With a unique brand and company culture in focus, iQ Credit Union made plans for a new branch design that reflects those elements. Aimed at highlighting an emphasis on the health and welfare of both employees and the surrounding community, the overarching design includes an emphasis on employee wellness. In leading the design effort, Otak also served as a certification consultant with an aim of earning WELL Platinum across branch locations in the Pacific Northwest.
Designing Branches to Reflect Brand Values
In an architectural application of brand guidelines, iQ Credit Union aimed for a more modern branch design, rooted in the Pacific Northwest’s natural character, that maintained brand standards. Working with the design team from concept to construction, an exterior branding vision board was developed, accentuating regional aesthetic elements around iQ’s established brand values. With a strong focus on sustainability and wellness, each branch incorporates features that support WELL Platinum certification. Among those are low volatile organic compound (VOC) materials, mother’s rooms, and daylighting strategies that enhance comfort and reduce energy use. Locally sourced materials, exposed wood structures, and low-flow fixtures further reinforce the project’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Themes of transparency, varied massing, and an interesting articulation of the drive-through all combine to create a branch design resulting in spaces that are as welcoming as they are responsible.
Originally constructed in 1979, this two-story concrete tilt-up structure on Casino Road finds new purpose becoming the Cascade Administrative Building as part of a broader operations facilities. The complete rehabilitation of 70,000 square-feet of unused space involved full design services from programming through construction documents to create a vibrant new home for 14 different user groups, including the headquarters of a bustling transit company in Community Transit.
Adaptive Reuse for a Modern Office Environment
The adaptive reuse of the Cascade Admin Building included an upgrade to nearly all systems to meet current building fire protection, energy, and electrical codes. Expanded windows and new skylights add daylight throughout the building enhancing the energy efficient design provided by high-performance mechanical systems, LED lighting, and integrated controls. Extensive structural upgrades in the renovation plans meet seismic requirements while an added data facility addresses requirements for enhanced security. With numerous stakeholders, the needs of each group were considered during the design process through collaborative visioning sessions and interviews resulting in a consensus for a plan that balances an open office environment with private offices. The final design’s key features include a variety of open collaboration spaces and meeting rooms as well as employee amenities in the form of a break room, roof deck, and a large stadium style gathering space for all company functions.
From a design perspective, what makes a building, space, or structure “good?”
Architectural ethics, or knowledge of moral principles in the built environment, is an issue that deserves analysis at every stage of the design-build process. Architects across the industry should be asking themselves the right questions: what makes a building good for the public, even if it’s not publicly owned?
This crucial step in the designing of buildings is a question that Otak project architect, Levi Wall tackled head-on when he led an ethics workshop at the 2022 AIA Colorado Practice + Design Conference.
“Ethics give architects a way of framing and understanding what we want to see in the world… and helps you find the why behind answering the question of how.”
Levi Wall, Otak project architect
What is the AIA Practice + Design Conference?
The Colorado Chapter of the AIA hosts a signature event in the fall, where architects and designers can come together to network, educate, and be inspired by other visionaries in the field.
Held at the Keystone Resort in 2022, it’s an event that demands the best of the best in the region, and inspiration struck Levi to play a more active role in the educational aspect of the conference by hosting a workshop, titled Designing Ethics.
Who is Levi?
Levi Wall is an accomplished practitioner of design with experience in urban projects, commercial interiors, K-12 schools, large-scale masterplans, and small-scale design interventions. He also serves as a Lecturer and Adjunct instructor at the University of Colorado Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning.
Previously serving as an architectural designer and then a full-fledged architect at DLR Group in the greater Denver area, his practice is rooted in the aesthetics of Denver architecture and the legacy of the city he calls home.
What do Ethics Mean in Architecture?
Levi credits a TED Talk featuring Alejandro Arevena, a Pritzker prize-winning architect from Chile, with inspiration for his workshop, and let a quote from that talk guide his thoughts as he developed his slide deck—“There is nothing worse than answering well the wrong question.”
Levi sought to raise awareness about ethical frameworks and how they relate to the built environment—designing to uplift communities is as important as ever. To Levi, a deep dive into ethics and design would help other architects start thinking about and answering the right questions:
At the very least, Levi sought to start a conversation and wanted to call other architects to action, to merge what they were talking about at the conference with the practice of their everyday design work.
“Our everyday jobs include balancing different values with money that isn’t our own – it often belongs to the client or public – so we’re already doing the work of figuring out what’s valuable in a built environment.”
