A renovation to suit a medical clinic in Northeast Portland is in the works.

Two building permits totaling about $7.4 million are under review for a tenant improvement at 4400 N.E. Halsey St., Building D.

JRJ Architects LLC designed the project for a Providence Health and Services women’s clinic. The project team also includes general contractor Fortis Construction, structural engineer Equilibrium Engineers, mechanical/plumbing engineer Southland Industries, and electrical engineer Mazzetti.

The Providence women’s clinic currently on Northeast 47th Avenue near Hoyt Street is relocating into the company’s campus on Northeast Halsey Street near 44th Avenue, Providence design and construction manager Evan Schaye stated in an email. The new clinic will be 18,100 square feet, including dedicated space for maternal fetal medicine and forensic nursing services.

“The renovation is a complete gut and overhaul, with upgrades to the plumbing, electrical and mechanical system, two new rooftop units, an elevator upgrade and all new, modern finishes,” Schaye stated.

The new space will provide additional exam rooms, procedural rooms, and ultrasound rooms, as well as expanded office space and waiting areas.

The total project cost is $9 million, which includes planning, equipment, design and construction.

Construction is scheduled to start in March 2024 and finish in early October.

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An expansion/remodel is in the works at Providence St. Vincent’s emergency department in Portland. The work, designed by JRJ Architects, is a multi-phased renovation of the existing emergency department, located on the existing lower level of the Phil and Penny Knight Pavilion.

Contractor Lease Crutcher Lewis will begin construction in January. Construction is estimated to be complete in January 2025.

The project owner is Providence Health Systems. Other consultants on the project include PAE, Catena Consulting Engineers and KPFF Consulting Engineers.

Sean-Scott Ingersoll, project manager at JRJ Architects, said his firm began working on schematic design in the summer of 2021 and developed the design this year. Providence St. Vincent had conducted studies on efficiencies and improvements in efficiencies for the hospital and JRJ Architects took those recommendations and put together a schematic design.

The scope of the work of the project includes remodeling and hardening the entry/security/arrival zones; new fast track and results pending spaces; new and updated nurse stations and employee work areas; increased exam room counts and treatment spaces for the current pods; and a new diagnostic imaging department with three general radiology machines, two CT scanners and an ultrasound room.

Currently, drop off patients enter and exit through the same entry.

“We’ve specifically taken the entry to this and separated it from the exit so there’s a more efficient through-put of patients coming into the space versus those after they have been checked out and been released come out through a separate set of doors,” Ingersoll said.

Patients will now enter through the southwest corner of the building and be met with the security space. The layout will allow staff to have complete visibility of the waiting area.

Many of the nurse stations were brought up to current code in regard to having separate medication dispensing areas. Those areas will be separate, more secure and efficient. Nurse stations will be scattered throughout the emergency department, with smaller decentralized stations rather than one centralized station.

There will be a new and expanded staff break room area. Currently, the staff break room is in the middle of the emergency department.

“We’re excited because we were able to place it on an exterior courtyard wall so that the break room will now be able to look into an interior courtyard, some green space, daylight, that kind of thing, so when providers are off stage they have a bit of a more peaceful, relaxing space to be,” Ingersoll said.

Also included in the project is a relocated secure behavioral health department and adjacent flex room spaces that allow for use as either medical or behavioral health rooms. Ingersoll is excited about the flex rooms, as they can adjust to whatever the need is.

There will also be new locker rooms and updates made to the pediatrics area. The footprint of the pediatrics area is essentially staying the same, with some improvements made to nurse stations, the rooms, as well as the flex spaces.

The project will include all related interior finish, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, low voltage, security and fire protection/fire alarm systems work as required and includes vital infrastructure improvements to support the department. The approximate square footage is 57,250 square feet.

The emergency department must continue to be operational and functional during the project. There are multiple phases and sub-phases required in order to maintain operations, as well as keeping the available exam room count to an acceptable minimum number during each phase of construction.

On the Boards is a 91��Ƶ feature offering a look at projects in Oregon and Southwest Washington being tackled by local architecture firms. To have your firm’s projects considered, contact the 91��Ƶ at 503-802-7221 or newsroom@djcOregon.com.

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A project site in Newberg is serving as a testing ground for a new kind of structural steel system.

General contractor Fortis Construction is building for Providence Health & Services a new three-story, 60,000-square-foot medical office building at the existing Providence Newberg Medical Center. Designed by JRJ Architects, the building will house noncritical services that currently occupy space in the hospital.

