The Oregon Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) awarded the City of Milwaukie Kellogg Creek Bridge a 2019 Project of the Year Award. Otak’s design and engineering team, working as a sub-consultant to HP Civil, designed a clear span bridge that solved both the flooding and scour issues while also protecting the unique fish ladder beneath the structure. Otak was responsible for structural and civil engineering, stormwater design, landscape architecture, and construction management and inspection. Great work by all involved! 

About the Award: Each year, APWA presents the Public Works Projects of the Year awards to promote excellence in the management and administration of public works projects, recognizing the alliance between the managing agency, the contractor, the consultant, and their cooperative achievements.

APWA 2019 Project of the Year: US 101 and OR 6, OR Department of Transportation

Category: Transportation, $25 Million to $75 Million

The Oregon Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) recognized the Oregon Department of Transportation project US 101 and OR 6 with a 2019 Project of the Year Award. Working as a sub-consultant to Quincy Engineering, Otak provided roadway, bridge/structural, stormwater and landscape design, and hydraulic analysis services to improve the design of the intersection of the two highways in downtown Tillamook. Other major improvements included replacing the Hoquarten Slough bridge with new access into an adjoining park. Congratulations to the Quincy and Otak teams who worked collaboratively on the award-winning project! 

About the Award: Each year, APWA presents the Public Works Projects of the Year awards to promote excellence in the management and administration of public works projects, recognizing the alliance between the managing agency, the contractor, the consultant, and their cooperative achievements. 

Otak Colorado Team recently took part in the Go-Tober challenge, a regional commute challenge between local businesses throughout the month of October. The event is hosted by WayToGo, a program through the Denver Regional Council of Governments. The challenge was aimed at getting employees out of their single-occupancy vehicles, and using “smart commute” options, such as biking, transit, walking or carpooling for their commutes and work-related activities. For each trip logged, the employees earned points for the Otak team.

Well, DRUM ROLL…. 

The results are in, and Otak came in first place in our category!**

We are 2019 Go-Tober Champions.

A total of 2,538 participants in the Go-Tober challenge logged 64,366 commutes. Their efforts resulted in 742,814 smart commute miles traveled and a reduction of more than 430,719 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Go-Tober commuters also burned 3,979,980 calories and saved $205,299.08 in travel costs.

Go-Tober is presented by Way to Go, a regional partnership between the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) and a group of seven transportation management associations (TMAs) that are dedicated to transforming the way people get around. Go-Tober works directly with employers to introduce new commute options to those who normally drive alone. Ultimately, Go-Tober is designed to inspire lasting changes in commuting behavior to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. Employees are encouraged to carpool, telework, vanpool, bike, walk, take the light rail or bus their way to prizes and annual bragging rights.

Kudos to everyone who participated! We saw folks go above and beyond to organize carpools to work and to meetings, and many employees tried smart commuting for the first time this month. We also had a handful of employees who took the bus or biked every day throughout the month—impressive!  

**Categories were determined based on the RTD service level areas to level out the playing field so that suburban companies were not competing against those in downtown Denver. 

Congratulations Community Transit! Swift Bus Rapid Transit Green Line Recognized for Engineering Excellence; Receives 2019 PSRC Vision 2040 Award and 2019 WTS Innovative Transportation Solutions Award

Snohomish County in Washington state is a fast-growing region with rapidly expanding economic hubs and urban centers. It is also rich in rural areas, farmlands and forests. With another million+ residents anticipated over the next two decades, managing growth while preserving natural resources and building for a sustainable future is a key concern for the region. These are just a few of the challenges Community Transit was faced with when they embarked on the Swift Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project nearly fifteen years ago. From the start, Otak has been a trusted partner supporting the teams at CT and helping them deliver on their ambitious promise to the region.

While BRT in general is well established system for providing mass transit solutions, Community Transit (CT) has been on the leading edge in rapid transit development and the Swift BRT system has proven to be an innovative solution successfully integrating transit networks across communities and effectively connecting the broader region. Yes, the CT Swift BRT transit project has a primary goal of alleviating traffic congestion, but the Swift BRT solution is multifaceted. It’s not just about drivers and getting cars off the road. It’s also about pedestrians, bikers, trains, and commercial vehicles; as well as the property owners, businesses, and overlapping jurisdictions that are all impacted by the new transit system. 

