Nine projects in Oregon have been recognized by Restore Oregon with DeMuro Awards for excellence in historic preservation. The projects were selected by a jury of professionals in the field of historic preservation and related disciplines, including architecture, planning, and engineering.

The 2025 DeMuro Award honorees are:

• The Benson Polytechnic High School modernization in Portland was completed last year. The $269 million project, spanning over 379,000 square feet, has preserved and seismically upgraded four landmark buildings while introducing four new academic and CTE buildings organized around secure outdoor courtyards and a central commons. The project team included Bassetti Architects, Portland Public Schools, KPFF Consulting Engineers, Andersen Construction, Mayer Reed, PAE Consulting Engineers, and others.
• For an update of the Merchant Block in Dayton, three vintage buildings were rehabilitated. The $16.5 million project was completed this year. The project team included Paul M. Falsetto Architect LLC, Twin Towers LLC, TM Rippey Consulting Engineers, R&H Construction, IDEA, and others.
• The Joyce in Portland was rehabilitated and upgraded so that it can continue to serve as Permanent Supportive Housing. The $14.1 million project was completed in 2023. The project team included Carleton Hart Architecture, Community Partners for Affordable Housing, Bremik Construction, DCI Engineers, Vega Civil Engineering, and others.
• The adaptive reuse of the John Gumm Building in St. Helens was completed last year. In a $10.5 million project an elementary school was converted into a vibrant civic hub, symbolizing thoughtful preservation, innovation, and public stewardship, Restore Oregon stated. The project team included Bremik Construction, Emerick Architects, Columbia County, Schutte Consulting Engineers, Lower Columbia Engineering, and others.
• The $5 million restoration of the historic Brooklyn Railroad Roundhouse Turntable in Portland was completed last year. After 75 years of operation, the turntable was decommissioned in 1999, and the roundhouse was demolished in 2012. However, the turntable was preserved and donated to the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation, which undertook the project. The team included Roger L. Woehl, Hennebery Eddy Architects, the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation, KPFF, Omega Morgan, and others.

• Milwaukie City Hall in Milwaukie was transformed this year via a $5 million adaptive reuse project. The historic building of the Works Progress Administration era is now a commercial and cultural hub. The project team included GTO Development, Brett Schulz Architect PC, City Hall Holdings LLC, Kurt Fischer Structural Engineering, Owen Gabbert LLC, and others.
• The $5 million restoration of the Holly Theatre in Medford finished last year. The venue stands as a living symbol of Medford’s past and future, hosting concerts, film screenings, and civic events that draw thousands, according to Restore Oregon. The project team included Outlier Construction, Oregon Architecture, JRP Foundation, Firestop Co., Cannon Management, and others.
• The Oregon State University Rehearsal Classroom Building in Corvallis received a $4.8 million adaptive reuse project last year. The building, originally a heat plant and later a firing range, was preserved in conjunction with the construction of an adjacent performing arts center. The project team included Holst Architecture, Oregon State University, Froelich Engineers, Acoustic Design Studio, Hoffman Construction, and others.

• The 1879 Mark Prairie Schoolhouse in Canby is in better shape now. After two large oak trees fell on the building in 2021, a recovery and restoration project was launched to create a cultural destination offering historical, indigenous, and natural resource interpretation for both locals and visitors, according to Restore Oregon. The $850,000 project wrapped up this year. The project team included the Mark Prairie Historical Society, JE Design & Construction, Froelich Engineers, and Emerick Construction.

The award-winning projects will be celebrated from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the Redd in Southeast Portland. Tickets are available on Restore Oregon’s website, at .

The post Oregon projects win DeMuro Awards for preservation appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Project name: Oregon State University Cordley Hall

Location: Corvallis

Completion: April 2024

Size: 220,000 square feet

Cost: $147,040,060

Owner: Oregon State University

Architect: Hennebery Eddy Architects

Interior Designer: Hennebery Eddy Architects

Engineers: KPFF, Systems West Engineering, The Estime Group

General Contractor: Andersen Construction

Submitting Company: Andersen Construction

Key Participants: OSU Departments of Biology, Finance, Design & Construction, College of Agricultural Sciences (key players in space planning and securing grant funding); state of Oregon

Subcontractors: Andersen Construction, Black Line Glazing, D&R Masonry, Floor Solutions, Fought & Co., Griffith Roofing, ISEC, JS Perrott & Co., K&D, McKinstry Fire Protection, McKinstry Piping, OEG, Oregon Commercial Painters, Otis, Pacific Excavation, Pioneer Waterproofing, R3 Engraving and Signs, Rexius, Schonert & Associates, Skyline Sheet Metal, Station Cos., Streimer Sheet Metal, TGC Structural, WH Cress, WPI

A 1950s-era science building at Oregon State University has been transformed into a state-of-the-art research facility through an innovative renovation that maintained operations throughout construction.

