Seattle-based architecture firm NBBJ recently opened a Portland office to capitalize on its relationships with local health care institutions.

The firm has opened for business in the Board of Trade Building at 310 S.W. Fourth Ave., with capacity for up to 25 employees.

NBBJ is designing Oregon Health & Science University‘s 14-story expansion on Marquam Hill, the OHSU Elks Children’s Eye Clinic and the Legacy Emanuel Medical Center‘s renovation and expansion in North Portland. NBBJ also designed a new wing of the St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.

“We wanted to better serve our clients,” said Jose Sama, a partner in the new Portland office.

NBBJ has worked with Skanska on several projects, and is looking to deepen its local connections with that contractor, Sama said.

“We have a good relationship with them, and we’re looking at identifying opportunities with other contractors and developers,” he said.

NBBJ searched for a small office of 3,000 to 5,000 square feet on the west side of the Willamette River. The firm looked at more than a dozen properties in downtown and the Pearl District.

NBBJ signed a lease in early September, and opened the office after installation of approximately $100,000 in information technology infrastructure. The space was renovated recently.

“It was basically move-in ready,” NBBJ principal Larry Parrett said.

NBBJ was founded in 1943 in Seattle by four partners. Boeing was an early client, and the firm performed public housing and health care work in postwar years.

“Culturally, Portland is very similar to Seattle,” Parrett said. “We feel like we fit right in.”

The city offers other advantages as well, he added.

“There’s a lot of design and staff talent in Portland,” he said.

Despite talk among presidential contenders of reducing health care spending, the sector’s long-term prospects remain promising, according to Parrett.

“We’ve been doing this a long time, and health care – just like other markets – goes in waves,” he said. “There’s always a lot of work in health care. It’s one of the most recession-proof markets there is.”

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Many of the largest health care providers in the Portland-metro area are contributing to a building boom in the industry, and Legacy Emanuel – in the city’s Eliot neighborhood – is no exception.

Andersen Construction in October 2018 began building a new seven-story, 340,000-square-foot expansion of the Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. The firm is serving as construction manager/general contractor for the project, which was designed by Seattle firm NBBJ Architects.

Nearly a year of demolition work took place so the existing structure could blend with the new. Because the building – dubbed Emanuel West – is being constructed as a core-and-shell, with tenant improvements to come at a later date, substantial completion is expected by summer 2020.

“We’re building this structure to tie into medical office building two and the west wing,” said Tony Carson, a senior project manager with Andersen Construction. “This building sets off other tenant improvements to improve circulation, and we’re building what we call a bridge even though it’s not really a bridge. There’s a big atrium, and this bridge ties the buildings together and opens up the patient circulation.”

To get to that point, saw crews actually began work almost a year earlier. That allowed for construction of temporary air conditioning and wastewater systems to allow the existing building to continue to operate unimpeded.

“They shored the entire structure and saw-cut a six-inch joint between the old structure and where we were going to demo so we weren’t introducing any vibration,” Carlson said. “The noise was pretty minimal, but the vibration is the bigger issue.”

Because of this, the structure as a whole consists of a mixture of building types. There are two levels of parking beginning with one at-grade atop a slab-on-grade foundation supported by 211 separate 30-inch-diameter auger cast piles. The second level, a standard post-tensioned concrete deck, is topped by two more post-tensioned decks with cables bonded with grout inside their tubes. The top three levels, including the seventh with mechanical space, are being constructed using a framework of structural steel atop slab-on-deck concrete.

The completed shell space will be able to accommodate 22 operating rooms, seven procedure rooms, up to 40 intensive care rooms, prep-hold-and-recovery rooms, and 34 rooms for the Oregon Burn Center. Legacy Emanuel West will also enhance the health care provider’s treatment capabilities.

A seven-story foyer dominates the entire building at its northwest corner. This features a curtain wall system able to provide large amounts of natural light.

A rooftop amenity space will join a garden to allow patients and guests to enjoy fresh air.

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A ground-breaking ceremony was held Tuesday for a major expansion at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in North Portland, the first on the campus since the completion of Randall Children’s Hospital in 2012. The $210 million project will include an approximately 300,000-square-foot building with four levels of programming over two levels of parking, as well as the renovation of 80,000 square feet of existing space.