Holistic Approach to Design and Development

CT recognized these complexities and the need for a holistic multidisciplinary approach to designing a solution. From the very start, CT partnered with multiple agencies, utilities, commissioners and community leaders, as well as civil engineers, landscape architects, urban designers and more. Otak was brought in early on the design and development of the Swift Blue Line and then the Green Line. The Otak team, led by project manager Windi Shapley, has been an integral part of the project leading station design and providing construction support for the Swift line transit stations including design, manufacturing, and installation of station platforms and shelters, amenities, ticket vending machines, shelter railings, passenger information signing and iconic station markers. The team has also been instrumental in providing surveying, civil engineering, landscape architecture, planning, utility coordination, and construction support services and inspection throughout the project. Shapley asserts that “to be successful and deliver the best possible solutions, you have to take a holistic approach. You need the expertise and insights from multiple disciplines because the smallest things can have a big impact, and everything is interconnected – especially in a multi-community transit project like the Swift BRT network.” 

Project Recognized for Innovative Design and Positive Impact on Regional Sustainability

The Swift BRT Blue Line was opened in 2009 as the first phase of the project. It was also the first of its kind and set the standard for phase two and the Green Line which began operating in March of 2019. The Swift BRT Green Line is a 12-mile route running between the Seaway Transit Center and the Canyon Park & Ride, serving the communities of South Everett, Mill Creek and Bothell in Snohomish County. The Swift Green Line is notable for connecting  the new commercial flight terminal at Paine Field and Boeing’s Everett Factory to Bothell, as well as the Swift Blue Line and the larger community transit network. In short, the addition of the Swift Green Line is an integral component to the long-term plan of creating a network of fast, frequent connections across the region and providing critical infrastructure for sustainable growth into the future.

The holistic approach has paid as the Swift BRT lines are effectively providing much needed transportation solutions while adhering to the vision and policies around regional growth, transportation and economic development planning within King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties. The results are undeniable, and the CT Swift Green Line project has been recognized for innovative design and positive impact on regional sustainability by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) and received a 2019 PSRC Vision 2040 Award. 

The Swift BRT Green line also won the 2019 WTS Innovative Transportation Solutions – Large Projects Award, not only for the innovative solutions, but also in recognition of the leadership by the all-woman team. The Swift Green Line project team has been led by Joy Munkers, Director of Planning and Development and June DeVoll, Manager of Strategic Planning and Grants of Community Transit. From planning through implementation, Joy and June have been supported by a project team which includes over 50 women. Women in lead roles include Grants/Funding - Melissa Cauley, Community Transit Grant Program Manager; OTHER CT; Project Management of Design, Permitting, and Construction Support - Windi Shapley, Otak; Traffic Engineering Lead - Katherine Casseday, Casseday Consulting; Right-of-Way Lead – Faith Roland, Contract Land Staff; Environmental Permitting Lead - Sharese Graham, Environmental Science Associates; 128th Street Improvements Design Lead – Yee-Fan Riu, WSP; and Geotechnical Lead - Debra Overbay, GeoEngineers.

Otak has also been nominated for an Engineering Excellence Award for the Swift Green Line BRT project. The Otak team has worked with CT for nearly fifteen years on the Swift BRT program and throughout, Windi Shapley has been the project manager. She attributes the project’s success in part to the consistent presence Otak has been able to provide as CT team members and project leads have changed over the years. “Fifteen years is a long time and staff changes are to be expected. We have been able to guide the project through these changes with the accumulated knowledge and expertise gained at all stages, and a steadfast commitment to the long-range vision, mission and purpose.” CT Manager, June DeVoll further asserts “Otak’s expertise, thoroughness, emphasis on team communication, and focus on quality and constructability has made them a trusted and invaluable member of our Swift Green Line team. They understand our mission, vision and expectations. The Otak team has proven they are invested in our success.”

The Swift BRT system will continue to expand with the development of the Orange line, which will connect the Blue and Green lines with city of Lynnwood, WA, and the new lite-rail line set to open in 2023. As with the Blue and Green lines, the development of the Orange Line will also include further roadway improvements and signal improvements to mitigate traffic congestion and potential interruptions to traffic flow – a top concern for commercial and delivery vehicles. The completion of the network will effectively connect the entire region with an attractive alternative to the automobile for fast, reliable and efficient commuting in an area that is committed to sustainable growth and protecting its natural resources.

Otak is consistently ranked as a top design firm in the Pacific Northwest year over year and has long been recognized for engineering excellence and innovation in sustainable urban design and construction. What you may not know is this legacy of excellence is on a worldwide scale and, with the addition of K2, we’re now listed as one of the Top 50 PM firms in the UK.