“It will free up a lot of space in the hospital,” Providence communications manager Mike Antrim said.

Notably, instead of a welded moment frame system, Catena Consulting Engineers chose to employ a bolted moment frame system created by California firm SidePlate. Its use is expected to slash the time needed to erect structural steel, eliminate the need for brace frames or shear walls, and cut the amount of necessary welding to a minimum.

“That was one of the things that SidePlate set out to do with this system,” Catena principal Jared Lewis said. “Is there a frame connection we can utilize that’s a simpler replacement?”

Bolted systems aren’t new, but SidePlate’s is unique because of the way joints are formed.

“That connection is really meant to be very rigid and maintain its connection point and force the beam itself to go through the inelastic displacements and energy dissipation,” Lewis said. “So that if the beam gets damaged you can replace the beam and the connection should remain intact.”

Use of a bolted system also can save time. Ironworkers needed just nine days to erect structural steel and bolt together the support columns, beams and other elements for the new Providence building. Fortis superintendent John Lawrence estimated the work would have required around 15 days using welded connections.

SidePlate “did all the welding of the plates,” Lawrence said. “They’re prefabricated and welded in their shop, so it’s just a matter of an interlocking system and the installation of an exorbitant amount of bolts at the moment frames.”

The system provided multiple bonuses, JRJ Architects principal Tom Wesel said. One is that there is no need to worry about scheduling full-penetration welds, which require time-consuming preheating of steel in cold weather. Also, without brace frames or other vertical obstacles, the building could be opened up to natural light. Plus, future renovations will be easier as a result.

“We have more usable square footage out of this system,” Wesel said. “Often the bracing systems end up on the perimeter, so we’re working around them where windows could be, and we basically had a free reign around the perimeter to get that light access.”

Ground was broken on the project in August 2018. Currently, ironworkers with By Design Steel Services of Colton are installing steel decking while Whitaker Ellis carpenters build formwork and otherwise prepare for concrete deck pours on levels two and three. Site work is mostly complete, but underground utility work also is continuing.

Once concrete is poured, crews will begin work on the exterior skin and a temporary roof. That will allow interior framing and mechanical, electrical and plumbing work to commence.

The building is scheduled for substantial completion by mid-November, with opening set for December, Antrim said.

Providence Newberg Medical Center expansion

Owner: Providence Health & Services

General contractor: Fortis Construction

Architect: JRJ Architects

Structural engineer: Catena Consulting Engineers

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Providence Health & Services is preparing to expand its presence on the southwestern edge of the Portland-metro area.

The health care giant recently unveiled plans for a new three-story, 60,000-square-foot medical office building near the existing Providence Newberg Medical Center off of Oregon Route 99W in Newberg. A is being reviewed by the city of Newberg, which has 120 days from the date of submission to either give or withhold approval.

“It’s the largest new (medical clinic) project for the Oregon region this year, so there’s quite a bit of excitement around it,” Providence Health & Services senior construction manager Weston York said. “You don’t get to build a greenfield medical office very often anymore, so it’s kind of exciting to do that.”

The new clinic will provide outpatient oncology services such as chemotherapy treatment and pharmaceutical sales, and rehabilitation services as well. The project has been in the works for several years, York said.

“The original hospital was built in the early or mid-2000s,” he said. “And there has been such growth in the market that there is the need to grow our primary care group, as well as an expanded cancer service line.”

After construction wraps up and services move from the main hospital building, Providence plans to renovate a portion of the latter building. Altogether, the projects will have a budget of $46.7 million.

“Once services move out of hospital to new building there’s a project to put an outpatient center in the vacated space,” York said. “So, yes, it is a larger effort to expand services on campus.”

The applicant for the project is JRJ Architects, a Beaverton firm that specializes in designing hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities.

The project takes many of its aesthetic cues from the neighboring Providence Newberg Medical Center, JRJ Architects principal Tom Wesel said. That building opened in 2006 with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold rating.

However, the new clinic will have distinctive features.

“Being on the campus with the first LEED gold-certified hospital, we’re making sure that we respect the architecture of the existing campus and also have some elements with in this building that make it its own,” Wesel said. “The building interior is based on some new clinic models that Providence is working, and it’s mostly trying to improve patient comfort and service.”

One key design element focuses on maximizing separation between clinic medical staff and patients.

