Skanska USA Building teamed with SRG Partnership and Behnisch Architekten to complete a 147,000-square-foot refurbishment of Portland State University’s existing Graduate School of Education and School of Business Administration in downtown Portland.

The $50.223 million project included renovations to the Karl Miller Center as well as a new 36,000-square-foot pavilion. A visually captivating glass atrium connects the two.

The project targeted LEED Platinum certification. The Karl Miller Center features a modern, cantilever design, the complexity of which posed plenty of challenges for the project team. Close collaboration and strong communication allowed the project team to successfully complete the project, despite having to conduct construction while classes were in session. Unusually harsh winter conditions also required Skanska and its subcontractors to turn to innovation and get creative in order to deal with unusually heavy rains and freezing temperatures.

A close working relationship also allowed the project team to help PSU reach its goals for sustainability. Features such as a green roof and a series of filtering planters and high-performance walls and windows resulted in the project earning LEED Platinum status.

The project was completed in time for the beginning of the fall 2017 term, earning praise from administrators from PSU‘s business school.

“Even with a myriad of challenges, the construction crew and subcontractors were professional and attentive … no small feat as the building was also occupied with over 4,000 students on the last day of the project,” Cliff Allen, dean of the business school, wrote in a letter of recommendation for the project.

Submitted by: Skanska USA Building

Location: Portland, Oregon

Project cost: $50.223 million

Start date: August 2015

Completion date: September 2017

Owner/developer: Portland State University

Architect: Behnisch Architekten, SRG Partnership

Engineer: Catena Consulting Engineers

General contractor: Skaska USA Building Inc.

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Portland State University’s held a grand opening last week for the Karl Miller Center, the modern new home of the university’s School of Business, which includes 100,000 square feet of renovated space and a 43,000-square-foot addition. The $60 million project features a five-story atrium with crisscrossing stairways and bridges, over three times as much classroom space as the school previously had, and common areas designed to foster interaction between students and faculty. The project was designed by Behnisch Architekten and SRG Partnership, and was built by Skanska.

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Portland State University’s School of Business unveiled its new building – part renovation, part new construction – during a ribbon-cutting event on Tuesday. Michael Kocher, project leader with Behnisch Architekten, which worked with SRG Partnership on the project, spoke with the 91��Ƶ Monday afternoon. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

91��Ƶ: How did Behnisch Architekten get involved with the project?

Michael Kocher: A couple different threads, I would say. One was (firm partner) Stefan Behnisch met one of the principals at SRG Partnership at a meeting one time and said if there is ever a good project, a good fit, maybe we could team up and do a project together. So they were kind of keeping us in the loop for this one.

The president (of PSU) at the time said we’d like somebody with a bit more international flair, somebody that brings something a little different here. And so that is when SRG saw the opportunity and said let’s team up with Behnisch and maybe that will make a very interesting team for the RFP.

91��Ƶ: What was breakdown of duties?

Kocher: Being here for all the construction demands on a daily basis is just something we are not capable of doing, so (SRG) definitely took the lead in that realm. In the early phases, our team – Stefan Behnisch, Matt Noblett, who is a partner in the Boston office, and myself – made trips out here. We were more in on the front end and towards the middle, and detailing it was more of a collaborative process.

91��Ƶ: What does a firm like yours, with an international profile, bring?

Kocher: It is different perspective. We just finished projects in the Ukraine, France and all these different countries. So, obviously, you build up a lot of different experience and knowledge of working with different cultures and different ways of doing things. I think what we bring is we take that shared knowledge from all those different cultures and it informs our architecture in a way.

91��Ƶ: What project had the most impact on the design?

Kocher: (PSU) saw our law school (the Angelos Law Center) in Baltimore and they said, ‘We want something like that in Portland.’ Every site is different. We get the idea that we like that building, we like that feeling. How do we achieve that in our project?

91��Ƶ: What are you most proud of?

Kocher: This space (the pavilion) is pretty amazing. Everybody is raving about it. The faculty and staff love coming through here.

91��Ƶ: What was most challenging?

Kocher: The renovation. You never know what you are going to find when you start taking walls down and seeing exposed structure. There were some challenges there.

91��Ƶ: What did you do to increase energy efficiency?

Kocher: We were going for the highest (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status you can get, but we wanted to go beyond that and I think that is what our office brings. We saw an opportunity, with the climate, to not use air conditioning in the new building. (The new construction) is passively cooled. How we did that was to utilize a certain percentage of concrete slabs, ceiling fans and operable windows. They automatically open up in the night time to night flush, allow cool air in.

91��Ƶ: What will you use from this project in others?

Kocher: The cooling. It will be a metric. I wouldn’t say that we pluck and say we want to reuse this. It’s like we get into the design of the next project and when something comes up, a detail or how we resolve this color or that color, it will be like, ‘What did we do on the Portland job again?’

91��Ƶ: Did the end result meet your vision?

Kocher: I would say we are all very happy with the end result.