Parent company, Hanmi Global is the number one PM/CM firm in Korea and ranked 9th globally and the newly acquired K2 is 26th in the United Kingdom. Otak broke ENR’s 2019 top ten list of design firms in the Northwest and is ranked ninth.

Our overall rankings are quite impressive and as we continue to grow, we’re confident Otak will continue to rise! 

 Otak Northwest Rankings

• Top Design firms in the Northwest -  No. 9

• Top Design firms in Oregon  - No. 5

• Top Design firms Washington  - No. 13

• Architecture firm in the Northwest -  No. 9

• Transportation firm in the Northwest  - No. 9

• Multi-unit residential design in the Northwest  - No. 3

• Civil Engineering in the Northwest  - No. 8

Global Rankings

• Top 500 Design Firms: Otak  - No. 249

• Top  PM/CM firm in Korea: Hanmi Global  - No. 1

• Top 20 Global CM/PM Firms (non-US): Hanmi Global  - No. 9

• Top 50 PM firms in the UK: K2  - No. 26

The complete list of rankings can be found at https://bit.ly/2PzTRMr.

Our Why from Otak on Vimeo.

Our why begins and ends with the people of Otak. Our teams, clients, partners, and colleagues have shared values and a common desire to enrich the communities where we live, work and play, while also preserving the environment and our natural spaces. Whether planning, designing, building and managing private and public buildings, civic spaces, wetlands and woodlands, national parks or neighborhood playgrounds, the core values of our people guide us in all that we do.

Our core values extend beyond the workplace and are intrinsic to who we are, how we serve our communities and how we live each day with our friends and families. These core values also form the basis of our work and guide us to deliver more than just projects, but to create vibrant centers for living for today and for generations to come.

This is our why and the people of Otak are at the heart of our why.

On April 9, Otak submitted a Type 3 land use application for the precedent-setting Hyatt Place and Allison Residences, a 23-story mixed-use building containing 170 hotel rooms and 110 residential units. The ground level will offer areas for residents, visitors, and neighbors to gather, while the top of the building will consist of lounge and event spaces, a fitness center, and a guest kitchen. This project is the second hospitality + housing high-rise building designed by Otak, the first being Hotel Indigo/Kirkland Tower on the Vancouver waterfront.

Adding accommodations in a tight housing market

Representing a new kind of sustainable design for hospitality and housing in Portland, helped by a change in the City of Portland’s zoning codes, the Hyatt Place and Allison Residences project adds market rate and affordable housing in a tight real estate market. The City must provide growth capacity for 123,000 new households through 2035.

First building to use the City’s new design code allowing a greater height

The design team has made a rare and unique use of urban space, combining lodging and amenities into one-quarter block. The new Portland Central City 2035 zoning changes, which came into effect in summer 2018, transformed the opportunities for this 10,000-square-foot property. In response to recent urban growth, the City is allowing unlimited density, or floor-area ratio, and a new allowable maximum height of 250 feet for this property if it includes affordable housing.

With a 23-story building on a small footprint, efficient and elegant design is paramount. The two different types of use require two separate entrances, with priority given to pedestrian experience. 

Solving next-level sustainability challenges

Cars no longer drive urban planning. Portland’s trendy Pearl District is the perfect place to live and work car-free, so it’s the optimal location for this creative new property. As fewer of the young people moving to Portland own cars and as ride-sharing increases, the City wanted a building without parking. The design and development team embraced the opportunity for innovative, sustainable design and has chosen to use Green Globes to guide its sustainable design practices. The team is also working with the Energy Trust of Oregon to explore incentives and rebates for sustainable and efficiency elements. A green roof will form the team’s strategy for stormwater retention. This building meets the current needs of today, solving human-level sustainability issues.

Responding to neighborhood’s needs, presenting a new standard for development

While the building will be higher than all the others in its four-block radius, it is designed to respond to the rest of the neighborhood. From the concrete base, moving upward with metal panels, the design symbolizes moving into the future, yet also focused on protecting the past. The design and development team are focusing on protecting buildings that are worthy of protection, by transferring floor-area ratio (FAR) to the site from historical buildings in the area.

Residents will benefit from a new spot to grab coffee, wine, or a bite to eat, either in a new café or on the sidewalk under the new tree canopy. The building will offer hotel conveniences to tenants and fit in seamlessly with the surrounding neighborhood. This new building will be designed to fit the way people live, work, and play.