Levi Wall, Otak project architect
The Approach
Employing Q&A tactics and SWAT analyses, Levi posed an icebreaker to the audience, prompting them to think about if they had ever been unsure in their work about the “right” thing to do as designers.
He invited audience members to probe those dilemmas and ethical conundrums, and came back to his initial icebreaker question: that ethics in architecture has everything to do with the alignment of values from clients to the public.
The Takeaway
Levi, from the outset, sought to get audiences thinking about how to utilize ethical frameworks throughout the design process, and now to measure the ethical impact of the designs they create. Ethics already plays a role in his work as a part of our Denver architecture studio, where work ranges from affordable housing to higher education buildings.
Take a look at more of our architectural work here, and join us in congratulating Levi on a successful workshop as he continues to prove himself to be a visionary in the Denver architecture space.
A catalyst for revitalized neighborhood livability, Center Commons is an urban mixed-use development of seven buildings that combine residential with retail and intimate private spaces with shared areas. Highlighted by a plaza that is part street, part pedestrian mall, and part park, the project is regarded by TriMet, Portland Development Commission, and the neighborhood as a model for transit-oriented, in-fill development.
A Model for Transit-Oriented, In-Fill Development to Revitalize a Neighborhood
Featuring preserved landmark vegetation, high-density and energy-efficient housing, the city of Portland’s goal for controlling urban sprawl while preserving green spaces is integral to the Center Commons design. With an emphasis on developing the community through accessibility, the project incorporates walkway shortcuts from public spaces to adjacent light rail and bus lines to strengthen the relationship between housing and transit. The Otak team met several times with the Center Neighborhood Association where many issues were addressed with the community to optimize project elements including the overall design parking, density, and amenities.
It’s time again for Otak to laud a member of our staff who’s taken tangible steps toward being a more sustainable, environmentally conscious professional. Congratulations to our own Phillip Pittsenbarger, project architect, on earning his Green Globes certification.
Philip joined Otak’s architecture group 5½ years ago, specializing in multi-family housing and hospitality, and has current work in our public sector practice. Since college, sustainability has always been a primary interest of his due to his strong connection with the outdoors. He saw the need to tie nature and the built environment together, and strove to become a designer capable of doing their work with the least amount of impact on the planet possible. His portfolio includes projects at the federal and state levels, including for national parks.
Philip saw the greater push for more accredited professionals within our architecture group, and wanted to pursue something different than a standard LEED certification. He identified Green Globes as an alternative thanks to its growing popularity among public projects, and wanted to learn about sustainable building principles and use it as a framework to keep in mind on any project. To him, all projects should be as sustainable as possible, and with emphasis on energy-efficient envelopes, water conservation, and sustainable materials, he began his work on earning the certification.
What is Green Globes?
Green Globes is a green building accreditation available to professionals who work in the built environment. According to the Green Building Initiative (GBI), Green Globes is a comprehensive, science-based building rating system that supports a wide range of new construction and existing building project types. Environmental objectives pursued through Green Globes lead to lower energy and water bills, reduced emissions, optimized health and wellness benefits, and minimized waste.
When asked about what his accreditation allows him to do, Philip defined the process as one of technical mastery and attention to detail. He directly interfaces with a Green Globes auditor, and works to facilitate meetings, organize paperwork, and be the lead on the overall sustainability efforts on any given project he might be working on. He says Green Globes does a great job of integrating sustainability into the overall design-build process, so things are not value-engineered out of the project.
Future Work
The hallmark of Philip’s efforts comes back to one value of his—that sustainability is not a money issue but a central aspect of any project. Through this recent certification, Philip is able to understand important benchmarks and track the health of a project all while getting owners recognition for their sustainable, resilient building. The system is far from perfect, but to Philip, it’s a good start.
With the goal of sustainably expanding their offices, Oregon Dental Service (ODS) set their sights on a 50,000 square-foot industrial facility within the Willamette River Greenway. The Otak project in Milwaukie, Oregon focuses on the adaptive reuse of the poured-in-place concrete structure – while developing the 7.55 acres of land it’s built on – to create a modern cooperate office environment.
Industrial Reuse for a Sustainable Office Environment and Community Landmark
The building – originally constructed in 1956 as an industrial facility – is surrounded by residential development and, in its prior form, presented a stark image highly visible from major arterial access. The new design softened the original structure with the use of transparent additions to the building, improving the ascetics and natural lighting in the process. Design for the ODS Milwaukie Plaza allows views into the interior, as well as light, to break down the looming mass of the building. Creation of an interior street with light wells punched into the building contributed to natural lighting as part of a modern office layout. The application of these architectural devices creates the corporate image that ODS sought while creating a more appealing visual landmark for the surrounding residential community. Daylighting, sustainably-harvested hardwood floors, and the reuse of an old factory led to this project’s recognition for several awards, including acceptance into the US Green Building Council’s LEED – Existing Building pilot project.
