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Skylab Architecture will soon be on the move. The firm is preparing to leave its office in Portland鈥檚 West End later this year to establish a new headquarters on a triangular-shaped corner lot in the city鈥檚 northwest industrial area.

A three-year search led to Skylab purchasing a property that consists of two steel buildings and an adjacent yard with storage/work space. The firm designed a renovation for more than 10,000 square feet of interior space. PDX Contemporary Art will occupy approximately 25 percent of the property, at 1825 N.W. Vaughn St.

General contractor Lorentz Bruun Construction began work last year and is expected to finish in July. The project team also includes Knot Studio/2.ink Studio (landscape architecture), Humber Design Group (civil engineering), VALAR Consulting Engineering (structural engineering), and Jacobs (mechanical design/build).

Skylab鈥檚 present space, at 413 S.W. 13th Ave., could no longer meet its needs, the firm stated in a press release. The evolving company sought an industrial property that would be able to accommodate prefabrication as well as outdoor events, founder and principal architect Jeff Kovel said. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

鈥淲e were faced with a tricky decision because when property became available, it was at the worst time in terms of the pandemic impact,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or us, we saw this an opportunity to have a stronger voice in the city culturally and really host events, whether that鈥檚 films, lectures, exhibits, design week parties, etcetera, to create a salon for design discourse in the city.鈥�

The property鈥檚 two prefabricated steel warehouse buildings, with arched roofs, are connected via an enclosed walkway. One is a Quonset hut 鈥� a prefabricated structure of galvanized steel with a semicylindrical cross-section 鈥� and the other is a two-story warehouse. While much of the existing structures will remain intact, Skylab has reworked the layout and designed updates.

鈥淎 lot of the project came about how to restore these 1950s industrial buildings and bring them up to code,鈥� Kovel said.

The main hut is gaining a new floor plan, a new outer shell, and foil faced insulation. The design includes cross-laminated timber for prefabricated conference room modules, an enlarged skylight, and full trees inside the building. A timber addition will serve as an outdoor workspace during events.

The main hut includes the main studio, conference rooms, and a full kitchen that will anchor an exterior garden (including vegetables) available for public or private events. Staff amenities will include a basketball court, a pickleball court, and more. The interior will have exposed concrete floors, aluminum windows, and an exposed steel roof.

鈥淥ur architecture is really about the combination of nature and built form,鈥� Kovel said. 鈥淭hat pairing and an integration of a garden at our workspace is a really exciting and kind of key piece for us.鈥�

The adjacent warehouse will host PDX Contemporary Art and a Skylab prefabrication studio.

鈥淲e can do special prefabrication projects for the interior design of projects; we can prototype furniture design and products to bring to market,鈥� Kovel said.

Skylab鈥檚 plan is to build more product lines. The firm has served as a general contractor for design-build projects. The new facility will help facilitate that type of arrangement, Kovel said.

In addition to bringing the industrial space up to code, the project team is developing better stormwater management for the property.

Skylab has plans to start hosting events in September or October.