“We’re focusing on getting a patient the opportunity to go to the exam room sooner and have more services delivered in the exam room and less time waiting,” Wesel said.

One complication for the clinic project is the long-planned Newberg-Dundee bypass. There is an overlay zone across a swath of land slated for that Oregon Department of Transportation project. That zone runs right up against the southern edge of the Providence campus, which influenced how the new clinic will be positioned.

“Our site was constrained by the potential bypass,” Wesel said. “Providence owns more land, but we were respecting the proposed location of the bypass corridor. We’ve had a number of conversations with ODOT and Newberg as it relates to the bypass corridor, and the potential for that is there. And based on the overlay we did have to adjust our footprint.”

A separate traffic analysis of the project site by Kittelson & Associates, Newberg associate planner Keith Leonard said, showed that existing roads will likely be able to smoothly handle traffic generated by the new clinic.

Ground is expected to be broken this summer, York said, and the clinic is scheduled to open at the end of 2019. The hospital renovation would then take place during 2020.

“It’s kind of sequenced,” he said. “The new building needs to go first, and once it’s open we’ll do the renovation work. Our plan is to break ground and start prep of the site this summer so we can get our building pad in before the rains come.”

Significant work remains available for subcontractors to bid on, York said.

“There definitely still is opportunity,” he said. “We’ve done some best value selection with the mechanical and electric teams, but other than that there is a traditional procurement for the rest of the building.”

Currently, the project is in a 120-day design review period. Review is still in the early stages, Leonard said.

“I’m just starting to get comments from the various agencies,” he said last week.

The project team includes general contractor Fortis Construction, mechanical engineer PM Design and Catena Consulting Engineers.

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Patients and doctors alike are sure to benefit from an improved Providence Cancer Center in Portland. Providence Health & Services is spending $15 million to transform the 11th floor of its building at 4805 N.E. Glisan St. into a comfortable and efficient space.

“It will unify the cancer treatment experience on one floor,” said Dr. Kevin Olson, executive medical director of cancer services at Providence Health & Services. “They will find the same front desk, doctors and other treatments that they might have to go to three or four different places for now.”

JRJ Architects‘ challenge was to find a design able to bring together multiple specialties associated with cancer treatment. The space needed to be able to accommodate dentists, geneticists and surgeons.

It also had to be able to serve patients receiving treatments for non-cancer ailments.

“Patient flow was the biggest challenge,” said Thomas Wesel, a JRJ Architects principal. “Normal oncology patients flow differently than specialty patients. Working through the crossover of patients was a challenge.”

Then there was the space issue. Currently, chemotherapy, radiology, surgical and dental services occupy separate spaces from 3,000 to 4,000 square feet. When they move into the new center next year, they will share more than 30,000 square feet.

“We tried to cluster the groups so that patients and staff wouldn’t have to walk too far,” Wesel said. “We wanted to make sure patients will have to travel the fewest steps.”

Architects spent months talking with doctors, patients and volunteers to learn their specific needs in the space. Some patients wanted an infusion area that would allow them to interact with other patients and staff; others wanted more private space for those treatments.

“We came up with a place where people can sit and have conversations,” Wesel said. “We also have some chairs that are more separated. Other spaces have Zen rooms if you need to be completely alone.”

One thing everyone wanted was natural light. Designers responded by positioning windows to allow views of mountains and east Portland.

While patients’ needs received considerable attention, so did doctors’ needs. The new space will facilitate collaboration between doctors and increase efficiency.

“We are going to implement a concierge pharmacy to deliver drugs to patients in clinic instead of sending them out of the house,” Olson said.

The biggest surprise of the project, he added, is its price tag.

“There is always sticker shock,” he said. “How much it costs to do things in a hospital situation – that was interesting and challenging.”

Despite the price tag, Olson said the new center will vastly improve the patient experience in what is one of the most stressful times in their lives. The design phase of the project is wrapping up. Permitting and construction phases will begin in the next few months. The updated space is expected to be ready next year.

“There has been a fragmentation in treatment,” Olson said. “It is rare that one clinical entity can provide all these services. The idea here is to make it feel like there is one-stop shopping. Patients can be in one space and get their questions answered.”

On the Boards is a 91��Ƶ feature offering a look at the projects in Oregon being tackled by local architecture firms. To have your firm’s projects considered, contact 91��Ƶ architecture and engineering reporter Kent Hohlfeld at 503-802-7224 or khohlfeld@djcOregon.com.

