The Daily Journal of Commerce on Wednesday held its inaugural Hard Hat Safety Awards event at the Sentinel Hotel in downtown Portland. The awards program was started as a way to tell the stories of how local firms are prioritizing safety and finding innovative ways to reduce the number of injuries suffered by workers and the public. A total of 13 firms were honored for their safety efforts.

To view and download photos of the event, visit .

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The聽Daily Journal聽of聽Commerce聽held its annual聽Women聽of聽Vision聽education and awards program聽Thursday evening at the聽Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront. The awards honor women who are shaping the built environment with their leadership, mentoring efforts, community involvement and promotion of industry diversity.

The conference featured guest speaker Lakecia Gunter, a vice president and general manager for Intel Corporation, and an awards ceremony honoring 44 Oregon and Southwest Washington women who are involved in architecture, engineering, construction and fields related to the building industry.

To view and download photos of the event, visit .

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At first glance, a new $34 million building at the University of Portland doesn’t stand out from nearby structures that are well over a century old.聽School officials and the building’s architects consider that a success.

Dundon-Berchtold Hall, the first new academic building to open on the North Portland campus in over two decades, was designed to be aesthetically similar to historic buildings in the vicinity.

鈥淲hen driving up our main drive and seeing the building for the first time, we wanted it to seem like it had always been here,鈥� said Jim Ravelli, the school’s vice president for university operations. 鈥淲e wanted to have a classic, traditional look, yet have the features of a modern building.鈥�

University leaders and the buildings’ donors were looking to echo design elements of older buildings across campus built in the Collegiate Gothic style, which is more typical of East Coast universities and less common of those west of the Rockies.

To achieve that goal, the university hired the design team of Robert A.M. Stern Architects, a New York-based firm with a portfolio including buildings at Harvard, Princeton and Notre Dame, and Soderstrom Architects, a Portland-based firm that has designed multiple buildings on the campus and has experience with education and faith-based design.

The building is clad in distressed brick and variegated Indiana limestone, while large oak doors in arched, recessed entries as well as a 58-foot clock tower and copper downspouts contribute to the classic look. Inside, a cathedral-like entrance, extensive use of wood molding and wainscoting, classic light fixtures and other details contribute to the sophisticated academic feel.

鈥淭his is something you would see at Yale or Harvard,鈥� said Dan Danielson, president of Soderstrom Architects. 鈥淭his is a very unique piece of architecture for Oregon.鈥�

The L-shaped building footprint creates a large, open quad between Dundon-Berchtold Hall and Waldschmidt Hall, a 128-year-old administrative building. In order to create a cohesive aesthetic between the structures, the architects used tumbled brick on the new building for a more rustic, warm feel.

A classic appearance belies what is a thoroughly modern building equipped with high-tech features. Its 17 classrooms are equipped with drop-down projection screens and true-color laser projection, touch screen controls, digital white boards, and options for recording lectures. An 80-inch high-definition planar touch screen display is mounted in the lobby, and a student lounge has four collaboration areas with digital displays for presentations and content sharing. High-speed internet connectivity is delivered by 60 interior and six exterior wireless access points.

Green features include LED lighting, occupancy sensors to ensure lighting and air conditioning are on only in rooms that are in use, automatic window shades, and roofing materials designed to reflect sunlight and reduce the heat island effect. The university is targeting a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold rating.

The 65,616-square-foot building contains two stories of above-grade steel-framed space over one below-grade level. Each classroom has a capacity ranging from 40 students to over 90; some have tiered arrangements and installed furniture, and others have podiums, desks and chairs that can easily be moved and rearranged to facilitate collaboration and discussion. The building also has a 146-seat multipurpose auditorium, faculty offices, a large study lounge with a red marble fireplace, 12 formal and informal gathering areas, and the Dundon-Berchtold Institute for Moral Formation & Applied Ethics.

Dundon-Berchtold Hall opened to students in late August after 17 months of construction by contractor Fortis Construction; a formal blessing and dedication took place Sept. 26. The site formerly held Howard Hall, a gymnasium that was built in 1927 and then demolished following completion of a new recreation center in 2015.

The building’s design was formulated in part through a lengthy due diligence and study process. A steering committee co-led by the design team spent about 18 months engaging with faculty and students to discuss programming needs. Soderstrom Architects served as the prime architect, and Robert A.M. Stern was the project’s design architect.

The project team also included KPFF Consulting Engineers (structural and civil engineering), Interface Engineering (mechanical/electrical/plumbing engineering) and PLACE Studio (landscape architecture).

Ravelli offered high praise for the architects, Fortis Construction, and the subcontractors and skilled tradespeople who collaborated on the building.

鈥淭hey took immense pride in this project,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd many of them have described it as a once-in-a-career opportunity.鈥�

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The Daily Journal of Commerce held its third annual Building Diversity awards and education program Thursday to celebrate and examine diversity, equity and inclusion within the local building industry.

