The Portland Art Museum‘s Rothko Pavilion is ready for its public debut after a decade of conception and planning, and nearly three years of construction.

The $116 million project’s centerpiece is the pavilion, a thoroughly modern, four-story glass box that bridges two 20th-century museum buildings.

Perhaps most emblematic of the project: Signs in the museum refer to the Mark building, built in 1970, as the North Wing, while the original Pietro Belluschi museum building, built in 1932, is now the South Wing.

It’s all one Portland Art Museum.

“Connectivity was really the core architectural mission of the project,” said Tim Eddy, principal at Hennebery Eddy Architects. The local firm partnered with Vinci Hamp Architects of Chicago to design the project.

The major design problem was how to combine the two existing buildings. The solution, the architects decided, would be a glazed box. They added two elevators and a central staircase, and several subtle step-downs to help navigate at least 11 grade changes between the Mark and Belluschi buildings.

The result is a landmark civic project for Portland.

Inside, natural light floods the Rothko Pavilion. Designers used fritted glass to both reduce glare and avoid bird strikes. Heating and cooling run through the floors. Sound deadening was used extensively, and the building has only the quiet hum of the ventilation system bringing in fresh air.

“It was not intended to be a focal third building,” Eddy said. “It was really intended to connect the existing buildings.”

The project adds about 100,000 square feet of new and renovated interior space. Curators have filled that space with new exhibits of Mark Rothko paintings, Pacific Northwest and Native American art, an entire floor dedicated to contemporary Black artists, and a series of immersive digital works.

The connections between buildings should make it easier for visitors to navigate to the various galleries, museum officials and designers said.

“Everyone gets to see more of the art,” said Phillip Hamp, principal at Vinci Hamp Architects.

Outside, a gold-ring sculpture made of gilded timber — “The Sun” by Swiss-American artist Ugo Rondinone — dominates the west side along Southwest 10th Avenue, with views of the West Hills. To the east, visitors can look toward the Hawthorne Bridge and Mount Hood.

The pavilion “creates a new, welcoming central front door to the museum,” said Brian Ferriso, the art museum’s director.

Museum officials raised $116 million for the project itself and $30 million more for an endowment.

Designers took transparency seriously. Pedestrians can look inside the museum, viewing art from a passageway or the sidewalks. Museumgoers can see the city outside the structure.

Outdoor terraces on the fourth floor provide views and resting spots, and space for events. On the ground floor, Providore Fine Foods has opened Coquelico, a café serving sandwiches, salads and pizza.

Vinci Hamp leaned on Hennebery Eddy‘s local expertise with Portland’s design review and historic resource processes, Hamp said.

“One of the real benefits of hooking up with Hennebery is they knew this system,” Hamp said. “We had a head start, and they were able to run interference.”

Mortenson served as general contractor, handling unusual materials and a unique project site. KPFF was the structural engineer.

“This vision started over a decade ago and continued through COVID and tariffs and everything else,” said Carolyn Sizemore, Mortenson’s director for the Portland market. “This proves hard, complex things can be completed in Portland — and should be.”

The museum will open to the public on Nov. 20 with a schedule of events and free admission.

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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 .

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As nearly a billion dollars of bond money was invested in affordable housing projects in the Portland-metro area, architects found paths to success. Don Sowieja, a principal with Ankrom Moisan Architects, and Trish Nixon, president and managing principal of LRS Architects, shared their thoughts on how different approaches to the design process can help push multifamily projects toward construction.

The city of Portland has taken major steps to encourage development, Sowieja said. One of these steps was consolidating permitting functions into a single bureau: Portland Permitting & Development.

“Prior to that shift in policy organization, you might expect three to four months before you go your first round of (plan review),” Sowieja said, adding that it now takes around six weeks.

Also, the Portland City Council last year passed its Housing Regulatory Relief Project, which temporarily suspended development and process standards that apply to building projects, such as bike parking, bird-safe glazing, and landscape standards. State legislation also has provided relief from requirements and contributed to the success of LRS Architects’ projects, Nixon stated in an email.

When it comes to the overall timeline for a project, Sowieja said the design process is critical.

