An unprecedented school construction boom is taking place in Oregon, including east Multnomah County. There, voters in the Gresham-Barlow School District in 2016 approved a $291 million bond measure that is now paying for modernizations of Gresham and Sam Barlow high schools, as well as efforts to replace two elementary schools.

One of the latter projects is for North Gresham Elementary School, at 1001 S.E. 217th Ave. Currently, crews are both building a new, 77,000-square-foot school and demolishing the old one, which was built in 1957.

Bremik Construction is serving as general contractor for the project, which was designed by BBT Architects of Bend. Ground was broken in spring 2018, and completion is scheduled prior to the start of the next school year in September, Bremik project engineer Zach Beaton.

Demolition is likely to continue through July, Beaton said, as crews carefully dismantle the old single-story structure, which was built largely with concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls and interior wood framing.

BBT Architects focused on four key areas for the new building: better movement of students through the school; better daylighting and HVAC systems; modern learning spaces; and better safety and security – including a secure vestibule at the entrance along with restricted access to outdoor play areas.

The new school has a slab-on-grade foundation and 56 concrete tilt-panel walls. Capacity for the two-story building will be 550 students. The 24 classrooms are organized by grade level into four-room pods around common spaces. A media center and cafeteria, covered outdoor play area and gymnasium are among the many amenities. Staff and visitor parking as well as traffic circulation will be vastly improved from the former campus configuration, according to the project team.

The exterior is dominated by metal panels, while the interior is based on the theme of constellations and the North Star – clustered, flexible spaces becoming “intersections of activity.”

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Construction crews will soon break ground on the new Oregon State University-Cascades campus in Bend despite the potential for another appeal of project approval.

The Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals earlier this month denied an appeal submitted by community group Truth in Site LLC questioning city of Bend approval for the university campus to be built on a nearly 10.5-acre parcel near the intersection of Southwest Century Drive and Chandler Avenue. The group has until Monday to file a notice of intent to appeal the LUBA decision to the Oregon Court of Appeals.

But OSU officials have said they are confident that even if the decision is appealed, the Court of Appeals is unlikely to remand the LUBA ruling. The university announced plans late last week to begin construction of the new campus as soon as necessary permits are obtained from the city – likely within the next two weeks.

“We have made the decision to proceed with construction knowing that yet another appeal may be filed by the June 29 deadline regarding the development of the 10.44-acre campus,” OSU President Edward Ray wrote in a letter addressed to the Oregon State community. “The LUBA decision fully and strongly affirmed the city of Bend’s approval of the site plan and Oregon State’s development of a four-year university branch campus.”

Plans for the estimated $24 million first phase call for construction of a 45,630-square-foot academic building and a 114,000-square-foot residence hall and dining complex as well as new campus streets, pathways and parking. OSU early last year hired Portland-based Boora Architects in partnership with Bend-based BBT Architects and Portland-based Walker Macy to design the academic building and campus grounds. Portland-based SERA Architects is designing the residence hall and dining center.

Crews from Portland-based Fortis Construction will construct the academic building and campus infrastructure. Portland-based Walsh Construction Co. will build the student housing and dining complex.

The campus is scheduled to open for classes in fall 2016 and serve up to 1,890 students.

OSU officials had initially planned to break ground last summer and open the campus this fall, but appeals delayed construction.

In Truth in Site’s appeal to LUBA, the group raised multiple concerns, including claims that the proposed campus would exacerbate traffic congestion in the surrounding area and offer insufficient parking for students.

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A new facility designed by for ‘s Redmond campus will benefit more than the school, according to Kevin Shaver, senior project manager for the firm.

“It can encourage industrial growth and technological growth in our area and create new businesses,” he said. “They see this as a technology hub for the Redmond campus, but it will also be of value to the communities of Redmond and Central Oregon.”

The 37,618-square-foot technology education center will include classroom laboratories, group study spaces and computer labs. A large portion of the labs will be devoted to hybrid automobile research, Shaver said.

Additionally, the building will contain a large amphitheater able to hold up to 100 students. It could be rented out for guest lectures.

“(The facility) will be right next to the airport, so the thought is that technological industries come down and see this facility and think, ‘Boy, that would be a great place to hold a seminar,’ Shaver said.

The building’s form was designed out of concrete, steel, glass and aluminum panels. An open, structural steel frame will contain board-formed concrete for flexibility, Shaver said. Also, a large portion of the classrooms and laboratories were designed to accommodate a variety of curriculums because future uses aren’t set.

