Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing, and design of traditional materials and emerging technologies. Armed with their imaginations and computers, Hermes winners bring their ideas to life through traditional and digital platforms. Each year, competition judges evaluate the creative industry’s best publications, branding collateral, websites, videos, and advertising, marketing and communication programs.
Otak’s award-winning website was recently re-developed by Hinge, a Virginia-based creative and production studio. Otak.com received the Hermes Gold Award for excellence in design after Hinge submitted the site as its 2020 entry. It’s nice to be recognized! Kudos and congratulations to all who worked on the website, especially Laura Merriman who dove in on her first day and has taken on day-to-day leadership of the site.
UPDATE: The Ledges condominium project broke ground on December 8 with immediate work concentrating on erosion control and grading the site that is situated on a bluff above the Columbia River.
Otak, Inc. was recently retained by Kirkland Development to lead the architectural and engineering design for The Ledges at Palisades, a new market-rate housing project in East Vancouver. The Ledges project, located within the Columbia Palisades development, is part of a larger mixed-use development underway at the site of a former gravel pit. The new Ledges project is also integral to the City of Vancouver’s master plan for providing additional housing to Vancouver and Camas residents.
Under the direction of project leads Dan Salvey and Casey McKenna, and in collaboration with developer and property owner Dean Kirkland, Otak’s Architecture Group will head the design and engineering of two buildings – a 51-unit condominium building on the east side, and a 91-unit apartment building on the west side. The top floors of both structures will include loft-style units; two lofts in the condominium building and the entire top floor of the apartment building.
Permitting for The Ledges project is slated to begin this June in three phases, with a construction start date following in July. Move-in date for new residents at The Ledges is targeted for Spring 2022.
The Ledges represents the latest project in Otak’s expanding portfolio of market-rate housing and mixed-use development projects in the region. With more than thirty years of architectural design and engineering experience, Brian Fleener, Director of Architecture, has been instrumental in leading Otak’s Architecture Group and providing an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to projects.
For further information about Otak’s expertise in mixed-use and market-rate housing architecture, planning, and design, please contact Brian Fleener, Otak Director of Architecture, at 503-415-2400 or Brian.Fleener@otak.com
Times are challenging as we all face the impacts of COVID-19. But as our day to day lives have been disrupted, mother nature continues on unabated. Flowers have come up, migrating birds have returned, and temperatures are rising.
In recognition of all that nature provides, Earth Day is celebrated throughout April. While this year there won’t be group events as we practice social distancing, Otak is still taking this time to celebrate the great outdoors.
Otak has again signed on as a business partner for Earth Day Oregon to recognize, support and celebrate our planet and those organizations that work hard every day for our natural world. Through Earth Day Oregon, Otak donated to Depave, a nonprofit that works to turn paved spaces into greenspaces to create more livable cities. We understand the environmental and social benefits greenspace can have and gladly stand behind and have volunteered for the many projects Depave has undertaken to green the landscape of Portland. We look forward to working together with Depave on its next project.
On the homefront, Otak’s GO Committee and Operations Team remind us that Earth Day is really every day and there are things we can do in our daily lives to get back to nature.
Start a small garden. You can build raised beds in your yard, or simply pot some herbs and veggies to grow on your porch.
Bike and walk more. Do you live near your local grocery store? Consider if it is possible to walk or bike for your next trip to the store (while following proper PPE and social distancing guidelines). A win-win for getting outside and getting your essential errands done.
Start a home compost. Many of us are already doing this. Check-in with your local trash service to see if they offer compost pick up. If not and if space allows, you can start composting in your backyard by purchasing something like a “Bio Monster” or “Worm Factory” bin and use the compost for your garden.
Shop locally, eat seasonally. With stay-at-home orders in place during the opening weeks for farmers’ markets, your local market or farm might be offering pick-up or delivery!
Play Earth Day Bingo! Get the family involved in this great activity from the City of Kirkland.
Getting outside is one of the recommendations for keeping COVID-19 at bay, as well as a way to maintain your mental health. We want our employees to stay healthy so we encourage you to get out and show your love for the planet, on earth day and every day!
All of us at Otak want to thank our clients, partners, and members of our community for everything you are doing during this unpredictable and challenging time.