“One of the things we’ve found is to keep it simple,” he said.

Keeping a layout and overall composition basic allows a project to move through the process more quickly, Sowieja said. Oftentimes a proposal’s details may be unclear to city staffers, so it’s important to keep an open line of dialogue with them, he added, to navigate the approval process. Communicating early with city staff ensures there are no surprises during the design review and permitting processes, Nixon stated.

The simpler the design, the simpler the compliance, Sowieja said. For multifamily housing, unit size and type matter.

“If you have three unit types – studios, one bedroom and two bedroom – and you have one each of those types of unit plans, that’s as easy as it gets for the city to understand, as well as for the developer to demonstrate in compliance,” Sowieja said.

Designing projects that require a minimal number of requests for modifications or variances helps improve timelines and overall efficiency, Nixon stated. Before starting to design a project, LRS Architects works diligently with clients to understand all requirements and minimize adverse impacts, she added.

For projects subject to design review, Sowieja said teams should know the rules and follow them.

“It’s right there on the page,” he said. “Reading what it says and doing what it says is the best way to move quickly through a subjective process.”

Although inclusionary housing is relatively new to Portland, many cities on the West Coast have similar criteria. In Portland, inclusionary housing requires all residential buildings proposing 20 or more new units to provide a percentage of them at rents or sale prices affordable to households at 80 percent of the median family income or below, the city’s website states.

Development teams should embrace the fact that it is a requirement for multifamily projects, Sowieja said. While there was consternation at the outset, most of the development community has figured out that it is a financial and organizational impact, he added.

Meanwhile, all LRS Architects apartment projects within the city of Portland in the past five years have been 100 percent affordable, Nixon said.

Demand for multifamily projects has declined in the past 2.5 years, Sowieja said, following a roller coaster of economic cycles, including the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and interest rate increases. However, that has begun to change in 2025, he added.

“The design side is really picking up,” he said. “That takes a while to translate into construction starts, and construction is the big money and the larger economic driver.”

On the other hand, LRS Architects reports something different.

“We are seeing more exploratory activity, but not necessarily project starts,” Nixon stated, adding that such activity is taking place in the suburbs and not in the city of Portland.

LRS has seen a decrease in market-rate projects, according to Nixon. But the firm is involved in several active affordable housing projects in Portland. These include Garden Park Estates, which includes renovation and new construction (LMC Construction is the contractor), Jamii Court (O’Neill/Walsh Community Builders is the contractor), and Barbur Apartments (Todd Construction is the contractor).

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Portland-based architecture, interior design and planning firm Ankrom Moisan Architects has announced Murray Jenkins as its next president, effective July 1. He will lead the firm from its Portland office.

Ankrom Moisan’s current president, Dave Heater, will transition into a new business development role. He will be based in the San Francisco office. Jenkins will carry forward the legacy established by Heater, according to an Ankrom Moisan press release, by maintaining the team structures, operational continuity, and collaborative culture that have shaped the firm’s identity.

“As president, my goal is to create an environment where our staff feel inspired and empowered, so they can, in turn, inspire our clients through exceptional design and service,” Jenkins stated in the press release.

Over nearly 25 years with Ankrom Moisan, Jenkins has grown through every level of the firm, from architectural intern to vice president of architecture and secretary of the board. His leadership is distinguished by deep institutional knowledge, a steady hand during transitions, and an unwavering commitment to the firm’s values, according to the press release. One of those values is ensuring every employee has a meaningful stake in the firm’s success via an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

As president, Jenkins will lead the firm in deepening its expertise across its core strengths in housing, urban living, office, retail, community, health care, higher education, hospitality and senior communities. The firm will continue to expand its leadership in sustainability and mass timber, while exploring strategic opportunities in emerging markets.

Jenkins also plans to champion innovation across the firm, including the integration of artificial intelligence and other technologies to enhance creativity, efficiency, and impact.

“We see AI as one of the most transformative changes facing the architecture and design industry, and we are approaching it with both curiosity and care,” Jenkins stated in an email. “We’re actively exploring how AI can support our work — both through language and visual models, in-app tools, and emerging platforms.”