“Part of this project’s goal is flexibility, so (it’s about) designing for things they don’t know yet,” he said.

COCC has campuses in Bend, Redmond, Madras and Prineville. The building will be a large addition to the 25-acre Redmond campus, where the three existing buildings have a total of approximately 52,000 square feet.

Construction is expected to start by the end of this month and finish by fall 2013. is the general contractor.

“On the Boards” is a weekly feature that spotlights local firms’ best design work. Submissions from architectural and engineering firms are encouraged. Please call 503-802-7240 or email ontheboards@djcOregon.com.

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, headquartered in Bend, has completed the design for the regional headquarters of Pendleton-based

The new facility for Interpath, which provides medical laboratory testing services, will let the company’s Pendleton staff be consolidated into one location. The facility includes a medical testing laboratory, a large interior space, office space and an exterior courtyard. The 33,600-square-foot facility sits on a prominent site off U.S. Route 395.

“I think what makes it special really is the site,” said Todd Turner, BBT Architects principal-in-charge. “It is a very prominent site, and it was an opportunity to really provide some fresh architecture for the city of Pendleton.”

The design of the facility makes use of brick and concrete with the intention of portraying a progressive feel while maintaining historic respect for Pendleton’s architectural past. The design includes lengthy spans of windows, exposed steel accents and vertical elements featuring composite metal panels.

“I think it’s going to be respectful of Pendleton’s history as well as the built environment around it,” Turner said, “but it’s going to have a more contemporary edge – more in a future direction versus reflective to the past.”

The new facility, being built by , is expected to be completed this winter.

“On the Boards” is a weekly feature that spotlights local firms’ best design work. Submissions from architectural and engineering firms are encouraged. Please email ontheboards@djcoregon.com or call 503-802-7240.

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Deschutes Brewery’s headquarters in Bend will be remodeled and expanded to keep up with growing demand for its wide variety of brews.

The project, designed by , calls for updating the tasting room and gift shop as well as creating a new two-story building to house future processing equipment, a new electrical control room, restrooms and showers for the staff and constructing a new building to house five additional fermentation tanks.

The 6,750-square-foot expansion is an opportunity to add interesting design elements into what could have been drab industrial architecture, BBT project architect Todd Turner said.

Deschutes will be able to brew approximately 105,000 additional barrels per year in the expanded facility.

“That was where we had a bottleneck in our operations – the fermentation tanks,” said Michael LaLonde, chief operating officer at Deschutes. “Our brewhouse can brew 600 to 700 thousand barrels, but our fermentation tanks couldn’t hold enough.”

With the five additional tanks, LaLonde says Deschutes will be able to expand its production of specialty beers and experiment with new varieties.

The facility will include new water and energy efficiencies, including a continuous-use cleaning system and a water reuse tank that will reduce energy use and save thousands of gallons of water per year. Other sustainable features of the project include a heated rinse tank that will save hot water and steam for tempering tanks between cycles.

Construction is slated to begin in early June, and the general contractor is .

Other project partners include: , structural engineering; , mechanical engineering, electrical and plumbing; and , civil engineering.

The brewery will be open to visitors for tours and tastings during the construction. 

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Jackson County School District’s Eagle Point Elementary School, destroyed by fire more than eight years ago, is finally being replaced.

The 60,000-square-foot facility, designed by BBT Architects, will consist of four separate classroom wings, each with a separate activity room. The building will also include a library, a computer lab to accommodate 35 students, a full-service kitchen, a cafeteria, a gymnasium and central administrative spaces.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is not being pursued because of an accelerated schedule, said BBT project architect Todd Turner. However, the building is being designed to incorporate sustainable features such as photovoltaic solar arrays.

“The school is an adaptation of a prototypical design we’ve done. We will be incorporating a number of design features and it will be a sustainable design facility,” Turner said.

Construction is anticipated to begin in April and be completed in December. A general contractor has not been chosen yet.

Other project partners include: structural engineer Doug Schwarz of Froelich Consulting Engineers, MEP engineer John van Bladeren of MFIA Inc., civil engineer Robert Gunter of Marquess & Associates Inc., landscape architect Kerry KenCairn of KenCairn Landscape Architecture and food service designer Ray Soucie of RSA Food Service Consulting. 

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