Andersen Construction is serving as the general contractor for the project, which was designed by Seattle-based NBBJ. Crews are currently performing precursory work, including installation of a new air handler, work to reroute electrical lines, and installation of new generators. Andersen will seek foundation permits next month, and hopes to get the project going in full swing by the end of this year.

The project is tentatively expected to last around 36 months. The new building, called Emanuel West, will be constructed first; then programming will be shifted into it while existing space is renovated. The new and upgraded facilities will include larger operating suites, an expanded cardiovascular intensive care unit, a new space for the Legacy Oregon Burn Center, and more than 100 new parking spaces for motor vehicles and bicycles.

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Designs are being prepared for a $96 million remodel and expansion of Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, including a new four-story building with more and larger operating rooms.

Legacy Health officials have discussed the scope of the proposed project with Portland city officials; however, no clear picture of the new building’s exterior exists yet, according to Ali Sadri, Legacy’s director of design and construction.

“Two things are going on: We are evaluating the cost of different materials for the facade and envelope of the building, and also we are waiting for a final directive from the city about what they expect to see,” he said.

The vacant site eyed for the new building formerly was used as a surface parking lot for a city maintenance garage across the street.

About a year and a half ago, a needs assessment determined that the facility at 2801 N. Gantenbein Ave. should be expanded and modernized. Existing operating rooms are small and cannot accommodate a lot of new equipment and electronic devices, Sadri said.

Current plans call for the average operating room to grow from 380 square feet to 700. Phase I also includes replacement of the hospital’s existing 20-bed burn unit, plus eight additional rooms for future expansion and a garden for burn patients.

The new building’s first floor will hold a surgery center with approximately 22 operating rooms (the facility currently has 14 operating rooms). Plans submitted to the city call for floor plates holding pre- and post-surgery areas, a recovery center and an ambulatory diagnostic center with suites for MRI, cardiac CAT and GI services. Parking will be constructed below the building and the second floor will feature a 16-bed intensive care unit.

In September, Legacy Health applied to Portland’s Bureau of Development Services for early assistance on an expansion that will cross a 50-foot buffer zone.

The architect is NBBJ, which has a Seattle office. The owner’s agent for preconstruction services is Andersen Construction.

Legacy Health is one of the area’s largest private employers, with more 11,000 employees. Last month, it opened a $10 million urgent care/emergency department at its Good Samaritan Medical Center.

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A lot of Ronald McDonald House Charities’ East House, near Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in North Portland, is changing.

“We are working in a construction zone,” said Julie Miller, the house’s director of marketing and communications.

The 25-bed guest house is undergoing a $1.7 million remodel as it continues to serve as a home away from home for families who’ve traveled from throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington – and sometimes farther – for their children to receive medical care at Portland hospitals.

“This way, families can be really close to them,” Miller said.

Common areas and guest rooms throughout the 18-year-old East House are gaining upgrades based on feedback from families who’ve stayed there, staffers and volunteers, said Jessica Jarratt Miller, CEO for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oregon and Southwest Washington.

“It’s a pretty comprehensive remodel and it’s a remodel that’s driven by the needs of our families,” she said.

Crews from Portland-based O’Brien Constructors in January began renovating the interior of the house by installing new flooring, lighting and paint. Building entrances and bathrooms will be made fully accessible by disabled individuals. Other upgrades include additions of a private guest registration area and an office space with wireless internet where homeschooled students can do their coursework.

Also this month, construction started on an effort to extensively revamp the house’s outdoor spaces. New accessible playgrounds, a rock garden, an amphitheater, an entry pergola and a barbecue grill and cooking area will be built. Storm damage to the house’s roof will be repaired and the exterior will gain a fresh coat of paint.

The renovation wouldn’t have been possible without the pro bono services and reduced rates offered by design and construction industry partners, Jarratt Miller said.

“This is an awesome story of people jumping in and collaborating,” she said.

In particular, the support of Milwaukie-based senior housing developer Marquis Cos., its charitable arm, the Vital Life Foundation, and Salem-based CB | Two Architects inspired plans for an extensive redesign of the house grounds instead of a simple playground replacement, Jarratt Miller said.

“It’s going to be amazing,” she said. “We’re turning it into 360 degrees of outdoor, active play spaces.”