A total of 17 local firms, organizations, agencies and individuals were honored for their efforts to shape the built environment through outstanding work, leadership, mentorships, community involvement and promotion of industry diversity.

The lunch event was held at the Sentinel Hotel in downtown Portland and included networking, 聽an awards program, and a panel discussion featuring Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle, P3 Consulting owner and Portland mayoral candidate Ozzie Gonz谩lez, and Emily Purry of INCIGHT. To view and download photos from the event, visit .

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A two-year project to modernize and expand Grant High School is drawing to a close, with crews putting the finishing touches on the campus in preparation for the return of students later this month.

The $158 million project is the last to be completed under Portland Public Schools‘ 2012 construction bond, a $482 million capital measure that funded two previous high school modernization projects and multiple other improvements throughout the district.

The main school building and gymnasium were originally constructed in 1923, and multiple expansion wings and new structures were added to the ten-acre campus over the ensuing decades. After the demolition of five non-historic structures, the school now consists of two buildings 鈥� an expanded main building with added classroom space and new gymnasium, and a new visual arts center located in the original 1923 gymnasium building.

Due to the school’s classification as an Oregon Historic Site, maintaining its appearance and aesthetic was a top priority. The project team paid close attention to preserving details including masonry color, interior stained glass signage and intricate decorative terra cotta column work.

鈥淚t’s very important for us to preserve the existing building because it’s iconic,鈥� said David Mayne, spokesman for the PPS bond program. 鈥淪o we did that, and at the same time we’ve enhanced a number of things, including adding a whole new section to make the building wider.鈥�

A two-story steel-framed addition extended the building west by roughly 50 feet and created a double-corridor space with three rows of programming, including new classrooms and a student commons area. The structural expansion also provides a new ADA-compliant connection with the remodeled auditorium, which was previously connected to the main building via ramps due to a change in grade between the buildings.

鈥淲e did a lot of brick repair and one of the things that happened when they built this in 1923 is that the mortar was stronger than the bricks,鈥� said Jaime Hurd, PPS capital projects coordinator. 鈥淎nd it had been damaging them for the last 80 years. So we actually replaced all the bricks on this fa莽ade and we’ve been doing terra cotta repair, so it gives it that historic look and makes it much more weatherproof.鈥�

A secure entry vestibule leads to a new three-story staircase intended to be the central hub of the school. The stairway serves to connect the entrance with the auditorium, student commons and a new basement maker space, and will also function as a learning stair as it descends the building’s lower level.

A southwest addition includes a new library, a gymnasium with capacity for 1,700 spectators, an auxiliary gym, wrestling room and weight room.聽 The complete restoration of the school’s auditorium, built as an expansion in 1927, also includes a new 165-seat black box theater, dance studio and student flex space.

On the exterior, crews are finished replacing both the masonry as well as windows styled to match the appearance of the original frames.

鈥淭hese are all historic replacement historic windows and we’ve utilized the full height of the windows,鈥� Hurd said. 鈥淭he modernization really took everything right down to the (concrete) structure. There really wasn’t anything left here but the concrete, and then of course we built it back up and performed all the seismic upgrades and ADA upgrades.鈥�

Mahlum Architects is the designer of the project, with Mayer/Reed Inc. taking on the landscape architecture. Further, the Andersen Colas Construction joint venture is the CM/GC contractor, and CBRE|Heery is serving as project manager.

The project is on course to be completed in time for the opening of school on Aug. 28, and a grand opening celebration is scheduled for Sept. 7.

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Several months after installation of a massive dry well, construction of the Argyle Street Apartments, in Portland’s Kenton neighborhood, is in one of its busiest stages.

Crews are framing walls, installing mechanical and electrical and plumbing systems, placing windows, and wrapping the building with a weather barrier expected to help the project gain Earth Advantage gold certification.

Walsh Construction is the general contractor for the affordable housing project at 2133 N. Argyle St. REACH Community Development Corp. is developing the project, which was designed by MWA Architects.

Plans call for a single four-story building; however, the complex will more closely resemble a pair of buildings connected via a three-story sky-bridge spanning a ground-floor breezeway. The 189 apartments will be studios, or have one, two or three bedrooms.

Crews are working their way through the building from the ground floor up, Walsh Construction project engineer Scott Rascoe said. MEP subcontractors are not waiting for framing crews to get more than one floor ahead of them, either.

Currently, Wood Mechanix carpenters are framing the second story. Tapani Plumbing and O’Neill Electric employees are working on the ground floor while KO Contracting workers are installing double-glazed vinyl windows.

Use of prefabricated wall panels by Pacific Wall Systems of Olympia, Washington, has significantly reduced the number of carpenters needed, according to Rascoe. Instead of a crew of 30 to 40 carpenters framing walls by hand from scratch, barely half that number are not only framing walls, but also installing joists and sheeting walls, he said.