Collaborating with residents, the City of Portland, and other building owners in the design

After consulting with the City of Portland and attending two meetings with the Pearl District Neighborhood Association’s Land Use and Transportation Committee, the design team has submitted its land use application to the City. The team took into consideration all concerns and suggestions through a highly collaborative process.

“Given the significance of this precedent-setting, innovative mixed-use building, the architecture must be exceptional,” said Brian Fleener, Otak’s Director of Architecture. “How this building transitions from the tower down to the pedestrian realm, and complements the neighborhood’s architecture and character, will be critical.”

The design includes these responses and elements:

• Massing was further refined by moving the fitness center from the northwest corner of the building to the southeast corner. This creates a single, glazed two-story crown for the tower that is much more coherent and focuses the architecture of the crown into a more powerful statement. Vertical slots on the east and west facades are further integrated with the crown, articulating the paired tower forms of the building. Balcony windows are inset to better integrate balconies in the building façade. Balcony panels were modified to permit more windows to open to the balcony and further integrate the balconies. The east wall has the maximum number of windows allowed by building code.

• The northwest corner of the building was revised to add large balconies in the west wall at the residential units and two additional windows in each of the hotel rooms. This makes the corner more visually appealing, adding to the texture and interest of the corner at the intersection of 12th and Flanders.

• Landscaping follows the River District right-of-way standards. The hotel entrance is located on the northwest corner of the site, with a large glass vestibule that opens to both north and west. The height of the tree canopy, coupled with the signage, makes the hotel entrance prominent. The residential entrance has a lower tree canopy with landscape elements that distinguish it from the hotel portion. The bike entrance is more open and welcoming, with storefront glazing and lighting design that promotes transparency, safety, and activity. Art and water features are architecturally integrated into the building, with panels that represent Portland rain and Portland themes.

Over 20 years ago, the once-dilapidated Pearl District came back to life through the visionary collaboration of the City and private developers. Now the area has a worldwide reputation for urban renaissance. The Pearl District will have a new architectural innovation in 2022—our city’s first new combined hospitality and housing space!

Otak was an essential part of the team that won this year’s National ACEC Engineering Excellence National Grand Award for design of the Linking Lookout: US 6 and 19th Street Interchange Project. Otak provided bridge and retaining wall design for this seamless connection between the residential, west side of the US 6 and the Colorado School of Mines and Downtown Golden. What was previously an at-grade intersection, which was dangerous to navigate on foot or by bike, became a safe, grade-separated crossing with US 6 dropped 25 feet below 19th Street.

The bridge crossing consists of a 40-foot-wide vehicular section and a 240-foot-wide, landscaped “lid” with multi-use-path connections, a single-track trail, and seating areas.  The lid required special waterproofing techniques to ensure structural integrity of the concrete girders that were covered by grass and plant material, with engineered fill up to 10 feet deep in places. Otak was also responsible for the design of approximately 70,000 square feet of soil-nail retaining wall, as well as urban design elements consisting of masonry pilasters and a decorative steel arch.

Dan Beltzer was Otak’s project manager and bridge engineer and Pete Loris was responsible for the retaining wall design. Otak (previously Loris and Associates) was a subconsultant to IMEG (previously TST).   

The Pearl District’s proposed mixed-use building on Northwest 12th and Flanders represents a new kind of sustainable design for hospitality and housing in Portland, helped by a change in the City of Portland’s building codes. The 23-story building will house a Hyatt Place Hotel on the first 11 floors, topped by 12 floors of housing and amenity space.

As Portland is growing faster than it can accommodate people, the demographics are changing. Population forecasts predict that each year over the next 5 years, the Portland metropolitan region will welcome nearly 6,000 new residents between the ages of 20 and 34 years old. Although more than 15,000 new housing units were built from 2010 to 2014, only a few hundred of these units ensure long-term affordability. At the same time, the number of vehicles sold to 18- to 34-year-olds has significantly dropped and TriMet’s ridership continues to increase.

Portland must provide growth capacity for 123,000 new households through 2035 and accommodate the need for a variety of housing types at different price levels. Through better implementation of an affordable housing bonus structure, the City of Portland can move closer to its goal of equitable, healthy and complete neighborhoods. 

Portland’s trendy Pearl District is the perfect place to live and work car-free, so it’s the optimal location for this creative new property, which will be designed by Otak.

It began with a vision

James Wong, co-founder and CEO of Vibrant Cities, wanted to build a livable, leading-edge, 11-story apartment building on what is now a parking lot. A multifamily real estate development firm, Vibrant Cities aims to build vibrant, smart, and sustainable communities in sought-after neighborhoods that people feel proud to call home.