The project hit close to home for CB | Two designer Jennifer Oakey, who was among firm staffers who volunteered their architectural services pro bono. Her family used to rely on Ronald McDonald House Charities for a place to stay while her sister received medical treatment far from home.

“These kinds of projects are what make your job fun,” she said. “It was a great opportunity to give back to an organization that’s given so much to my family.”

Jarratt Miller said designs created by CB | Two to add more comfortable outdoor spaces to the East House grounds will benefit residents who are often under a lot of stress.

“The more areas where kids and families can sit and hang (out) are so much better,” Miller said. “Just (imagine) it’s a crisis that keeps going on and on … These people at CB | Two, I really can’t say enough for their vision.”

Scott Miller, director of development and construction for Marquis Cos., said when he approached CB | Two about contributing to the East House grounds remodel, firm staffers eagerly agreed. The architecture firm is among companies Marquis has partnered with on its own projects that got involved in the East House effort, he said.

“Just a whole bunch of people came together and saw the vision,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want to help Ronald McDonald House? It’s just been really rewarding to see it all happen.”

Another contributor to the remodel project is WALSH Construction Co. Crews from the Portland-based general contractor are scheduled to start remodeling the home’s guest rooms this fall. Each room, which can hold up to six family members, has a different theme and can vary widely from one another, Jarratt Miller said. One of the goals of the remodel will be to add some more consistency, she said.

“We really would love for every room to be something that feels good and is comfortable,” she said.

East House remodel

Location: 2620 N. Commercial Ave., Portland

Cost: $1.7 million

Interior construction start: January 2015

Anticipated interior construction completion: September 2015

Owner: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oregon and Southwest Washington

Architect: CB | Two Architects

Interior general contractor: O’Brien Constructors

Exterior general contractor: CB | Two Construction

Guest room remodel general contractor: WALSH Construction Co.

Other associates: Marquis Cos., Vital Life Foundation, Parr Lumber, Miller Paint

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Being named president of Andersen Construction, the company his grandfather started in 1950, doesn’t fill Joel Andersen with pride as much as it makes him feel humble.

Last week Andersen was named president of the company his grandfather Andy Andersen started. He follows in the footsteps of his father David Andersen, who headed the company for the last 28 years. He said he is humbled by the honor, but gives credit for his company’s success to great employees.

“My best skill is in trusting people and empowering them,” he said. “We hired amazing people and they run the company.”

With more than 700 employees, Andersen Construction has offices in Portland, Eugene, Boise, and Seattle. Current projects include nine large-scale mixed use developments and three hospital towers in Portland, a 41-story apartment tower in downtown Seattle, four mixed-use developments in downtown Boise and a new headquarters for Northwest Community Credit Union in Eugene.

Andersen started working in the family business in the warehouse when he was about 10, he said, and continued being involved through high school and college. In 2008 he opened the company’s Seattle office. He moved back to Portland three years ago, when he was named vice president of business development, overseeing new markets and recent growth.

The company was hit hard during the recent recession, Andersen said, but built itself back up with the decision to focus on four markets: health care, higher education, high-tech and housing.

“We narrowed our palette, and that enabled us to refine our skill sets in actively pursuing those markets,” he said. “The markets have changed pretty dramatically, and housing is super-hot.”

In Portland, Andersen’s current projects include new operating and patient rooms at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and a major renovation on the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. The company also will serve as general contractors for Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cancer Research Building.

“Health is a sector that is finally starting to move and we were able to be at the forefront of that,” Andersen said. But the company is also doing high-tech work for several universities, including the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Southern Oregon University, Western Oregon University, Boise State and the University of Washington.

“We try to stay in balance between different market sectors,” he said. “We’ve also got a lot of housing work in assisted living, market rate apartments, affordable housing and condominiums.”

The company is doing so well that “sometimes I want to pinch myself,” Andersen said.

“It’s amazing we are so blessed and so fortunate that it’s hard to comprehend,” he said. “But we put our heads down and work hard, and hire amazing people. We trust them to be great – and they are – and we are the beneficiary of that.”

Andersen said that although his dad wanted to be a rock-and roll-star, he always wanted to be a builder. But whether any of his three children follow in his footsteps is up to them.

“Everyone in this town is quick to remind me that the third generation is the one that torpedoes it. So who knows, there may be nothing left by the time my kids are old enough,” he said with a chuckle.