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Skanska is putting the finishing touches on a two-year project to build a modern new home for the Portland State University School of Business. In addition to the complete renovation of approximately 100,000 square feet of existing space, the Karl Miller Center includes the construction of a new five-story pavilion building that connects to the existing building via an atrium with a series of criss-crossing stairways. The project was designed by the Boston office of German-based firm Behnisch Architecten and Portland-based SRG Partnership.

The pavilion will add 15 new classrooms, as well as interactive spaces and a tutoring lounge. The open layout is designed in part to foster interaction and collaboration between students and faculty. It includes three large, tiered classrooms – one with capacity for 80 students, and two with capacity for 60 — that were not able to be built in the existing building due to column spacing.

The pavilion building and atrium are passively cooled. Windows will automatically open in the evening to let in cool air, which will be absorbed by the building’s exposed concrete. The project is on target for a LEED Platinum rating.

Work on the pavilion and the east side renovation is slated to wrap up next month. Major work remaining includes flooring and finish work, startup and commissioning of HVAC equipment, and site work. A grand opening is scheduled for Sept. 19, and classes will begin in the building the following week.

(Editor’s note: This story has been modified from an original version to reflect the correct name of the school, which has been shortened to the School of Business.)

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When construction wraps up this fall on a renovation and expansion of the Karl Miller Center, the building is expected to become the most energy efficient structure on Portland State University‘s downtown campus.

Keeping the project on task during the past two years hasn’t always been easy for project team members as they faced challenges ranging from winter snow and ice storms to adjusting work schedules to accommodate occupants using the building during construction.

However, careful planning, clear communication and solid teamwork helped keep the project in the running to qualify for platinum status in the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design rating program, according to David Dwyer, a project executive with Skanska USA Building.

When pursuing the highest level in the LEED program, every point counts. So while the building was being gutted completely, any material that couldn’t be reused was recycled, Dwyer said.

An atrium and pavilion, representing 40,000 square feet of new construction, feature materials that maximize daylighting. A passive cooling system includes windows that open automatically to allow cool air to enter the space, Dwyer said. Once a specified temperature is reached, the windows automatically close. A series of fans then circulate the air to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the space.

The pavilion, on the north side of the building, also has the capacity to perform what Sam Stadler, project architect and project manager for SRG Partnership, describes as a “night flush.” During hot times of the year, the automated windows open at night to allow hot air that has built up in the space during the day to be released while allowing in cool air.

“In the morning, the building actually closes,” Stadler said. “It’s like the building is breathing.”

The exterior of the new addition features Alaskan Yellow cedar siding, which is rated by the Forest Stewardship Council and will help the building score LEED points.

“Originally, it was designed as a mass timber structure; that really didn’t price out,” Stadler said. “We were looking for other ways to integrate wood and a suggestion was made to use wood cladding. It was a genius move. The distinction between the renovation and the new portion is really aided by the cladding.”

The experience of the project team – from the main team of general contractor Skanska and designers SRG Partnership and Behnisch Architekten to a list of subcontractors – wasn’t just critical to maintain high standards for sustainability. It also helped keep the project on schedule despite some hefty challenges.

“Everybody’s been through this rodeo before,” Dwyer said. “You begin it (in) the problem-solving mode and you move on – that’s just construction. You might be surprised by some things, but it’s an organized chaos.

The organization factor came into play even before construction began. The Karl Miller Center serves as the home of PSU‘s School of Business, which meant that the building would be occupied while construction took place. The solution the team came up with pays tribute to the origins of the building.

The Karl Miller Center was actually built in two phases, between 1979 and 1989. In order to undertake rehabilitation, the team moved occupants and daily activities into one half of the building. A wall was built to separate the two sides of the building. Electrical, mechanical and other systems, all located in the center core of the building, were decoupled so that crews could begin gutting the empty half of the building. Once all rehabilitation work was complete, occupants were relocated to the newly renovated portion so crews could tackle the rest of the building.

But even with such careful planning, there still were times when anticipated work had to be delayed or rescheduled.

“You can’t have jackhammers going when students are taking a (midterm or final) test,” Dwyer said.

The project encountered another unexpected delay this past winter when snow, unusually cold temperatures and freezing rain combined to shut down work on projects across the Portland-metro area for several days.

In order to recoup some of that lost time for the Karl Miller Center, Dwyer said, some work had to be re-sequenced. Extra workers were brought in and some strategic overtime was added. Those small changes made a big difference over the span of a few months.

“We’re down to the last 5 percent of the job,” Dwyer said. “We’re on track to finish on time. We’re going to get there.”

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Two Portland State University building renovations are lined up, and another may follow.

Construction is scheduled to start in summer 2015 on improvements to the School of Business Administration and Viking Pavilion.

Also, the Oregon Legislature in summer 2015 could approve funding for a major renovation to Neuberger Hall. If so, ground would be broken on that project as soon as spring 2017.

SRG Partnership and Behnisch Architekten are scheduled to wrap up schematic design for the business school project at the end of August. Skanska will be the contractor.

The university hasn’t hired an architect for Viking Pavilion, but hopes to hire one this summer, PSU spokesman Scott Gallagher said. The project calls for construction of a new basketball court and a 5,000-seat meeting space.