Otak’s involvement

After interviewing several firms, James Wong chose Otak to design the building because he liked the company’s multidisciplinary approach and visionary philosophy focused on next generation communities. Casey McKenna, Otak senior project manager, is leading the design team made up of experts from all services offered by Otak: design, landscape architecture, land use planning, civil engineering, survey, and architecture. DCI Engineers will be the structural engineer and UEB Builders will be the general contractor.

A new opportunity for the Pearl

As Vibrant Cities continued to explore development options for the site, the concept of a hotel development arose.  Enter Ray Harrigill of The Sunray Companies, a hotel management and development company, who has formed a new partnership with James Wong called “Parq on 12th.”

The new Portland Central City 2035 zoning changes, which came into effect in summer 2018, transformed the opportunities for this 10,000-square-foot property. In response to recent urban growth, the City is allowing unlimited density, or floor-area ratio, and a new allowable maximum height of 250 feet for this property if it includes affordable housing. As a result, the proposed building concept transitioned once more into the current hotel/residential concept that includes affordable housing, and the height went from 11 to 23 stories.

Elegant design challenges

With a 23-story building on a small footprint, efficient and elegant design will be paramount. The two different types of use will require two separate entrances with a shared bank of elevators and a loading dock, with priority given to pedestrian experience. “Given the significance of this precedent-setting, innovative mixed-use building, the architecture must be exceptional,” said Brian Fleener, Otak’s Director of Architecture. “How this building transitions from the tower down to the pedestrian realm, and complements the neighborhood’s architecture and character, will be critical.”

Sustainability at the forefront

The design and development team embraced the opportunity for innovative, sustainable design and has chosen to use Green Globes to guide its sustainable design practices. The team is also working with the Energy Trust of Oregon to explore incentives and rebates for sustainable and efficiency elements.

A green roof will form the team’s strategy for stormwater retention. Fortunately, Otak has plenty of experience with green roofs. In fact, Otak designed the city’s largest green roof in 2004 at Portland State University’s Broadway Housing facility, a LEED-Silver certi?ed project, with Gerding-Edlen Development.

Amenities for the Pearl

Residents of the Pearl District will benefit from a new spot to grab coffee, wine, or a bite to eat…either in a new café or on the sidewalk under the new tree canopy.  The building will offer hotel conveniences to tenants and fit in seamlessly with the surrounding neighborhood. This new building will be designed to fit the way people live, work, and play. “It’s our responsibility to leave a lasting legacy for future generations,” said Vibrant Cities CEO James Wong. “Sustainability and integration will be at the forefront of our design and construction as we create a great place to live and stay.”

Moving from planning to construction

The design team is in the design advice review stage with the City and has also met with the Pearl District Neighborhood Association’s Land Use and Transportation Committee. Li Alligood, who leads the Otak planning effort, will submit the land use application once the design is complete. By 2022, the Pearl District will have a new architectural innovation—Portland’s first new combined hospitality and housing space!

Gary Larson first knew he wanted to become an architect at age 13. Growing up on the Olympic Peninsula and working with his builder father to design houses, he had design in his blood. After graduating from Washington State University, he moved to Boston and joined Kallmann McKinnell and Knowles Architects and got his start working with the team that designed the competition-winning Boston City Hall.

During his 50+ years in the business, Gary has played a central role in defining and shaping the urban environment, for which he has achieved national recognition for design excellence from the American Institute of Architects and major architectural publications. In 1976, while with ZGF Partnership, Gary was project designer for the three-building, 230-foot-tall World Trade Center on Portland’s waterfront, linking three buildings on three blocks with a unique, glazed space frame bridge and roof structure, redefining the city’s urban experience forever. 

In the past 50 years, he’s worked as senior principal, global design leader, partner, and design director for notable firms such as ZGF Partnership, MG2, and Walker McGough. He also cofounded his own design firms, Parker Larson Architects in New York City and BML Architects in Portland.

Shortly after retiring from MG2, Otak’s Brian Fleener, Director of Architecture, asked to join him again. Intrigued by the possibility of working with Brian to help sculpt and elevate the company’s architecture practice, Gary agreed to come out of retirement to join Otak. He quickly stepped into the fun challenge of mentoring Otak’s younger architects, working with a fascinating team of people working on great projects that have significant meaning in their communities.

“Gary and I have worked together for many years,” said Brian. “The passion he brings to project design is unequaled in this industry. Every time we get into a discussion about design, I leave the conversation full of energy.”

