Renovation transforms 58-year-old building

Josh Kulla — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 19:03:48 +0000

The new headquarters for Living Room Realty is a 58-year-old office building on Southeast 10th Avenue, in Portland’s Buckman neighborhood. (Courtesy of Living Room Realty)

An aging office building in Portland’s Buckman neighborhood recently was revitalized via an extensive tenant improvement for Living Room Realty.

SUM Design Studio + Architecture designed the renovation of the two-story building at 421 S.E. 10th Ave., and Deform NW served as the general contractor. S. Baird Design worked in partnership with Deform NW to manage the project.

The scope of work included creation of a new restroom and seven new offices, reconfiguration of existing restrooms and break rooms, and creation of new, accessible motor vehicle parking and bike parking on the building’s north side.

“We’re dedicated to communities in every corner of Portland and our new, inspiring space in Southeast Portland with its convenient location and additional space will enable us to further connect with our community through even more initiatives, workshops, events and services,” Living Room Realty owner Jenelle Isaacson stated in a press release.

The building, designed in the Northwest Regional style by architects John Reese and Frank Blachly and constructed in 1962, originally served as a Postal Employees Credit Union branch and most recently as a Multnomah County community corrections office. Officials are seeking to add the building to the National Register of Historic Places.

Living Room Realty purchased the property in 2018 for $628,938, and a building permit for the renovation was issued in 2019.

The building most recently served as a Multnomah County corrections office. (Courtesy Living Room Realty)

Upon completion, Living Room Realty relocated its Division/Clinton office to the 8,321-square-foot space. It will serve as the firm’s headquarters for both real estate sales and property management and maintenance.

The new finishes, fixtures and treatments are much different from what existed previously, S. Baird Design owner Shannon Baird said. One exception is the curved wood ceiling and a few remaining original elements that had to be restored for the property to be eligible for a historic listing.

S. Baird Design selected tile, carpet, wood walls and ceilings, sound-absorbing ceiling tiles, polished concrete, restored wood doors and aluminum accents, in addition to interior furnishings.

“The biggest change was in altering the perception and mood of the spaces,” Baird said. “Having been a correctional facility for so long, there was a sterile, depressed, cold, institutional feeling that permeated the entire structure.”

Arched wooden ceilings were preserved in the renovation, which was carried out by general contractor Deform NW. (Courtesy of Living Room Realty)

An application is pending to place the renovated building on the National Register of Historic Places. (Courtesy of Living Room Realty)

A new kitchen space is one of the renovated spaces. (Courtesy of Living Room Realty)

New offices and conference space were created as part of the renovation. (Courtesy of Living Room Realty)

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S. Baird Design – Daily Journal of Commerce

Renovation transforms 58-year-old building