What began as an underutilized quasi-industrial site in Portland’s Pearl District neighborhood was transformed into a nationally-recognized example of successful urban redevelopment. The Yards at Union Station would mark the district’s first housing project, and it set the tone for subsequent redevelopment in the area. An existing development of four and five-story buildings would grow to include turning 7.5 acres of decommissioned rail yards into a vibrant addition to the newly minted residential community with an emphasis on affordable housing, altogether offering a total of 724 rental and for-sale units for tenants of varying income ranges.
Brownfield Site Development to Revitalize Portland’s Historic Union Station Railyards
Constructed in 1896, Portland Union Station is an established landmark for the city that’s easily recognizable for both it’s Romanesque and Queen Anne architecture as well as its 150-foot clock tower. Sitting adjacent to the Yards at Union Station project site, terra cotta and molded brick of the Union Station building – which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 – provides the basis for a cohesive motif in the neighborhood. Use of the rail yards contaminated the soil meaning The Yards at Union Station would be developed on a brownfield site. The opportunity to clean up the site for redevelopment allows for the space to be safely reinvested in the community. This sustainable design also includes stormwater planters, energy-efficient lighting and native plantings among other features. With a priority on upward mobility, the City of Portland emphasizes that its investment make sure projects address the area’s greatest unmet community needs not only in housing but in economic opportunity. With over 200 jobs created, this project exceeded its own goals as a direct investment in the area on its way to becoming a viable residential neighborhood in the heart of the city.
The Amity Orchards development is a public-private partnership that consists of three multi-family buildings that add 164 affordable housing units and community facilities, as well as 40,000 square-feet designated for commercial space, as part of the South Cooper Mountain community plan. With a focus on sustainable design, community amenities, and access to transit, Otak managed everything from land use planning and entitlement to site surveying and construction documentation to complete this mixed use development.
Affordable Housing with A Sustainable, Accessible Design
Enhancing its affordable housing goals, the project is designed to exceed high universal design standards, going above and beyond code to provide accessible features. A multi-day design charrette with City of Beaverton staff delivered a site design that met the needs of the community, the jurisdiction, the developer and future residents and tenants. In designing the residential buildings, a sustainable approach in accordance with universal design principles includes solar-ready and electric vehicle (EV)-ready infrastructure. The site design includes low-impact stormwater management techniques including vegetated planters and swales. To save and incorporate mature trees on the property, an urban public plaza was also included in the design to complement the project’s varied utilization. That park project consists 0.25-acre plaza that will be owned and operated by Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District (THPRD). Additional landscaping consists of native and drought-tolerant plant species and the site’s transit design of the TriMet stop to support community access to multimodal transportation. All together, the sustainable elements position Amity Orchards to be certified with at least Earth Advantage Silver standards. Supporting primary goals around residential uses, the site received funding through the Metro Affordable Housing Bond, administered by the City of Beaverton as well as Oregon Housing and Community Service (OHCS) tax credits.
Located in the heart of downtown Lake Oswego, the 4th Street Condos are designed to add a luxury cornerstone to the community.
With 15 units across four stories and 40,963 square feet of space, the project includes a below grade parking garage and rooftop amenity deck. All units have outdoor terraces while the penthouse units feature wrap around decks. All unit are double, master suite designs with one penthouse being a 3-bedroom layout.
The Mosaic is a high-rise mixed-use development located at the intersection of University Street and Ash Avenue in downtown Tempe, AZ. The project is comprised of multi-level on site parking, street level retail, grocery store, and a residential tower. The goal of this development is to provide urban scale for sale housing and amenities to transform a primarily vehicular/commercial oriented intersection at the edge of downtown into a vibrant pedestrian friendly environment.
The Mosaic is a building of many uses and has been design to express those distinctions. The urban grocer and retail hold the street edges. The tallest element, the residential tower, has been located to the north edge in order to relieve the University face from the buildings greatest mass. The placement of the residential tower minimizes its exposure to the harsh western sun and maximizes exposure north and south, the primary view corridors. The grocer is the major use along University with the corner at Ash occupied by an entrance for the residential/retail uses. Parking levels above the grocer are screened by a perforated masonry wall. The east edge of the parking garage is screened by the grocer and retail space, with residential units above.
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