Cordley Hall, which houses two science departments serving more than 1,100 students annually, underwent a comprehensive renovation beginning in summer 2020. The project, divided into East and West phases to allow continued occupancy, introduced modern biology research labs, a 220-seat lecture hall, and flexible laboratory spaces.

The renovation represents a strategic investment in the university’s infrastructure. The project reduced OSU’s deferred maintenance backlog by $45 million.

The renovation brought significant upgrades to the aging structure, including seismic safety improvements, accessibility enhancements, new mechanical and electrical systems with standby power, and updated fire protection systems.

Among the project’s standout features is a revitalized courtyard designed by artist Ann Hamilton, featuring custom pavers embossed with DNA sequences representing the last universal common ancestor shared by all living organisms.

The renovation also introduced a new 5,816-square-foot District Utility Plant supporting Cordley Hall and five additional campus buildings. This centralized cooling approach marks a new energy efficiency model for the university, contributing to energy consumption levels 36 percent below code requirements and approximately $150,000 in annual energy cost savings.

Rather than demolishing the structure, preserving the original building reduced material waste and maintained the historical character of the campus. The building now meets LEED Gold equivalency standards under OSU’s Requirements for Sustainable Development program.

Cordley Hall houses the departments of Integrative Biology and Botany and Plant Pathology, serving both the College of Science and the College of Agricultural Sciences. It also accommodates two significant natural history collections – the Herbarium and the Oregon State Arthropod Collection – comprising more than 3.5 million specimens that are now more prominently displayed for public access.

The renovation utilized Building Information Modeling for detailed planning, implemented chilled beam technology for efficient cooling, and incorporated fiber-reinforced materials for structural integrity, all while preserving the building’s historic character.

The project required 15 percent apprenticeship involvement. Andersen Construction’s onsite labor came in at 26 percent for apprenticeship hours, 22 percent for minority hours and 5 percent for hours worked by women.

OSU’s departments of Biology, Finance, Design & Construction, and College of Agricultural Sciences played key roles in planning the spaces and securing grant funding for the project. Funding sources included the state of Oregon, $104 million; OSU, $55 million; and grants, $10.5 million.

The post Oregon State University Cordley Hall appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

At 7:53 a.m. on Friday, countless eyes focused on the west side of Oregon State University‘s Reser Stadium in Corvallis.

“Five, four, three, two, one … fire in the hole!” a Hoffman Construction crew member yelled. “Let’s do this, coach.”

“Let’s do this!” OSU Athletic Director Scott Barnes replied.

At that moment Barnes turned two switches and ignited explosives laid in the stadium’s base. A series of small blasts and loud pops followed – and the large structure fell backward.

Crowds cheered and dust filled the air.

“The most exciting three and a half seconds of my life,” Barnes was heard saying in the background of the video. It’s viewable online at .

The implosion is part of a $153 million stadium renovation. Friday’s event went exactly as planned, according to Steve Hatch of Dykon Explosive Demolition Corp. The 100-foot-by-120-foot structure was leveled with slightly more than 200 pounds of explosives – a small amount for Dykon, he said.

Crews started loading the explosives days ago after months of preparation. Two different kinds of explosives were used: dynamite and another designed by NASA. The latter ones, used to cut through the stadium’s steel columns, were originally designed to go through bolts on spaces shuttles as they jettison fuel tanks on takeoff.

Shortly after the dust cleared, Staton Cos. crew members began making roadways through the rubble so that recyclable materials could be extracted, Hoffman superintendent Mark Rado said. A week or two will be needed to prepare the site for wider access, he added.

Then K&E Excavating will start excavation on the north end and move south as Staton finishes its work, Rado said.