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Many buildings today are designed to be more than attractive and functional; they’re also designed to improve occupants’ health. When it comes to health, new research indicates that where people spend their time can be as big a factor as sleep, diet or exercise. This is influencing project designs. Buildings with sustainable elements have been shown to improve occupants’ cognitive function and sleep quality.

Architects are using a variety of features to help make buildings healthier places for people. Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington, uses calming gardens and window positions to bring in natural light. Cascades Academy in Bend blurs the difference between outdoor and indoor spaces in an effort to lure students outdoors. The Daimler Trucks North America headquarters in Portland has walking trails to entice employees to move during the day.

“We’re doing things that were impossible 10 years ago,” said Aly Pierce, interior designer at Hennebery Eddy Architects. “Ten years ago, nobody wanted to do low volatile organic compounds (VOC) paint. Now, people are seeing the benefits.”

Attempts to address health issues in design has led to the development of the Well Building Standard. Similar to Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design ratings, Well Building Standards focus on how design incorporates the health of a building’s users.

“Architects are taking a more global view,” said Herb Giffin, a principal at GBJ Architecture. “We’re not only thinking about healthier buildings on the inside, but also on the outside.”

A 2016 Harvard University study looked at 10 high-performing buildings in five cities across the United States. The goal was to look at the relationship between a building’s conditions and occupants’ well-being and productivity.

The study found that workers that were in “green certified” environments scored 26 percent higher in cognitive tests, had 30 percent fewer symptoms of “sick building” syndrome and got 6 percent better quality of sleep.

One of the factors that had the biggest impact on workers’ well-being and productivity, the study found, was lighting. Brighter, blue-enriched lighting, such as daylighting, improved workers’ circadian rhythms that led to better sleep qualities and higher cognitive functions the next day.

“We have seen a huge incorporation of natural daylight in building designs,” Giffin said.

One of the biggest challenges when designing a new work space can be allowing natural light into artificial structures.

“In an administrative space, you are still trying to get them natural light,” said Jason Mullavey, a project manager at JRJ Architects. “We are always asking how can you get natural lighting in? How do you get lighting levels right?”

Another critical factor, according to the Harvard study, is ventilation. Workers in environmental conditions within the thermal comfort zone defined by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers showed a 5.4 percent higher cognitive function than those in environments outside of that zone.

“Air filtration has become a big issue,” Mullavey said. “There has been a move lately to use natural ventilation. How can we open this up?”

Buildings’ internal environments also are affected by how much off-gassing occurs. Off-gassing creates that “new car” smell that automobile buyers find so intoxicating. Unfortunately, that smell isn’t so innocuous. Whether in cars or buildings, it occurs when newly manufactured items like furnishings, paints or plastics release VOCs and other chemicals into the air. Prolonged exposure can cause headaches, blurry vision, nausea and prompt asthma attacks.

People for decades have searched for ways to mitigate off-gassing. Many of the chemicals used in today’s manufacturing processes have never been tested for their effects on people or animals.

That has led architects to take a closer look at the products they use. Fortunately, the popularity of LEED has prompted manufacturers to be more proactive about what they use in their products.

“The industry has been moving away from off-gassing,” Giffin said. “We use more stringent air filtration. When a product is LEED certified, we can be more confident about what is in it.”

Regulations have also helped. Paint, one of the biggest sources of off-gassing, now has to meet federal rules in regard to how much vapor it can release. Regulations, combined with manufacturers’ desire to appeal to builders of LEED-rated structures, have produced better products.

“It’s gotten easier,” Giffin said. “With the information manufacturers provide today, you can compare materials like you are at a grocery store.”

Interior design has also begun factoring in a building users’ health and well-being. Desks, once the epitome of the sedentary lifestyle, are changing. New styles promote standing or allowing a combination of both sitting and standing.

A 2016 study by the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at Texas A&M University found that workers using a standing desk showed a 45 percent increase in productivity compared to their seated co-workers.

“Getting people off their fannies is big,” said Andrea Bainbridge, owner of Bainbridge. “There has been an evolution. About 20 years ago they had a huge push for ergonomics. Now it’s about giving users much more control over their environment.”

It isn’t a new phenomenon. An 1883 article in Popular Science encouraged workers to get on their feet as a way to relieve indigestion.

“Sitting all day is bad for your health,” Bainbridge said. “Getting people moving is a big aspect to having a healthier building.”