One of university officials’ top requests of the state, Gallagher said, is for money to renovate Neuberger Hall, which houses classrooms and the financial aid and registration offices. The aging building needs work including a seismic upgrade and roof repairs, he said.

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A detail in a Portland State University pamphlet caught the eye of SRG Partnership principal Jon Wiener as the firm prepared to bid on a planned expansion and renovation of the School of Business Administration.

After reading that one of the university’s goals is to achieve a global reputation for excellence, Wiener knew that partnering with Stuttgart, Germany-based Behnisch Architekten would give SRG an edge in the bidding process.

“When PSU (officials) began their process for selecting an architect, it was clear that they wanted to look internationally,” he said. “So we (said), ‘We need an international partner that has expertise in sustainable design.’ ”

SRG’s relationship with Behnisch paid off when PSU in January awarded the two firms a contract to design the $60 million business school expansion. The aim is to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum rating, Wiener said.

“One of the ways that (PSU is) trying to achieve global prominence is with sustainable practices and sustainable design,” he said. “This building for the school of business was an opportunity to make a statement on sustainable design.”

SRG and Behnisch are in the early stages of designing a 42,000-square-foot expansion and renovation of the business school’s existing 52,000-square-foot building. The tricky part, Wiener said, will be finding the best ways to create a highly efficient building that serves the needs of students and faculty. This includes careful considerations for the locations of lecture halls, classrooms and other spaces, as well as how they’re heated and cooled.

“The challenge in an educational building is you have large numbers of people and you have high intensity of use during certain times of the day,” Wiener said. “You get large amounts of people that generate a lot of heat, and how do you solve that without using air conditioning? An academic building is more difficult. There’s more complexity.”

It helps that SRG and Behnisch share the same approach to sustainable design, Wiener said. Both firms prioritize natural ventilation, daylighting and insulation over solar panels or green roofs, he said.

“Those aren’t the essence of sustainability,” he said. “They are the symbols that people look for, but what makes a building wonderful is often daylight. The most cost-effective way in terms of energy performance is to reduce your (building energy) loads.”

The partnership also is a great way for SRG staffers to become familiarized with a European approach to sustainable design, Wiener said.

“We recognize that there is a lot to learn from the sustainable design that is happening in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe,” he said.

When PSU officials selected SRG to design the project, they were particularly impressed with the firm’s design of the Lillis Business Complex at the University of Oregon in Eugene, PSU spokesman Scott Gallagher said. Behnisch’s reputation as a world leader in sustainable design was equally appealing, he said.

“As we continue to target our education to the market and expand our influence, we recognized that we needed a top-notch school, a top-notch building,” he said. “Right now, our classes and faculty are spread out throughout campus. What it’s going to do is bring everybody under one roof.”

Construction is scheduled to begin in May 2015 and wrap up by the end of 2016. PSU has hired Skanska, which has a Portland office, as the contractor.

The project is Behnisch’s first in Portland, said Matthew Noblett, a partner with the firm’s Boston office. Behnisch is working with SRG to decide whether the expansion will be a separate building, attached to the existing building or placed on top, among other options. Other important decisions include determining how to bring more light into the existing building and make it more inviting and efficient, Noblett said. This may include gutting the building and starting from scratch.

“It’s very interesting to think about what can this old building become,” he said. “The precise balance of new and old needs to be determined. I think everybody agrees that the goal is to transform that existing building.”

The design for the renovation will account for the existing building’s central location on campus, Noblett said.

“There are such great opportunities,” he said. “You don’t want to somehow miss the traffic (and) have the building be enlivened by the traffic, but to figure out how to do that is a challenge.”

Also, the design will incorporate retail space and student gathering spaces throughout both the renovated building and the expansion, Gallagher said.

“Right now, there is nowhere for (students) to hang out, nowhere for them to study,” he said. “We’re very conscious of wanting this building to not just be beautiful, not just be sustainable, but suitable to our students and faculty.”

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The award of the construction manager-general contractor contract for the $60 million School of Business Administration expansion and renovation project at Portland State University is on hold, according to PSU Communications Manager John Kirkland.

That is because Howard S. Wright has filed a protest against the State Board of Higher Education after it issued in December a notice of intent to award the CM-GC contract to Skanska USA Building.

If Skanska were awarded the contract, it would work with SRG Partnership Inc., which in January signed its contract to design the building expansion. German firm Behnisch Architekten will partner with SRG, according to PSU.

“We are enthusiastically awaiting the finalization of our contact with PSU, after which we will be able to discuss the project details more freely,” Nathan Gibson, Skanska vice president of business development, said via email.

Howard S. Wright representatives could not be reached for comment.

The project calls for expanding the existing 52,000-square-foot building by 42,000 square feet. Also, the Graduate School of Education, which shares the building with the School of Business Administration, will relocate, freeing 53,000 additional square feet.

The $60 million project is being paid for with $40 million of state-backed bonds and $20 million of private contributions. The bond request was approved by the Oregon Legislature in July 2013. Private fundraising is about 80 percent complete, according to PSU.

University officials estimate ground to be broken in January 2015 and the expanded building to open by fall 2016.

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