“Very exciting time,” he said. “I’m still on a high right now; I don’t know about everybody else. But that worked great. We are really happy with the outcome.”

Construction of the stadium’s new west side is scheduled to wrap up before the start of the 2023 football season.

The post OSU stadium demolition occurs without a hitch appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

An internet livestream of the implosion of the west side of Oregon State University‘s Reser Stadium will be available to the public. The event is expected to take place on Friday between 7:40 a.m. and 8 a.m.

A series of explosive-like popping sounds will take place over roughly two seconds, according to an OSU press release. Then the structure’s pieces will fall safely to the parking lot around the stadium.

The implosion is part of the $153 million project to transform Reser Stadium into a facility for daily use. The west side will be rebuilt to include new premium and general seating as well as complete a 360-degree concourse.

Additionally, the facility will gain a state-of-the-art, interactive welcome center as well as one new health center for students and another for OSU faculty and staff.

The livestream, which will feature multiple cameras, will be accessible at . Replays will be available for viewing. There will also be video of OSU play-by-play announcer Mike Parker speaking with OSU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Barnes.

Residential, commercial and campus structures within 500 feet of the stadium will be unoccupied during the implosion. Residents and building occupants within 1,000 feet of the stadium’s west side – but outside the 500-foot evacuation zone – have been asked to stay indoors and away from windows during the event.

The project team includes SRG Partnership, Populous and Hoffman Construction. Work is expected to wrap up before the start of the 2023 football season.

The post OSU stadium implosion to be broadcast live appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Oregon’s public universities won big recently during the 2021 legislative session, scoring $332.9 million in bond authorizations for major capital projects.

Oregon State University‘s Cordley Hall renovation was the single largest recipient of funding, receiving $86 million in total bond authorizations. The University of Oregon won $58.5 million in bond authorization for its Heritage Project renovations. Portland State University received $50 million for its Gateway Center reuse and extension.

Legislators were in a generous mood after a new revenue forecast showed surging income-tax collections. Funding for many priorities sailed through before the 2021 session concluded on June 26.

Community colleges also benefited. In addition to the nine-figure bond authorization for the state’s four-year public universities, two-year colleges were authorized to issue $75.95 million in bonds. Blue Mountain, Central Oregon, Linn-Benton, Mount Hood, Chemeketa and Tillamook Bay community colleges were among those to receive major funding.

Taken together, the funding will help kick off a burst of higher education projects around Oregon.

“This year’s legislative session showed strong support for higher education institutions and students,” UO spokeswoman Molly Blancett stated in an email. “The results are record investments in capital renovations on campuses, and full funding of UO’s operating and student financial aid requests.”

In Corvallis, an effort is under way to transform and modernize Cordley Hall, which was built between 1956 and 1965, according to an OSU magazine. The 236,000-square-foot building, which houses the Department of Integrative Biology, has limited collaborative space and is dominated by linear hallways and classrooms, according to the university. Following the renovation, the building will have modular laboratory layouts to give researchers more flexibility.

“It’s science, agriculture and teaching,” said Steve Clark, an OSU spokesman. “So for us it was a priority to complete the renovation, and the university is certainly appreciative the Legislature agreed to continue to participate in that effort.”

The state will benefit with new buildings, millions of dollars in new economic activity and construction jobs, Clark said.

OSU also won funding for the Student Success Center at its Cascades campus in Bend. The state-authorized $13.8 million in bond funding will add to $5 million raised by student fees for the project. The 22,500-square-foot building will have offices, meeting rooms and support services.

“For a developing campus – for any campus – to have a student success center is very important,” Clark said.

The Legislature also backed OSU’s Reser Stadium West Grandstand extension with $40 million in bond funding. Those dollars will be repaid by the university via tuition revenue and rent from a health clinic to be located in the building.

In Eugene, UO is embarking on major renovations of its two oldest buildings: University Hall (145 years old) and Villard Hall (135 years old). The combined renovations are called the Heritage Project, which involves seismic and other life and safety upgrades to the buildings. Water infiltration will be corrected, and the original steam heating will be replaced with modern HVAC (the buildings currently have no cooling system).

University and Villard halls will also be renovated with Americans with Disabilities Act access in mind; the buildings are noncompliant with ADA in stairways, bathrooms, elevators and lobbies, according to the university.