Another change is how interiors are now arranged. When Bainbridge began designing interior work spaces 40 years ago, most were small, 8-foot-by-8-foot cubicles designed for people to sit at a desk all day. Today’s office designs are more open with better views.

“Sitting is the new smoking,” Pierce said.

Another factor that affects which elements find their way into a design is the type of building that is being constructed. An office building has far different occupants than a health care facility or a school.

“What we use really varies dependent upon the population type,” said Thane Eddington, an architect with PKA Architects.

Dealing with those different populations can limit an architect’s options.

“In health care, everyone wants hard surfaces,” Mullavey said. “The question is how to warm those spaces up.”

Usually that means using soothing colors or building a calm space. The key is making sure the design meets the needs of occupants.

In the end, architects know that design has limits as to the effect it can have on building users’ health.

“Architecture can only do so much,” Eddington said. “At some point it boils down to people in the building.”

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One of the side effects of the Great Recession was that a lot of architects and designers ended up extending their careers longer than they intended originally. But with an improving economy and many firms now on solid economic footing, many owners and lead principals are finally ready to retire.

“We had a very large amount of folks that planned to (retire) in 2008 and 2012,” Jordan Ramis shareholder Brad Eriksen said. “The reason we are seeing more (transitions) is firms are on firmer economic footing.”

Managing an ownership transition can be a daunting and time-consuming task.

“I recommend looking at five years down the road,” Eriksen said. “It is a very long-term process. Even once everything is in place, you are looking at six to nine months, and there is a lot of leg work to get done.”

The first step, according to Eriksen, is to decide which succession route to pursue. Local firms have generally followed one of three options. The first is an outright sale of the firm to a new owner. Another is to elevate a current employee to owner or partner. And a third is to transfer to a group of partners.

Business owners should begin by determining whether any current employees can or want to take over, Eriksen said.

When Randy Jurgens decided to end his 37-year career at the helm of Jon R. Jurgens (now JRJ Architects) in 2012, Tom Wesel stepped up to become principal owner. Running his own business had always been an ambition for Wesel, and he had worked with Jurgens while pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Oregon. Wesel knew ownership would be an option when he came to the West Coast from NBBJ’s office in Columbus, Ohio.

“I enjoyed the exposure of the smaller firm,” he said. “Randy invited me back with opportunities for buyout, and I came back in 2004.”

Planning ahead was a key aspect that made the transition a relatively smooth one.

“A recipe for success is in the planning,” Eriksen said. “Start thinking about selling well in advance. It gives the architects time to do their due diligence. It just gives you a much greater chance of success.”

Another factor was Jurgens’ willingness to help make sure clients were comfortable with the new management.

“Our clients knew he was around, but it was clear to the staff they didn’t have two bosses,” Wesel said.

One aspect that took some adjustment, Wesel said, was administrative responsibility. Suddenly Wesel was not just dealing with major clients and projects; he was choosing health insurance and 401K plans.

“It wasn’t a shock, but it was a new experience,” he said. “I still really like to be hands on with the clients. Dividing those hands-on client management duties and the office management was different.”

The only change that clients noticed was a name change from Jon R. Jurgens to JRJ Architects.

“Our letterhead looks a little different,” he said. ”It wasn’t a big change in the industry. I was blessed to take over a firm that had strong reputation.”

While choosing a single leader from within can often be a relatively straightforward endeavor, creating a partnership can be more complicated, but secure a firm’s position over the long haul. Scott | Edwards Architecture added six partners when one of its founders, Kelly Edwards, decided to retire in 2013.

A key aspect of the transition was creating a system that would allow the firm to continue doing business far into the future.

“(Going to a partnership) really fit with the culture of our firm,” said Sid Scott, principal of Scott | Edwards Architecture. “There is about a 20-year age difference between the partners. We want the partnership to continue for many years.”

They established a system where partners put in equity to the firm for the percentage of ownership. While Scott has the highest equity stake in the firm, the remaining six all have the same percentage.

Scott said that the keys for partnership success ranged from educating the new partners about their responsibilities to designing a business structure that would work with seven participants.

“It is always an eye-opener,” he said. “You live through everything as it is going. You learn and make mistakes. It is a growing process.”

Making sure everyone is on the same page can be more difficult as a firm adds owners.

“Every time you add a player on either side of the agreement, you have to get them to speak with one voice,” Eriksen said.

Having a culture that prioritized individuality was important to making the new partnership work.

