Once constrained by by a 585-foot-long railroad bridge, the Dungeness River floodplain was restored while reusing that existing trestle structure to design its river-worthy, salmon-friendly replacement. Located on the Dungeness River at Railroad Bridge Park in Sequim, this multifaceted project supports Olympic Discovery Trail and the broader redevelopment of the Dungeness River Nature Center.
Working with a Local Tribe to Repurpose a Bridge, Reconnect a Floodplain, and Enhance Aquatic Habitats
The restoration and structural design was accomplished in coordination with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe with the goal of redesigning multiple features that constrained the floodplain process. Along with the railroad trestle, a parking lot would also be replaced with 350 feet of side-channel and log revetments. Along with levee setbacks, these improvements enhance the local salmonid rearing and spawning habitat. A unique no-rise analysis including two-dimensional hydraulic modeling and large wood stability calculations was used for the dynamic river setting. In utilizing the existing railroad bridge, a unique wishbone approach connects the trails and nature center. From preliminary to final design and preferred alternatives, the Otak team prepared each step of the process including permitting, technical specifications, costs, and bid documentation.
In expanding access to Washington State’s first Swift bus rapid transit (BRT) system, the Green Line adds greater connectivity to the region across 33 station sites. Otak led design and permitting while also providing construction engineering support for new transit platforms, the installation of custom shelters, and other associated transit improvements.
Designing Expanded Public Transit Infrastructure while Improving Corridor Safety
Spanning 12 miles, the Community Transit Green Line BRT extends from the Canyon Park Park-and-Ride on I-405 to the new Seaway Transit Center, located across from the Boeing Everett site. The project also included construction of roadway and signal improvements at three locations to improve transit reliability and safety in the corridor, including widening improvements for queue bypass lanes. Roadway improvements required retaining walls to minimize property and environmental impacts at several locations, including the relocation and improvement of the Interurban Trail. Otak’s efforts included coordination and obtaining site and shelter design approvals from WSDOT, Snohomish County, and the cities of Bothell, Mill Creek, and Everett; preparation of NEPA documentation, wetland mitigation design and permitting, preparation of PS&E to meet FTA/FHWA requirements, utility coordination, and ADA compliance.
With a unique approach that blends historic renovation with new construction into a cohesive structure, the Buckley adds mixed-use space and affordable housing to the growing outer Southeast District of Portland, Oregon. In leading the design, Otak incorporated elements from the original structure while expanding its space and access to light rail, contributing to the city’s broader goals for transit oriented development.
Adaptive Reuse Adds a Unique Mixed-Use Building to a Growing Urban Environment
The adaptive reuse design of the Lents Building incorporates three, two-story loft units, trusses, artwork, and other features into its character that date back to 1913 while also adding a new structure that replaces an adjacent parking lot. The renovation of the historic building required creative problem solving (including a structural brace frame) to maintain and enhance the original architectural character of the Lents Neighborhood while also incorporating modern design elements. With five floors, the building adds 47 residential units that meet average median income (AMI) requirements and a ground floor with commercial space. The complete design also includes a community room and a green roof that improves heat absorption and water runoff. Despite a tight site, the design maintains an active streetscape and setback that’s fully integrated with its urban setting.
Working with a visionary developer, Skip Grodahl, The Fields Apartments is designed as a 264-unit affordable multifamily development with 100,000 square feet of office space in Tigard, Oregon. The ground-breaking project makes housing affordable to those earning 60 percent of median family income.
Overcoming Site Challenges for a Ground-Breaking Affordable Housing Design
Working with a visionary developer, Skip Grodahl, Otak designed a 264-unit affordable multifamily development with 100,000 square feet of office space in Tigard, Oregon. The site was challenging to develop because of its substantial slope, access constraints, and the desire to protect a substantial stand of trees on the site. The project team worked closely with City staff and nearby residents to design a project that met the City’s economic development goals, connectivity requirements, and the neighbors’ desires, while providing attractive and well-located housing and office space. The 24-acre site will include five apartment buildings, a clubhouse with a green roof, and up to 100,000 of commercial office space. This type of integrated affordable housing keeps our communities vital and accessible to people at all stages of life. In leading the design, Otak provided survey, civil engineering, architecture, land use planning, and landscape architecture services for this ground-breaking project.
Enhancing the connectivity and functionality of its waterfront, the design along 1st and Strand Streets establishes a more defined downtown core for the City of St. Helens, Oregon. A multidisciplinary Otak team led planning and subsequent engineering aimed at further developing this area of the city and accentuating its value as a public asset.
Strengthening Connectivity by Developing a Downtown Waterfront
Following a planning effort to outline further development of the downtown waterfront, including the site of a former mill, roadway improvements in the area enhance access for both vehicles and pedestrians while also setting the stage for expanded public use. A new multiuse path and more clearly defined parking areas increase accessibility to the waterfront and its amenities. Its design allows for a portion of Strand Street to host festivals with minimal disruption to traffic by incorporating a new circle turnaround and converting part of Strand to a one-way street that had previously caused congestion between the courthouse and City Hall. The extension of water and sewer utilities, along with a new pump station and stormwater facilities, has the site shovel-ready for future development.
The Portland Building is a 15-story high-rise occupied by City of Portland bureaus. As an internationally renowned architectural example of Post-Modernism designed by Michael Graves, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Constructed in 1982 as a design-bid-build project, the building had developed problems with its structure, exterior, and operational systems that repairs alone could not address.