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In east Multnomah County, crews are taking advantage of summer to replace a pair of elementary schools. One is East Gresham Elementary, at 900 S.E. Fifth St. There, general contractor Bremik Construction is leading construction of a new, two-story school and demolition of the original single-story building, which was designed by Edmundson & Kochendoerfer and built by general contractor Johnson & Sterner in 1950.

Subcontractors are scrambling to put the finishing touches on a new, 76,000-square-foot building scheduled to open in time for the 2019-20 school year. Concrete tilt panels atop a slab-on-grade foundation and structural steel comprise the backbone of the building, which will feature 24 classrooms along with specialized learning rooms, gathering spaces and flex spaces.

The new school will also include a media center overlooking the cafeteria, a music room, a covered outdoor play area, a gymnasium, and new vehicle parking.

DLR Group designed the project for the Gresham-Barlow School District, which is paying for it with money from a $291 million bond approved by voters in 2016. Designers aimed to provide a new school with four key improvements: better daylighting and HVAC systems; a better learning environment with modern technology; better safety and security; and better parking for buses and parents’ vehicles.

Meanwhile, NorthStar, a New York City-based contractor, is handling demolition of the old school, which is riddled with asbestos in piping insulation and other items. NorthStar crews licensed by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality were required to seal off one room at a time with plastic sheeting and regulated air flow to abate the asbestos.

School district employees, meanwhile, removed furniture, cabinetry and any other equipment that might retain value. Blackboards, drywall and other materials were removed, and demolition was expected to continue through July, Bremik Construction superintendent Grant Lang said.

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Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. held its annual career fair on Friday and Saturday, drawing hundreds of students and women interested in the trades to the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center in Northeast Portland.

More than 70 companies and organizations hosted exhibitions, and 40 interactive workshops and activities were available to attendees at the two-day event. 2019 marked the 27th annual career fair, which is intended to introduce young women to career opportunities in the skilled trades. More than 100 volunteers contributed to OTI’s event this year.

On Friday, high school students from around Oregon attended the career fair. Then on Saturday, OTI welcomed the general public.

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School construction will be taking place in Vancouver, Washington, for years to come.

In February 2017, voters approved a $458 million bond measure for Vancouver Public Schools. One year later, voters approved a $695 million bond measure for the city’s other school district 鈥� Evergreen Public Schools.

On Northeast 42nd Avenue, crews are working on one of the Vancouver Public Schools projects 鈥� a replacement for Truman Elementary. General contractor Todd Construction is overseeing the effort to erect a two-story building designed by Bassetti Architects. The new school will sit on the same property as the existing one, but in a different location.

Crews broke ground in January, and work has proceeded quickly. Ironworkers from several companies are erecting structural steel and laying rebar for foundation slabs, while Todd Construction self-performs carpentry.

鈥淲e’ve got some of the slab-on-grade foundation down and we’ve started the first section of structural steel,鈥� Todd Construction superintendent Monte Carothers said at the project site last week. 鈥淭here’s plumbing, electrical underground 鈥� everything to do with the foundation. And then as you can see, the ironworkers are there. Next week we’ll have the drywall contractor on-site and he’ll be starting his metal framing in that area.鈥�

Additional slab-on-grade concrete and structural steel work is scheduled, Carothers added.

鈥淭he following week we’ll be going vertical in that same area out there,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s fun. Especially when you get to the stage where you’re pouring slabs, it starts changing fairly quickly.鈥�

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A new mixed-use building with an intergenerational focus will provide permanently affordable housing to families and senior citizens in the Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood. 72Foster, recently opened by REACH Community Development, features 101 apartments 鈥� ranging from studios to three-bedroom units 鈥� over a ground floor with resident amenities and 8,900 square feet of commercial space.

The Holst Architecture-designed project was completed last month by general contractor LMC Construction. The 80,000-square-foot building features three levels of wood-framed apartments over a concrete podium. Tenant amenity space includes a ground-floor community room that opens onto a public courtyard, which is accessible via a breezeway connected to the corner of Southeast Foster Road and 72nd Avenue, as well as a bicycle storage room and a fourth-floor lounge and outdoor terrace.

REACH partnered with the Asian Health and Service Center (AHSC), which conducted outreach to the Asian community to solicit input on the building’s design. The nonprofit also is providing leasing assistance as well as on-site programs and services to building residents. The goal is to provide a vehicle for lower-income community members to remain in the neighborhood amid escalating housing prices; create a hub for cultural activities, language and skill-building; and improve access to health care.

鈥淭hrough affordable rents at 72Foster, many new immigrants can build up assets to acquire their permanent home,鈥� Dr. Erik Szeto, AHSC board chairman, stated in a press release. 鈥淢oreover, isolated seniors can move into this project and enjoy culturally appropriate services provided by AHSC and develop new friendships with new neighbors in their new home.鈥�

The residences are available to tenants earning 60 percent of median family income, and 20 apartments will be set aside for those with Project Based Section 8 vouchers.

The team for the $24 million project included construction manager Housing Development Center, landscape architect PLACE Studio, civil engineer Humber Design Group, and ABHT Structural Engineers.

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