“For employees there was a good sense of ownership,” said Lisa McClellan, who was brought on as one of Scott | Edwards Architecture’s new partners. “As an employee you are always able to sort of run your own ship.”

McClellan said being able to have a hand in guiding the firm and to add another woman in ownership at an architectural firm were the biggest draws of partnership for her.

“It gives me the chance to go out and get the kind of jobs I want,” she said. “I have much more confidence to generate work.”

If handing the reins to someone inside a firm is not possible, then selling to an outside party becomes an option. WGS Planned Interiors & Design chose this route when owner Paul Gibbons decided to retire.

“I had 43 years in the business and had a whole series of other interests that I had been delaying,” he said. “It was time to push the rest button.”

Gibbons looked at his employees first, but no one stood out.

“They didn’t want to have the responsibility of being a business owner,” he said. “That wasn’t a viable option from my perspective.”

That’s where Andrea Bainbridge, principal owner of Bainbridge, entered the situation as a prospective buyer. Reaching an agreement in such a sale usually requires an outside party to evaluate the firm and determine a starting price for negotiations, according to Eriksen. However, Gibbons and Bainbridge bucked that trend and negotiated a deal themselves.

“What Paul prided himself in and what we pride ourselves in is having extremely long relationships with clients,” Bainbridge said.

Bainbridge bought Gibbons’ operation in its entirety. Then Gibbons stayed around for months to help Bainbridge develop a relationship with clients.

“It was primarily about making sure my client base that I had developed over 40 years was taken care of,” Gibbons said. “She is a business lady that had a very similar philosophy. We spent a fair amount of time to see if I could make the transition to her firm.”

Valuing intangible assets is always one of the toughest parts of the sale process. A firm’s hard assets like computers, tables and offices are often fully depreciated and replaced. Intangible assets like a client base and future profits draw buyers.

After hammering out a handshake deal, Bainbridge got three of Gibbons eight clients to become permanent patrons of her service. Gibbons got to move to Aurora, where he pursues his passion for making ornate knives.

“We got three excellent clients, so it was good profit for us,” Bainbridge said.

Regardless of which transition method is chosen, a big part of making it successful is maintaining strong relationships.

“I would make sure that if you have sustaining clients, those relationships are solid,” Wesel said. “If you don’t have a history with a repeat client, you can have 50 percent of your work gone. Your relationship has to be solid.”

Getting good advice well in advance of a possible transition is also vitally important.

“Talk to your advisors,” Eriksen said. “Whether it’s insurance, accountants or lawyers, getting that advice makes it go a lot smoother.”

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Compass Oncology is building a new multidisciplinary cancer center in Tigard. Crews have already begun early grading; construction of the structure is set to start this spring.

“We have to go in for plan review, and construction should begin at the end of March or (beginning of) April,” said Scott Harris, a project architect with JRJ Architects.

The 36,000-square-foot facility is going up in the Tigard Triangle in the northeast corner of the city. Compass Oncology will be located between Southwest 72nd Avenue to the east, Southwest Dartmouth Street to the north, a Walmart store to the west and vacant land to the south. Lease Crutcher Lewis is the project’s contractor. The center will be Compass Oncology’s seventh in the Portland-metro area where patients are served.

The property’s slope – the southeast corner is nearly 40 feet higher than the northwest corner – has presented an early challenge for the project team. The parking lot must be relatively flat because many patients are older and have limited mobility. Also, the city of Tigard required that a pedestrian path be created to allow access to the Walmart building from 72nd Avenue.

In addition, the building’s design received major revisions.

“The original design we proposed was more of a conventional one-story building,” Harris said. “The owner wanted to give it a cutting-edge look to reflect the technology that will be used.”

That technology will include a high-dose radiation room. That produces its own challenges because the linear accelerator that produces the radiation used in many treatments must be in a concrete vault that is three to six feet thick.

Despite receiving unanimous approval from the Tigard Planning Commission, the project had to go before the Tigard City Council when a neighbor appealed the commission’s OK. The city unanimously rejected the appeal.

Harris said that if the project remains on schedule, he expects the center to open by the middle of May 2018. When finished, the facility will house 80 employees, including 12 oncologists.

On the Boards is a 91��Ƶ feature offering a look at the projects in Oregon being tackled by local architecture firms. To have your firm’s projects considered, contact 91��Ƶ architecture and engineering reporter Kent Hohlfeld at 503-802-7224 or khohlfeld@djcOregon.com.

The post On the Boards: Compass Oncology cancer center appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.