At PSU, the renovation and expansion of the downtown Gateway Center, at 200 S.W. Fifth Ave., will provide spaces for the School of Art + Design, Student Health and Counseling, and Speech and Hearing Sciences. The project will create new student space, labs, teaching spaces, materials storage, specialty clinics and a wellness center. New gallery and exhibit spaces will promote enrollment and interaction with the community.

The project will bring art students under one roof, said Elisabeth Charman, director of the School of Art + Design.

“To be able to have a center where everybody is together, you can see each other as you’re working through the building and you can exchange ideas and collaborate better … bringing us together is super healthy,” she said.

One other advantage, according to Charman: Students won’t have to tote canvases and art projects across PSU’s south downtown campus.

The post A capital session for higher education in Oregon appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

As mass timber has gained appeal within the building industry, project teams have largely been addressing challenges as they arise. But the formation of a group of engineering, construction, architecture and fabrication firms could soon change that.

The REACTS (Research on Engineering, Architecture and Construction of Timber Structures) Consortium will begin looking at the most pressing questions about mass timber.

“It’s about a decision-making process to choose work and testing that will help innovate code or eliminate barriers and develop high-performance products,” said Iain Macdonald, director of the Corvallis-based Tallwood Design Institute.

The institute is comprised of members of Oregon State University‘s colleges of engineering and forestry and the University of Oregon‘s college of design. There on the OSU campus the REACTS Consortium will devise new subjects of research and carry out physical experiments at the Emmerson Advanced Wood Products Laboratory, which opened in 2019.

“The cooperative model is not uncommon in universities where you have outside stakeholders who contribute resources so they can get certain types of research done,” Macdonald said. “We’ve always done research that has heavy input from industry; we want research that has impact in the medium term, not blue-sky research necessarily.”

There are 16 firms presently involved in the consortium, which is still in the process of determining which issues it will focus on. More companies could join in the future, but for now the idea is to keep the group small and nimble.

“We’ve been talking in earnest over the last 15 months,” Macdonald said. “We talked with five or six companies in Portland we dealt with often and kicked around the idea to see who would be interested and what would work.”

There’s a three-tier structure under which companies pay different dues to help fund research. Other funding will come from state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service.

“The general philosophy is no matter what level member you are,” Macdonald said, “you have the ability to propose ideas and critique others.”

Ethan Martin, an associate with DCI Engineers of Portland, has been involved with research at OSU for a number of years. The consortium will focus largely on structural issues, including composite design involving mass timber and concrete or other combinations of materials, he said.

“This whole tall mass timber thing kind of came out of the blue for the wood industry,” he said. “It wasn’t a coordinated effort by any means, and now it is.”

Even with 2021 updates to the International Building Code accounting for mass-timber structures, Martin said, “tons of questions” still exist.

“Mass timber is in its infancy,” he said. “The idea behind the Tallwood Design Institute and REACTS is, again, we develop this code language for tall buildings and the framework is there. But the devil is in the details and a lot of the details have not been worked out.”

For Martin and others, however, there is satisfaction in figuring out those details.

“What else needs to be tested?” he asked. “Drift? Composite design? Stuff that is really going to be useful to keep mass-timber buildings rolling.”

Another issue that needs to be fleshed out is mass timber’s acoustic properties, said Graham Montgomery, technical director for Swinerton and its new Portland-based fabrication facility.

“It will definitely benefit what we bring to the table with jurisdictions and help everybody feel more comfortable with things because we’re actually testing these items,” Montgomery said.

Jonathan Heppner, a principal at Lever Architecture, the firm that designed the 12-story Framework mass-timber project that was canceled in 2017, said that one and others since have shown the need for a more coordinated approach within the industry. He likened the effort to a mobile phone, for which a variety of firms are responsible for the hardware, software and network needed to make it functional. Only by working together can the building industry successfully solve the outstanding issues around mass timber, he said.

“We’re just getting started,” Heppner said. “But ideally the consortium as a group can hit what we feel are the most targeted approaches to any of those topics and then maybe break out as groups and work out the research specific to those topics.”

Levi Huffman, technical director at DR Johnson, a Riddle-based fabricator of cross-laminated timber panels, agreed.

“We’ve grown with the market and have a sense there are challenges that we still have to overcome,” he said. “Any barriers, whether a structural design question or acoustics or sustainability for developers – those are items that come up that we need answers to. The thing with the REACTS Consortium is we can quickly identify the hurdles out there that we need to jump over.”

