LMN Architects – Daily Journal of Commerce

Oregon Convention Center project proceeding

Sam Tenney — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 00:45:35 +0000

Stacy Stewart, a journeyman painter with IUPAT Local 10 and employee of Western Partitions, Inc., works on the renovation of the Oregon Convention Center. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

A major project to upgrade the Oregon Convention Center is under way and on pace for completion at the end of this year to coincide with the opening of the 600-room Hyatt Regency hotel one block to the north.

The $39 million renovation will modernize public areas of the 30-year-old structure, providing an enhanced guest experience while establishing better connections to entries and improving wayfinding for hotel guests and transit users disembarking from the adjacent MAX platform.

The $27 million contract awarded by Metro to Colas Construction to serve as construction manager-general contractor is the largest public contract in Oregon history to go to a minority-owned business. Raimore Construction, also a minority-owned firm, is heavily involved in the project, and handling most of the exterior work.

Work on the three-phase project began last fall with renovations of a lobby, pre-function areas, exhibit halls and meeting rooms at the building’s northern end. The southern end was re-carpeted, while demolition work was conducted on the exterior plaza at the property’s northeastern end.

A second phase that began earlier this month includes demolition of structural canopy and erection of new cantilevered canopy at the main entrance along Northeast Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. The MLK lobby, a pre-function hall and concourse are all being renovated as workers continue to update the northeast plaza and improve pedestrian connections and wayfinding.

The building’s northeastern exterior plaza is being reconfigured to create better pedestrian connections between the nearby MAX platform and the Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center hotel, right. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

Work will commence this spring on the project’s third phase, which will include the renovation of the main ballroom and a pre-function area serving the space. A structural upgrade to the ballroom will include new steel beams with pick points that will expand the capacity for rigging.

According to Alex Colas, project manager with Colas Construction, the biggest challenge of the project has been working around the venue’s busy programming schedule. The contractor has created a sound calendar to identify days when noise must be limited, and has worked to get buy-in from subcontractors while holding weekly meetings with the center’s events staff to coordinate schedules.

Josh Ryan, a journeyman EIS carpenter with Local 146 and employee of Western Partitions, Inc., frames sit-steps at the Oregon Convention Center. Portions of staircases are being converted to stadium seating-like sit-steps with wall outlets and USB ports to provide guests more seating options. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

The landmark contract is a chance to prove what is possible to young minorities coming up in the trades, Colas said. The firm has utilized upwards of 50 percent minority subcontractors on the project to date.

“Our focus is to bring people together and build a pipeline and a future so that other minority contractors can have these kind of opportunities, and not get looked at with a stigma that in the past you’ve generally seen,” he said.

The renovations were designed by Seattle-based LMN Architects. Merryman Barnes Architects is the associate architect, and Mayer/Reed is the landscape architect and environmental graphics designer. Glumac is the MEP engineer, Seattle-based Magnusson Klemencic Associates is the structural engineer, and KPFF is the civil engineer.

Carpenters with Western Partitions, Inc. install drywall in a pre-function area. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

Rick McArthur, a journeyman ironworker with Local 29 and employee of Raimore Construction, removes a tubular steel canopy structure that will be replaced with a cantilevered glass canopy at an entrance along Northeast Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

From left, carpenters Jake Betts, Victor Rodriguez and Mike Melcher, all apprentices with Local 146 and employees of Western Partitions, Inc., install drywall on a soffit. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

Western Partions, Inc. carpenters install panels in a pre-function space. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

Journeyman painter Stacy Stewart, an employee of Western Partitions, Inc., works high above a pre-function area. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

Jake Betts, an apprentice IES carpenter with Local 146 and employee of Western Partitions, Inc., scores drywall. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

The second phase of work that began this month includes areas around the main entrance on the building’s east side, which will remain closed until early June. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

A number of sit-step areas are being added throughout the building, providing sitting space and device charging outlets on former stair areas where guests often gathered and sat. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

New finishes in the building are intended to allude to natural features in Oregon, including lichen-inspired carpeting and wall coverings and ceilings resembling forest canopies. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

Improvements to the building lobby along Northeast Holladay Street were completed as part of the first phase of work. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

Improvements to the northeast plaza area will provide a more clear connection between the building entries and the MAX station and new hotel to the north. (Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ)

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Oregon Convention Center renovation plan approved

Kent Hohlfeld — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 06:10:50 +0000

(Mayer/Reed and LMN Architects)

The Portland Design Commission approved the renovation of the exterior landscaping and facade of the Oregon Convention Center by a 4-0 vote on Thursday.