Andersen said he’s always tried to behave like an employee and that his main goal is to hire the best people possible to keep the company vibrant.

“I so would love nothing better than to have my kids participate in the business, but I’m really excited about what we have going on with our employees,” he said. “It’s an unbelievable community and family that exist within our company culture. That will be our future, in spite of what happens with the Andersens.”

Andersen, 34, still plays with Lego blocks, he said, and loves how the pieces come together in the development process where imagination is the only limitation.

“It’s such a thrill and I want my kids to be as much a part of it as they want to be,” he said. “But my dad and granddad never said, ‘You’re going to do this,’ so if my kids don’t want to, no problem. I’ve got a family of people (in the company) and they’re amazing.”

He emphasized again that the secret to a successful company is to always hire the very best people for the job, he said.

“Everybody that works for us either currently has or has the capacity to be better than me,” he said. “When that is the case, you become a different kind of organization, not relying on a single individual. I’m a nobody. But when you have an army of people who are better than you in general, that makes your company a pretty incredible place.”

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Only a couple of weeks after unveiling its new $250 million children’s hospital, is planning a $25 million renovation to convert vacant pediatric space into adult intensive care units.

A total of 105,000 square feet of space in three hospital buildings – the west wing, the north tower and Emmanuel central – will be gutted and repurposed.

“We conduct state-of-the-art critical care, and we’re matching our facilities to the care we provide,” said Lori Morgan, the hospital’s chief administrative officer. “We’ve been doing 2020 care in 1960s rooms, and it’s been hard.”

On the third floor of the west wing, where the pediatric intensive care unit was, a new ICU for adults will specialize in neurotrama.

The second floor of Emanuel central will be converted from an ICU for infants into a cardiovascular ICU, where patients will be able to regain dexterity in a gym and a kitchen.

In the north tower, another trauma care unit will be built for adults. This will let the hospital’s emergency room expand into the former adult ICU space.

Morgan said new walls will be built, new fixtures will be installed and wiring will be added. Hallways and waiting areas will be reconstructed to accommodate the rooms’ new sizes.

“These rooms have to have a lot of technological requirements in terms of gas hookups and suction – most of our patients are very ill,” she said. “Our mission is not to necessarily make more rooms, but make our existing rooms bigger and better.”

By adding space, Morgan said doctors and patients will have more room to maneuver.

“We do a lot of ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), so patients will be on an ECMO machine and a giant ventilator and their families will want to be in the room with them – there’s just not a lot of space for mobility currently,” she said.

Dave Guthrie of , which is designing the project, said the new fixtures, such as ultra-sensitive lighting and rubber flooring, will make the hospital experience less distressing for patients. Guthrie added that new bathrooms and nourishment stations will be built for the medical staff.

A new waiting room for patients’ families will be built. Unlike the existing waiting room, near the emergency room and the ICUs, this one will be farther from the medical units, giving visitors a quiet place to rest.

“We understand that people spend long durations at the hospital waiting for family members, so we attempted to create a really comfortable living space there,” Guthrie said. “There will be family conference rooms and health care research rooms (attached to the waiting room) with Internet connections for family members to look up whatever medical problems they may be dealing with.”

Guthrie said ZGF and Hoffman Construction, the project’s general contractor, will face a number of challenges once construction begins. Although the rooms are being expanded, ceiling heights will remain the same, so some machinery may not fit easily. Additionally, the hospital will remain in use during the renovation; Guthrie said airflow management will require construction on the building’s mechanical shafts, which connect to air handlers on the roof.

“We’re going to have to break construction down to as many as six phases in order to not disrupt their operations, he said. “It’s been one of the things we’ve been examining closely.”

The first phase of the renovation is set to start on April 2 and finish in about a year, according to Guthrie.

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A new structure is rising near the windows of Pediatric Unit 35 in The Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in North Portland. The unit’s school-age patients are following the work and, thanks to Hoffman Construction Project Superintendent Phil Dobbin, learning about the construction of the new building, too. Dobbin has started to meet regularly with kids who are interested in the construction of the new hospital. He has pointed out what is happening, talked about what is ahead, and answered questions. The superintendent also recently led a toy drive involving the construction crews that generated hundreds of donations for The Children’s Hospital and raised $450 to buy enrichment games for the patients.

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