A First of its Kind, Progressive Design Build
The City of Portland initiated a $195 million project to reconstruct the building, making it the city’s largest capital project and an unprecedented use of a progressive design build as a delivery method. As part of the city project management team, Otak worked directly with the designer (DLR Group) and contractor (Howard S. Wright), who were hired as a team, to develop the award-winning project along established requirements that covered budget, schedule, structural upgrades, MEP system replacement, equity criteria and resolving water infiltration issues.
The project addressed the building envelope issues by covering the concrete façade with a unitized curtain wall and terracotta rain screen tiles that eliminated leaking while preserving its historic status and appearance. The restored façade also greatly improved the poor natural lighting which, combined with a full interior remodel, drastically transformed the building’s working environment. The team also organized the temporary relocation of all city staff – more than 1200 people – to ensure that the city maintained normal operations throughout the project. To prepare the staff to return to the building, employees were engaged in a comprehensive change management process, including virtual reality simulations, extensive mock-ups and providing 3D walkthroughs of the new workspace before construction.
As the first major northwest project to mandate disaggregated equity goals, The Portland Building project exceeded its 22% MWESB contracting target by achieving 33% participation. Along with seismic upgrades and system replacements, the building also exceeded its original sustainability goal of LEED Gold standards and achieve LEED Platinum Certification. In addition, the Portland Building is targeting WELL certification, a first in the Pacific Northwest. The progressive design build delivery method for The Portland Building resulted in the project being completed significantly under budget and one year ahead of schedule.
In support of expanding quality, accessible housing in the State of Oregon, Sunshine Park Apartments adds an influx of affordable units to the community of Roseburg. The Otak design places an emphasis on community-oriented spaces and family-focused amenities.
A Family-Focused Design Improves Community Access to Affordable Housing
The affordable housing development of Sunshine Park Apartments is comprised of 144 apartments for households with incomes up to 60% of the area median income. An emphasis on community in the design incorporates playgrounds, open landscape areas, and a communal building, with buildings oriented around a seasonal creek that runs through the development. With families top of mind, Sunshine Park Apartments offers a range of amenities, with a central clubhouse serving as a hub for community activities. The clubhouse features a fireplace, community kitchen, exercise equipment, and a covered BBQ area. The amenity spaces are strategically clustered to create a vibrant and inclusive environment, particularly catering to families with children. The project was made possible through OHCS 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits and LIFT Award funding, reflecting a commitment from the state of Oregon to making quality housing accessible.
To enhance visitor experiences at Olympic National Park in northwest Washington, this 210-foot pedestrian bridge design is an integral component of the trail system near Staircase Rapids. With a design-build delivery method, Otak led the survey, engineering analysis, and ensuing design for the project through construction using unique approaches with partners to accommodate the site’s isolated location.
A Design-Build Structure for a Scenic Trail Site
Spanning the Skokomish River, the Staircase Rapids Trail Bridge is a steel-framed suspension bridge in an old growth area of the Pacific Northwest. Its design included a detailed analysis of vibration with the bridge span due to pedestrian footfall. A computer model of the bridge was compiled and subjected to a battery of dynamic pedestrian loads. A physical model of the bridge was also constructed to model the oscillations and allow the bridge designers to gauge their impact. These findings led to the inclusion of a passive tuned mass damper device – consisting of steel plates suspended on a spring – to reduce vibrations on the bridge, enhancing the experience of crossing for all. The dampers were adjusted through field tests and measurements of the bridge dynamics near the end of construction. Because the project’s location in a wilderness area, all equipment and materials were flown in via helicopter. During construction, two temporary bridges were installed to allow the contractor access from one side of the river to the other. When construction finished, the temporary bridges were flown out along with equipment and unused materials.
Critical infrastructure updates and subsequent restoration of the surrounding floodplain eliminate county road flooding and improve safety for non-motorized traffic along the lower reach of the Big Quilcene River. A new bridge along with levee removal / relocation are part of a design emphasizing a number of habitat enhancement features. Otak completed baseline environmental documentation to support permit submittals for construction, led the road and bridge design, and supported the riverscape restoration design through detailed geomorphic, sediment transport, and hydraulic analyses.
Updating Critical Infrastructure while Reconnecting a Floodplain
In close collaboration with associated stakeholders, including the Hood Canal Enhancement Group and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, a design focused on integrated floodplain protection replaces an 80-foot-long bridge with a 1,040-foot-long floodplain-spanning bridge. For a channel that had been historically leveed, the Linger Longer Road bridge replacement and associated riverscape restoration allows more area for the floodplain to occupy, decreases sediment impacts to Quilcene Bay shellfish beds, and re-establishes a highly-productive corridor for salmon habitat. The features also improve recreational access to fishing, exploring, and wildlife observation.
Along state and interstate highways across the state of Washington, work is being done to remove fish barriers and restore streams to their natural ecological processes. Site analysis is informing designs to reestablish aquatic habitats and honor the right to take fish guaranteed to the Northwest Washington Tribes.
Puget Sound Site Analysis to Restore Streams and Deliver Fish Passage Design
With sites throughout the Puget Sound region, a uniquely assembled team continues work in developing Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Preliminary Hydraulic Design (PHD) on the way to the Final Hydraulic Design (FHD) in restoring fish passage at roadway crossings. Topographic data and survey are being used to build hydraulic modeling – using SRH-2D (H&H analysis) to characterize existing and future conditions in the field. From scour analysis to stream channel slope and alignment, an assessment of prevailing geomorphic processes is central to the structure design and established construction methods. In restoring aquatic habitat for ESA-listed Salmonids, fish presence and habitat evaluation guides plan for improved wildlife connectivity. As part of a general engineering contract (GEC) team, Otak collaborates closely with all project stakeholders and co-managers, including the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Northwest tribes to develop designs in accordance with Water Crossing Design Guidelines and WSDOT’s Hydraulics Manual.
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