The Tallwood Design Institute, Huffman added, provides potentially costly resources that individual companies don’t have.

“Any time we have barriers that are broken down that make it easier for developers to develop a building, there are going to be more of them built and the demand for mass timber will go up,” he said. “It’s going to help grow the industry, break down barriers and keep this mass-timber movement going forward.”

Just one example of this, Heppner said, came up during the Framework project. The proposal for seismic resilience featured a rocking wall with an entirely exposed wood finish. A brace frame perhaps could have been superior, he said, but using mass timber to construct such elements hadn’t been done before.

“If you had something that was more of a brace frame solution it will have different implications for performance and for the user,” he said. “It’s a technology rather than a solution, and you’re just trying to find the best use of that. You want a lot of potential options to fit it into different scenarios that would come up.”

That kind of experimentation is exactly what the consortium is designed to tackle.

“Some of it really comes down to what will the jurisdiction allow,” Martin said. “That’s another opportunity for REACTS. We can design something, but if it’s not in the code, how does the building official know to accept it or not accept it? We’ve come up with some really cool stuff in California, but the official said, ‘Yeah, I see what you’re doing, but I don’t understand it and know how to approve it.’

“That’s one of the things REACTS will be able to help with also. When we come up with an idea that is valid, then we just need testing to prove it.”

Consortium members will have access to certain proprietary information and research results that come out of the effort. But the intent is to produce data that any firm can draw upon in the future, Macdonald said.

“We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “We’re not drawing a line under it. Some of these cooperatives have gone on for years and years, or basically as long as it’s required. There’s a lot of catch-up to do to generate the data and know-how for wood that we already have for concrete and steel. We’re still at the beginning of what mass timber can do.”

REACTS Consortium industry members

Gold level

Swinerton

Silver level

KPFF Consulting Engineers

Bronze level

Kaiser + Path

StructureCraft

MTC Solutions

DCI Engineers

SRG Partnership

U.S. Forest Service

Rothoblaas

MiTek

Odeh Engineers

DR Johnson

Katerra

Lever Architecture

Aspect Structural Engineers

Holmes Structures

The post Eager to better understand innovative materials appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Tradespeople and engineers might be surprised by how much they can teach each other.

That was one of the key takeaways from a recent pilot program hosted by the Tallwood Design Institute last month at Oregon State University in Corvallis. OSU staffers led Northwest Carpenters Union apprentices through a mutually beneficial workshop that provided the latter with practical mass-timber construction experience and the former with a greater understanding of the building industry’s needs.

“It was just wonderful; it was a really great experience,” OSU assistant professor Erica Fischer said. “We’re hoping we can continue this, and this was 100 percent a pilot – a dummy test – to see if this could work. But I think that the carpenters enjoyed hearing about the bigger picture of what we were testing, and from the student perspective, understanding the questions the carpenters would ask. It’s something you can’t teach.”

The Tallwood Design Institute (TDI) is a collaboration of OSU’s colleges of engineering and forestry and the University of Oregon‘s College of Design. The TDI provides prototype and testing services to the construction industry, and this pilot program is specifically being used to test structural connections between glue-laminated beams and columns.

Because of the size of the beams, columns and cross-laminated-timber panels involved, Fischer and others at OSU believed it would be wise from a safety standpoint to enlist the help of carpenters. But instead of simply hiring a contractor, officials used connections at the Northwest Carpenters Union and its training center in Tangent to find the help they needed.

“We need the constructability part of the research because we are testing new connections no one has ever used in a building before,” Fischer said. “We want to make sure we’re actually designing something that enhances the constructability of mass timber, so we felt having skilled laborers who might be the ones on the jobsite building this would be wonderful.”

Union representative Trampas Simmons helped organize the program and said apprentices were chosen based upon their previous experience working on mass-timber projects, including OSU’s Peavy Hall built by general contractor Andersen Construction.

“It’s great training for our apprentices,” Simmons said.

Experienced supervisors were brought in to oversee the work as apprentices built six structural specimens over a three-day period in February. The field work was combined with classroom instruction that informed apprentices of the much higher level of preconstruction preparation and planning required for mass-timber projects.

