental studies, scientific research training, industrial and manufacturing technologies, and technical academic and training programs. Marine engineering instruction will take place on the facility’s lower level, where ship engines will be used; meanwhile, navigation and bridge simulation courses will be taught on the top level.

Clatsop’s maritime science program is one of the few offered in Oregon and on the West Coast. Individuals seeking a career in the field or a related certification (or renewal) will spend short but demanding weeks at the facility.

SRG design principal Carl Hampson knows such experience all too well. Before becoming an architect, he attended the Cal Maritime academy in California. There, he lived briefly on a ship docked near the school as part of his training. One week before the vessel was set to sail on a three-month voyage, Hampson jumped ship, so to speak, in favor of architecture school.

Along with the exposed steel, the building’s interior will showcase mass-plywood for the floor and roof decking. Hampson said this will not only convey the atmosphere of a ship and give a nod to the region’s timber industry, but also eliminate the need for internal columns.

The interior will also feature a large, graphic map of where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. The map will be made from perforated wood and face out to a wall of windows. To achieve this vision, the design team had to overcome one silty hurdle. The MERTS campus sits adjacent to the Columbia River and on land once dredged from the riverbed. Instead of dirt, the soil is full of sand and silt and at high risk of liquefaction in an earthquake or other seismic event.

A smaller ground-floor footprint was needed to limit expensive drilling to 60 feet down to the bedrock. That meant most of the programming had to go on the second floor, so the project team got creative with cantilevers. Each end of the second floor will hang over and tie back to the structure to utilize the deep pier’s strength. There will also be outdoor workspaces underneath the cantilevers.

All construction documents are in place, but because of market prices and funding constraints, the project is on hold.

On the Boards is a 91ÊÓƵ feature offering a look at the projects in Oregon being tackled by local architecture firms. To have your firm’s projects considered, contact the 91ÊÓƵ at 503-802-7221 or [email protected].