The firm’s goal is not only speed but also improving how it designs, documents and makes decisions, Jenkins stated. The firm sees AI as a tool and is actively running pilots and encouraging teams to experiment, while being thoughtful about quality and long-term impact.

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Hope Telford joined Portland-based Richard Brown Architect in 2014 and bought the firm in 2020 with the goal of creating spaces that emphasize natural materials, comfort, usability and energy efficiency.

“I’ve always been a big creative thinker and it’s been a large shift for me to move from being primarily a designer to taking a leadership role, but I love that,” she said.

The firm specializes in wineries, new homes, home renovations and ADUs, sacred and educational spaces, and commercial projects. Telford said she appreciates the opportunity to help her staff achieve their goals while also satisfying clients.

“It’s really great to see clients who are happy because their spaces turned out to be so much more than they ever imagined,” she said.

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Pooja Kashyap Apple and Brian Apple co-founded Curious Architects in 2022 to help communities foster a sense of identity, empowerment and connectedness through design.

“We wanted to practice architecture differently. We developed a design process that through curiosity and technology is more inclusive, with ecological principles at its core,” Pooja said.

The COBID-certified firm provides full architectural services for commercial, communal and cultural properties. These include multifamily and affordable housing, retail, office, mixed-use and education spaces. It also does renovations, additions, new construction and adaptive reuse.

“We love meeting business owners and entrepreneurs and walking through vacant space with them. Especially in a city like Portland, we meet people who are multicultural, creative and passionate. Oftentimes they are growing their business with family or close friends. Not only is it fun visioning with them, it’s rewarding to be part of their business journey,” she said.

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Two adjacent buildings in downtown Portland are on track to receive changes to accommodate the James Beard Public Market, which will hold 40 small businesses.

The Historic Landmarks Commission got its first look Monday at a proposal to make exterior alterations to the Selling Building, at 610 S.W. Alder St., and the building at 622 S.W. Alder St.

The design team includes the San Francisco office of BCV Architecture + Interiors (lead architect and architect of record) and COLAB Architecture + Urban Design (local architect). Other project team members include Grummel Engineering LLC, Humber Design Group, and Hoffman Construction.

The project is valued at $2 million, according to Portland Permitting & Development.

The Selling Building’s storefronts and granite cladding on the bottom two floors would be removed. New storefronts would be constructed with dark granite bases and pilasters, embossed metal cladding, back-painted glass sign bands, and awnings at the ground level. New wood-framed windows and terra-cotta cladding would be installed at the second level.

Similar alterations are proposed across the whole façade of the 622 Alder building. Modifications to sign code standards may be requested, along with a modification to the bird-friendly glazing standard.

An entry at the corner of Alder Street and Sixth Avenue would be maintained but new ones to the market as well as one to a restaurant would be created, said Hans Baldauf, founding principal of BCV Architecture + Interiors.

The ground floor of the 115-year-old Selling Building has been renovated twice – once in 1930 and again in 1937, Baldauf said.

“Our approach on this is to try to restore the Selling Building as having its traditional base, while at the same time acknowledging its history through time,” he said.

The 1930s-era art deco elevation of the storefronts is a more appropriate touchstone for the ground-level commercial space, Baldauf said. City staff support the proposal to restore the glazed terra-cotta cladding and three-part wood windows on the second floor. The team was looking into potentially using fiber-reinforced concrete because it is more affordable. During the meeting, the commissioners voiced support for terra-cotta if possible. The commissioners also asked to see more of a connection between the two buildings.

As proposed, building signage would be larger than typically approved for a retail project; however, since the market is expected to be a major public attraction, city staff believe the signage would be appropriate and consistent with the style and period of significance for the Selling Building, according to a Portland Permitting & Development staff report.

The awnings shown on the drawings would not be deep enough to provide useful cover from rain or sun for pedestrians passing by or visiting the market site, the staff report states. Deeper awnings (at least four feet) should be provided, and awnings or canopies should be provided at the main entrances to the market, according to staff.