“Framing is kind of like a common knowledge of standards – it’s been around for a long time,” said instructor Brian Zeller, a superintendent with Corvallis general contractor and union signatory TGC Structural. “With mass timber it’s a process that’s different. You’re working with screws, hangers and large chunks of wood. Just as tilt-up construction is different than framing, CLT or MPP (mass-plywood panels) is even more different in itself. It’s unique in a lot of ways, but it’s still a process – but a process that is different. The plan is different and it makes or breaks you.”

After two days in the classroom going over CAD drawings created by OSU graduate research assistants, the apprentices headed into a lab to build the specimens. Each was pieced together using 12-foot-tall glue-laminated columns and 14-foot-long glue-laminated beams with 4-foot-by-14-foot CLT panels secured on top of the beams.

“It wouldn’t be built like it would be in the real world; it was built laying on its side,” Simmons said. “It was a giant learning curve, and for this portion it was mainly about rigging and trying to problem-solve. Our training center does have a CLT curriculum that will reinforce what they actually learned.”

“The exposure is 90 percent of the training,” Zeller added. “It’s the exposure to the plan, being part of the team, knowing your role and knowing the new connections. They’re just different than what we’ve done before. You’re dealing with a three-inch deck that’s one big piece.”

Once the six specimens were built, they were lifted upright by crane for initial testing of the structural connections. Over the next two months each specimen will be tested by applying lateral forces via a hydraulic actuator. The actuator will impose deformations that would occur during an earthquake.

OSU College of Engineering graduate assistant Haley Madland helped with the initial construction drawings for the specimens and will help facilitate testing in the coming months. The experience has been invaluable, she said.

“I’m a young engineering student,” she said, “and I have had chances to create drawing sets, but I’ve never been able to be there while they are being constructed. The feedback was great to know what translates well from design to construction.”

Both OSU and the Northwest Carpenters Union hope this is only the beginning of collaboration.

“We’ve been talking to the (union) for a while more generally about workforce development,” said Iain Macdonald, director of the TDI. “They are obviously interested in mass timber. It’s a new paradigm in construction in some ways, and because of the high level of prefabrication, they’ve been interested in training their members on that.”

Macdonald noted that OSU has also created for engineering students a new mass-timber construction course that combines the knowledge within the colleges of forestry and engineering. Collaboration with the union, he added, is just another offshoot of OSU’s effort to advance the technology.

“We are looking at ways to join forces and help each other out in that kind of training,” he said.

The post A learning opportunity for everyone involved appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

PORTLAND (AP) — Federal energy regulators have given Oregon State University initial approval for a groundbreaking wave energy testing facility off the coast.

The PacWave South project is designed to facilitate and accelerate the development of wave energy technology, which harnesses the motion of the ocean to generate electricity, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

Oregon is considered to have a high potential for wave energy generation – higher by coastal area than Washington or California.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a license to the project on Monday, but another review period must pass before OSU gets final approval.

“It’s huge. It’s the first license of its type to be issued in the United States,” said OSU’s Burke Hales, chief scientist on the project.

Oregon State’s project would offer a pre-permitted area offshore of Newport, Oregon, where wave energy developers could anchor and plug in their devices to the grid.

The array would spread over about 2 square miles of ocean and include four testing “berths” with undersea cables to carry energy produced back to shore near Driftwood Beach State Recreation Site. The energy developers would pay Oregon State University for use of the testing facility.

“We hope to be moving this summer with groundbreaking for building our shoreside facility,” Burke said, adding that the underground and under-ocean boring work needed to run the transmission lines offshore would start this year as well.

The goal is to install the offshore components of the test facility in 2022.
—
This story has been updated to correct the size of the area where wave energy developers could anchor and plug in their devices to the grid. It would be 2 square miles, not 8 square miles.

The post Regulators OK wave energy testing project off Oregon coast appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Oregon State University is preparing to tackle a $153 million renovation of Reser Stadium, thanks in large part to a $50 million anonymous donation – equal to the largest gift ever received by the university.

The stadium’s west side will be demolished and rebuilt entirely. Additionally, the facility will gain a state-of-the-art, interactive welcome center as well as one new health center for students and another for OSU faculty and staff.

The OSU Board of Trustees’ Finance & Administration Committee on Jan. 28 issued its approval for the project to enter the design phase. The board is expected to give final project approval during its May meeting.