“This is a really challenging design problem in part because of the building,” said Commission Charwoman Julie Livingston. “The convention Center is not timeless architecture. I think (the landscaping) plays really nicely into this installation.”

The changes are part of a $27 million, two-phase renovation project that aims to update the convention center both inside and out. Mayer/Reed and LMN Architects handled the design.

The first phase of the project will include a new arrival sequence and gathering space at the northeast corner of Northeast Holladay and Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The improvements will include new landscape planters, seating and lighting. There will also be an event plaza and amphitheater seating added to the corner.

Changes to the facade of the building will include the removal of two existing ticketing windows, canopies and glass storefront along Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

“These were really designed for the selling of tickets on the exterior of the building as well as queuing of patrons as they move into the building,” said Wendy Pautz, principal at LMN Architects. “That is no longer the functional and operational way the convention center works.”

(Mayer/Reed and LMN Archtitects)

The renovations will also change the northeast entry plaza to improve mid-block crossing to a future hotel and parking garage on the north side of Northeast Holladay Street. Designers also plan to remove the ticketing window and canopy at the north leading edge of the expansion building. Smaller, more opaque canopies will be installed to help tie activities within the center to those in the plaza.

“There is no longer this need for low-scale canopies to protect queues,” said Pautz. “That offered the opportunities to actually create a civic gesture at the entries.”

While members of the Design Commission were highly complementary of the exterior changes overall, they had concerns about how the new landscaping at the center would blend with the hotel under construction to the north. Carol Mayer-Reed of Mayer/Reed said the differences between the buildings and surrounding landscaping was intentional.

“We want the buildings to bear some similarities, but they aren’t exactly twins,” said Mayer-Reed/ “We were intentional in not matching them, but there are some references between them.”

Another issue that caused some concern among members of the Design Commission was giving visitors a sense that the center was a place for all Oregonians and not just Portland residents.

“How does this become the Oregon Convention Center and not just the Portland Convention center?” asked Commissioner Don Vallaster.

Mayer-Reed said the diversity of the types of plants and typography found across the state made finding a central theme that could reference all parts of the state difficult. Instead, they aimed to represent the local area with their plant choice.

“There is an informality in our lifestyle,” said Mayer-Reed. “We wanted bring that kind of lifestyle and what we are as a people. We have a streak of independence about us. Everything doesn’t have to match.”

In the end, the Design Commission tacked two conditions onto its approval of the project, including requiring that a minimum of 70 percent of basalt elements used the center portion of the amphitheater must be vertical. .

“I think this has been very well done,” said Commissioner Samuel Rodriguez. “The design is very responsive (to earlier DAR comments).”

BLOCK 40 SOWA

The Portland Design Commission sent the Block 40 SOWA project at 3417 S.W. Macadam Ave. back for further revisions on Thursday. The project is bordered by Southwest Macadam Avenue to the west, Southwest Moody Avenue to the east, Southwest Gaines Street to the north and Southwest Abernathy Street to the south.

The Alamo Manhattan Properties project includes two buildings. Both buildings will have seven stories and stand 82 feet tall. The north structure will have a 3.55:1 FAR, and include 190 residential units and 4,373 feet of retail space. The south building will have a 3.94:1 FAR, 213 market rate apartments and 1,925 feet of retail space.

While Design Commission members acknowledged that the materials met guidelines, they felt the Hensley Lamkin Rachel Architects design of the structures needed work to fit within the context of surrounding neighborhood.

The project will return to the Design Commission on Feb. 1.

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