Since Gary and Brian have joined Otak, the company has teamed with Kirkland Development to design the boutique Hotel Indigo on the Vancouver waterfront and is working with James Wong from Vibrant Cities to design Hyatt Place, an innovative, mixed-use hotel/housing high-rise on a small site in Portland’s Pearl District. Next they will tackle revitalizing a mixed-use building, Jasmine, in the heart of Seattle’s Chinatown.

Gary’s design portfolio includes iconic northwest projects such as the KOIN Tower, the Veterans’ Medical Center, Bellevue Towers, and Tower 12 residential mixed-use project near the Seattle Waterfront, Pacific Tower, as well as the Kaiser Interstate campus, Oregon Graduate Institute’s Cooley Science Center, Kah-Nee-Ta Vacation Resort, Convent of the Holy Names, Temple Beth Shalom, St. Luke’s Hospital, and Spokane County City Public Safety Building. Beyond the northwest, he’s designed Chengdu’s 57-story Suning Plaza and the Wuxi Chong An Towers in China. 

“I’m enjoying working at Otak and sharing my commitment to outstanding design and quality,” said Gary. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to cultivate and mentor the next generation of architects by sharing my passion for enhancing the urban experience through sustainable, elegant, and functional design.”

When Gary Reddick, president of award-winning architectural firm V3 Studio is asked why he was drawn to Otak, he talks about the Multnomah County Courthouse. “Otak is there, and everybody else isn’t,” said Gary. “Otak got chosen to manage construction of two of the largest building projects downtown—the courthouse and the Portland Building—and that says something about the company’s commitment to outstanding project management and client service.” Gary was attracted to the way Otak combines great design and solid project delivery to deliver the best service to our clients. 

Gary’s company, V3 Studios, is bringing their extensive experience to advance Otak’s vision of combining science and art, and architecture and engineering, into the way the firm designs and creates next-generation communities. Gary’s portfolio and experience elevate Otak’s design capabilities several notches, in addition to the legacy of senior designer Gary Larson. 

Recognized as a leader in design, V3’s award-winning work illustrates a passion and commitment to urban projects that are responsive to their locale and context, which complements Otak’s urban development work in hospitality and housing. Both Otak and V3 believe that projects have become too complicated for either art or science. Instead we must integrate art, structure, sustainability, and water management to design projects that serve our changing world.

Their work and expertise complement Otak’s portfolio of multifamily housing, high rises, master planning, and hospitality projects:

• Gary Reddick, AIA: A recognized expert in urban planning and smart growth, Gary has dedicated his career to designing high-quality architecture and increasing the livability of communities in the United States and throughout the world. His multifamily housing, hospitality, and master planning designs span the globe. A leader in the field, he’s frequently asked to speak at conferences, universities, planning departments, and civil organizations on urban architecture and master planning. A graduate of the University of Oregon and well known in Portland as a civic leader and architect for 40 years, Gary is also an accomplished fine artist with over 250 repeat collectors around the world.
  
  
• Chris Maykut: Specializing in international urban planning and building design from conceptualization through design development, Chris is dedicated to strengthening and engaging the built urban environment through pedestrian-oriented sustainable communities. His senior design experience includes master planning large, high- density mixed-use developments, small urban infill projects, and retail projects ranging from dense multi-story urban malls to pedestrian lifestyle centers in the United States and overseas. Chris graduated from the Portland State University School of Architecture.
  
  
• Jason Marshall: Jason joined V3 Studios in 2018 after earning his master’s in architecture from UCLA and designing museums and single-family residences in Virginia, Tennessee, Nebraska, and California. He then expanded into hospitality, residential, retail, and mixed-use projects in the U.S. and internationally. The company he founded, Lime Design Collective, worked with big brands on exhibit and environment design, as well as retail and consumer experience. 

“Gary brings an exceptional 40-year history in Portland and beyond,” said Jim Hamann, Otak CEO. “We’re fortunate to have Gary and the V3 team join Otak and continue to elevate Otak’s design capabilities and portfolio.”

Otak’s inclusive architecture practice combines civil engineering, land use planning, and landscape architecture, with a focus on the art and science of development. This varied expertise allows the company to tap into resources quickly and apply them collaboratively, offering innovative design solutions that are both functional and cost-effective. Otak has a reputation for smart, creative design that integrates natural and built environments. By bringing this design philosophy into communities, Otak transforms the way people use, experience, and enjoy the spaces they inhabit.