The project team includes SRG Partnership, Populous and Hoffman Construction. With approval, construction would begin immediately late this year and be expected to finish before the start of the 2023 season.

Plans call for a “move to construction documents at the end of the 2021 football season,” said Scott Barnes, vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics at OSU. “Literally go into demolition mode and knock the west side down.”

OSU will continue to host games at Reser Stadium during the project.

The overall fundraising goal is $85 million, Barnes said. So far, $64.5 million has been raised. Revenues from event seating and other stadium services will also help pay for the project.

Upon completion, Reser Stadium will have a 360-degree concourse as well as new premium and general seating on the west side.

The renovation will provide the stadium with aesthetic balance, OSU President F. King Alexander said. The west side is a bit smaller currently, but will closely mirror the east side.

Meanwhile, the new welcome center (including meeting space) and health centers will make the stadium active and fully functional 365 days per year.

The project also will eliminate the need to address $70 million of deferred maintenance, King said. As Reser Stadium has aged, maintenance costs have increased. But construction will seismically strengthen the facility’s west side.

“This is not a time to stop moving forward and looking forward,” King said. “Yes, we’re in COVID, and we want to come out of this stronger with great momentum as a university.”

The post $153M renovation in the works for Reser Stadium appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Oregon State University in recent years has played a major role in promoting the growth of mass timber in the Pacific Northwest. Now the university is doing so via its own 22,000-square-foot facility in Oregon City.

Designed by Soderstrom Architects, the new Extension Service Education Center will feature an array of mass-timber elements.

“It all comes from them,” said Michael Shea, a Soderstrom Architects principal. “They wanted a Cascadian sort of Northwest design … like Timberline Lodge, so it’s very reminiscent of Timberline. Years ago we did some remodeling there, so we do have some expertise. The idea is that it’s a wood-framed, heavy-timber building with glulam columns and beams; they wanted to highlight wood products of the region.”

Clackamas County commissioners approved project plans in October 2019. The new building will be located on the southeast corner of the intersection of Beavercreek Road and Warner Milne Road – about two blocks east of OSU‘s existing Extension Service office on Clackamas County’s Red Soils campus.

Both cross-laminated timber and mass plywood manufactured by Freres Lumber Co. of Mill City will be used. The building will include a 150-seat meeting and training room, multiple smaller meeting rooms and even a kitchen to accommodate cooking and nutrition education.

“The second floor is all office space, like a big day-lit bar,” Shea said. “It’s a big hall with cubicles and little boxes, and everyone will get to see the nice-looking CLT up at the roof. The daylight is really quite spectacular too. There are large windows and some hidden clerestories that you can’t see from the street.”

Plus, the building is designed to achieve net-zero energy use by producing more energy than it consumes.

“The roof uses insulated metal panels to get the high R (insulation) value, and that’s mostly tempered with (photovoltaic) panels,” Shea said. “And then the mechanical systems are pretty much state of the art, while the PVs make up the difference.”

Instead of exposed mechanical systems typical of recent CLT designs, the new building will have an 18-inch-tall access space between the first and second stories. This will hide HVAC, electrical, plumbing, data and other systems.

“It’s nice to see the wood, but it would be great to see the wood without all that stuff in the way,” Shea said. “It should work out well visually and acoustically.”

Heating, cooling and ventilation are separated. Heated and chilled water will come from Clackamas County’s central plant serving its Red Soils campus.

“We’re supplying 100 percent fresh, outdoor air,” Shea said. “There’s no recycled air. On the design side we know the dedicated outdoor air systems are healthier, and that’s part of the whole sustainability story of the building. It’s not something the Extension service was particularly interested in but I’m sure they appreciate it now.”

Also, the building will be constructed to Level 4 seismic resiliency so that it can serve Clackamas County officials as an emergency operations center.

Gardening education will take place within the building. A “Master Gardener Clinic” will be open to the public.

“The ground floor is where the Extension Service has its public service counter and suite for master gardeners,” Shea said. “It was interesting designing for them. They said ‘Our finishes have to be sturdy; people are going to be bringing in muddy, wet plants.’ They also have a lot of programs for the public and school kids, and they have a suite of offices there for that.”

Construction is expected to begin in June, Shea said. P&C Construction is set to serve as the general contractor.

The post A university structure with Northwest flair appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.