It’s no easy task to transform a 105-year-old building into a modern health center focused on providing services to the homeless.

It’s even harder to make it sustainable.

Yet the proposed Multnomah County Behavioral Health Center is on track to be rated Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold, according to members of the project team.

A number of trade-offs and compromises were made for the sake of functionality. The lowest-flow toilets, for example, were a no-go. The county’s experience with other homeless shelters was that clients would use the toilets to wash items, or flush items that would cause plumbing problems.

Carleton Hart Architecture and Multnomah County also wanted to use showerheads with timers to save water; however, the timers weren’t available in the lowest-flow showerheads. The timers won out, paired with strong air pressure.

Those examples underline the trade-offs architects and other team members routinely wrestle with in complex projects in which an environmental certification is being pursued.

“The county has been very focused on we need this to work,” said Corey Morris, a Carleton Hart Architecture senior associate who is designing the project. “Let’s not compromise something (functional) for the sake of saying this is more sustainable.”

The Behavioral Health Center, which is still in the design phase, is meant to bridge the gap between homeless shelters and facilities such as the Unity Center for Behavioral Health, which provides acute care for patients in crisis.

“There hasn’t been anything sort of in between,” Morris said.

Multnomah County acquired the building at 333 S.W. Park Ave. in April 2019 from developer Tom Cody for $4.34 million. The county also purchased an adjacent parking lot for $1.5 million. In September 2019, the county’s Board of Commissioners approved plans for the project. The projected cost is $15 million to $20 million, including the property purchases.

The project will be subject to a Type III design review process before the Portland Design Commission. Mortenson Construction will be the general contractor.

The building presents a number of challenges that would be absent in ground-up construction.

“When you have this dilapidated existing building, how sustainable can you make it?” said Summer Fowler, president of ecoREAL Solutions, an environmental consultant on the project. “We focused on making it a super tight, super insulated envelope.”

With a tight envelope, air exchange becomes necessary. The building will have “way more ventilation than you would typically have,” Fowler said.

The building will have a 30-ton air handling unit providing 100 percent outdoor air.

Daylighting and photometric sensors will reduce the need for artificial light. In making design and equipment choices, the project team is trying to accommodate building users.

“It’s going to be a sensitive environment for people under high stress, or who have mental issues,” Fowler said.

EcoREAL Solutions has developed sheets that point contractors and others on the project team toward eco-friendly materials such as paints and finish materials low in volatile organic compounds and PVC-free furniture.

The project team studied but rejected installation of a solar array on the roof. The available area was too small and poorly oriented for solar, Morris said.

Instead, a green roof designed by NNA Landscape Architecture will be made solar ready in case an installation makes sense in the future.

The main floor and second floor are designed as a drop-in day center where users can shower, use restroom facilities, speak with staff and access additional services. The building will have 26 bathrooms and 17 showers.

The third floor’s group shelter space will be geared to serve users with persistent mental and behavioral health issues. The fourth floor will be dedicated to transitional housing.

A full seismic retrofit will take place to brace the building.

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Dan Bramske, an architect with EMA Architecture, figured that like many dream projects explored by nonprofits, the Rotary Youth Center at Morrison would start with a nice conversation and then be forgotten.

That didn’t happen.

Morrison Child and Family Services forged ahead with a plan to build a 4,100-square-foot facility for children, many of whom have suffered from sexual abuse, or have drug or alcohol addictions.

The concept for the project started as a simple covered area for the organization’s clients to use for outdoor play to fulfill Portland Public Schools‘ physical education requirements. Morrison, in consultation with EMA Architecture, decided to dream bigger, and applied for a once-in-a-decade grant from the Rotary Club of Portland.

The youth center plan was chosen for the club’s Project 2020, which led to a $500,000 contribution toward the project’s $2.3 million budget.

EMA Architecture worked with Morrison and general contractor Joseph Hughes Construction to round up donors and subcontractors willing to reduce their rates.

“The fact that this has all come together, and has blossomed into a project that’s 100 percent donated, is amazing,” Bramske said.

The project site is on a portion of Morrison’s property that was used for surface parking. The building will finally give the organization a purpose-built facility, Development Director Deanna Kavanaugh said.

“Morrison has never built a building in its 73-year history, which is kind of amazing, and we serve over 8,200 clients a year,” she said.

Completion of the building at 11025 N.E. Sandy Blvd., in Portland’s Parkrose neighborhood, is expected this summer. Morrison has scheduled a grand opening celebration for Sept. 4.

The project is on track to be net-zero energy, Bramske said. The facility may even end up producing more energy than it uses, he added.

Donors pushed the project toward higher environmental performance, Bramske said. A solar array and a green roof will be installed. The project team is considering proposals for solar installations of 40 to 57 kilowatts, Bramske said.

“Through the design process, we realized the form and location of the building were ideal for solar and ideal for eco-roofs,” he said.

High-performance insulation and glazing are being installed. A 2,500-gallon cistern will collect rainwater that will be used to irrigate a grass play field behind the building.

The project team brought in ecoREAL Solutions as a consultant. Participation in certification programs such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or Green Globes was considered, but determined to be too expensive, Bramske said. The LEED process, for example, was anticipated to cost $50,000, he said.

Instead, the project team is following Energy Trust of Oregon‘s Path to Net Zero program.

The front of the building is to be wrapped with a mural by a Portland artist who goes by the moniker Dominatah. The Regional Arts and Culture Council is evaluating the proposal.

Inside, the building is dominated by a large multipurpose room with a basketball court. A projector will be installed to show presentations or films. The room should be able to accommodate more than 100 people for events, Bramske said.

The building will be equipped with a “warm kitchen” – everything except a commercial stove – and bathrooms.

The building is envisioned to be used by youths in Morrison’s day treatment programs. It could host meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, and be used by foster families.

The design will be accessible to visitors with disabilities.

The project is close to fully funded, but is still accepting donations, Bramske said. Suppliers including Parr Lumber, Metallion Industries, Chown Hardware, James Hardie Siding, Sherwin-Williams, Thermal Supply and the Lake Oswego-based Home Builders Foundation have chipped in with in-kind donations. More are expected to arrive as the project wraps up.

As with all construction sites at this time, this one has adjusted to the coronavirus pandemic. During a May 27 site visit, workers (including those with subcontractors) were wearing masks. That’s a company-wide rule for Joseph Hughes Construction, said Scott Wigman, project manager for the Portland-based contractor.

“It’s definitely not easy, but for the most part we’re really coherent on it,” he said.

Some final tasks remain. Bramske is still working to secure permits from the Oregon Department of Transportation, which oversees Sandy Boulevard, to widen the driveway. Also, work is continuing on an outdoor space that will be terraced and have grass planted to provide a play field.

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