The overall proposed concept for the redevelopment of the 622 Alder building is supportable, as it has no existing historic character, according to staff. For the vertical metal bays at either side, rather than extending embossed metal panels from the ground to the parapet, staff suggest incorporating glazing and dividing these bays to be more consistent with the adjacent storefronts in the center of the façade.

A mural is proposed for the Selling Building, adjacent to the roof deck on the 622 Alder building. Staff have recommended that the applicants pursue the public art approval process with the Regional Arts and Culture Council.

The Selling Building will require a type 3 historic resource review from the Historic Landmarks Commission. The 622 Alder building will require a type 2 design review.

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Portland-based InkBuilt Design is an architecture firm rooted in sustainability and resilience. Specializing in residential, commercial, and community projects, the firm integrates Passive House principles and prefabrication to enhance energy efficiency and long-term durability.

InkBuilt’s portfolio includes projects like the Beaverton Shelter, which provides 24-hour, year-round emergency housing, and the Timber Ridge development, offering intergenerational affordable housing. The firm also played a key role in the renovation of Heartwood Commons, supportive housing that prioritizes community and sustainability.

Driven by the belief that architecture should serve both people and the environment, InkBuilt’s designs emphasize adaptability, affordability, and high performance. The firm’s deep expertise in sustainable building practices helps clients reduce energy consumption while creating spaces that remain functional and livable for generations.

InkBuilt collaborates with nonprofits and community groups to advocate for equitable housing and responsible development. Their work on the Josephine, a mixed-use residential building in a historic district, exemplifies their approach to balancing innovation with practicality.

As a woman-owned firm, InkBuilt emphasizes design-build collaboration, focusing on efficiency, affordability, and performance. Through projects like these, InkBuilt Design continues to explore new ways architecture can address housing challenges while promoting sustainability and community well-being.

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Hennebery Eddy Architects, a Portland-based firm, is known for designing sustainable, people-centered spaces across the Pacific Northwest. The firm’s projects prioritize environmental responsibility, historic preservation, and long-term functionality, establishing it as a standout in the industry.

With a diverse portfolio spanning civic, educational, and commercial architecture, Hennebery Eddy blends innovative design with practicality. The firm’s work often includes revitalizing historic buildings while creating modern, energy-efficient structures that serve today’s needs and prepare for the future. Notable projects include the Oregon Supreme Court Building, which combines seismic retrofitting with historic preservation, and the KEX Hostel, a vibrant, energy-efficient renovation of a 1911 building. Similarly, the Astoria Public Library renovation showcases the firm’s ability to blend modern design with historic character.

As a JUST-certified organization, Hennebery Eddy emphasizes equity, transparency, and social responsibility. The firm is also committed to mentorship, pro bono projects, and supporting the next generation of architects. This community-driven approach has shaped spaces that foster creativity, connection, and long-term impact.

Hennebery Eddy continues to demonstrate that thoughtful design can create spaces that inspire and serve the needs of both today and the future.

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Woodblock‘s designs can be seen throughout the area – from multifamily and office developments to hospitality, industrial, public works, grocery stores, restaurants and religious facilities. The firm emphasizes sustainable design practices, focusing on energy efficiency, resource conservation and the use of eco-friendly materials where appropriate, including the use of wood as a primary building material.

Woodblock recently was named the preferred awardee for the Tualatin Soil and Water RFP, outpacing several established architecture firms in the Portland metropolitan area. The company was involved with the Block 216 building, which houses the Portland Ritz Carlton Food Hall, and it has an on-call contract with Portland State University.

The firm also was involved with the recently reopened Michael’s Discount Furniture in Gresham, and in the works is a project to transform an historic neighborhood auto repair shop in Northeast Portland into a cart pod featuring a bar and seating area.

On a national level, Woodblock continues its partnership with Dutch Bros., developing innovative conversion projects for the coffee chain.
In November 2024, the Daily Journal of Commerce recognized Woodblock’s Brownsville Recreation Center with a Top Projects award in the Public Projects division.

Woodblock enjoys collaborating with local organizations and institutions, allowing it to contribute to the development and enhancement of community spaces.

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