Thanks to our clients and partners. Our planning, design, project management, survey and construction management projects are on-track, on-schedule and moving ahead smoothly. As a team, we’ve all changed together – working remotely, social distancing and following CDC and state directives to stay healthy and stop the spread.
Thanks to everyone in the communities we work in. The changes we’ve seen have been remarkable. People are staying home and staying safe, we’re all taking precautions to protect each other and the world around us.
Thanks to everyone at Otak, your families and everyone around you. This has been a demanding time. Working from home, taking care of family and staying healthy have presented challenges for all of us. Through this, there are many great stories and experiences of coming together in remote meetings, on-line happy hours, and sharing our day-to-day lives with each other and our families. Thanks to you we’ll come out of this closer as a team and more thankful for everyone around us.
Otak’s business is functioning smoothly and we’ll continue to provide the same top-quality creative services that we always have. We are working closely with clients to help them manage through uncertainty as the partners we’ve always been. We’re looking forward to coming through this together and to a bright future ahead for all of us.
Otak is moving into 2020 with a fresh approach. Like many firms in this region, Otak has struggled to achieve a level of workforce diversity representative of the population and the clients we serve. This year, we will develop a firm-wide Equity and Inclusion Strategy—an implementable plan that will identify and address barriers to greater diversity in firm staff and leadership.
Creation of the Strategy will be led by a team of Otak leadership and staff, with a Working Group of firm leaders responsible for development and implementation based on feedback from an Advisory Group of underrepresented groups and perspectives. Otak has hired consultant The Formation Lab to guide and structure the process, led by partners Nicki Pozos, PhD, PE and Jessie Maran. The Formation Lab delivers support programs for disadvantaged businesses, works with private organizations to become more inclusive, and facilitates the integration of equity considerations into infrastructure planning. Nicki is a civil engineer with 19 years of experience leading marketing and delivery of water infrastructure projects. She is multi-racial and a recognized equity leader in the water industry – she’s presented on equity to thousands of technical professionals, serves as a minority evaluator for the City of Portland, and is current President of the non-profit Women Leading Water. Jessie brings 20 years as a consultant and transportation justice advocate, with a background in landscape architecture, community planning, and marketing.
The Equity and Inclusion Strategy will kick off in the next month with brown-bag talks and one-on-one stakeholder interviews in each region. For more information or to get involved, contact Project Manager Teresa Huntsinger.
We are excited to announce the Grand Opening of the new Otak, Inc. offices in Everett, WA this month!
While Otak has had a physical presence in Everett for nearly 12 years, this move allows for additional economic growth in the city and secures additional office space for Otak closer to the heart of downtown Everett. The move also solidifies our long-term commitment to the community and Snohomish County, and our intentions to maintain permanent operations in the city. Otak’s new home will be on the 4th floor of the Pioneer Place Building, on the corner of Hewitt and Colby Avenues.
Otak’s decision to relocate is based on the growing needs of the firm and their teams that serve Everett and the region. As the demands of the fully integrated multidisciplinary design practice have expanded, and the firm has maintained consistent growth year-over-year, the tipping point was reached and the need to relocate became paramount. “Although our current location was convenient, this move puts us in the downtown core which is great for our employees and close to client offices. Our moving also gave another employer room to grow, further strengthening the city’s economic base,” said Otak principal, Nico Vanderhorst. “The ability to be part of the bigger picture for the city, combined with the opportunity presented at Pioneer Place, offers exciting possibilities for creating a new home for our Everett teams to be able to continue to serve the community where they live, work and play.”
The new Otak offices are set for completion sometime in February 2020. In the meantime, Otak’s Everett teams will operate out of space in its Redmond office until the improvements are complete. “We co-located staff just before the holidays and it’s actually been great to have everyone reconnecting, we are a people company and this is a chance to strengthen those bonds. Since our work really depends on integrating various expertise on nearly every project, our clients won’t experience any difference for the couple months of transition,” noted Vanderhorst.
The Swift Bus Rapid TransitGreen Line isRecognized 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. Nearly fifteen years ago Community Transit (CT) embarked on the Swift Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program as a vital part of the solution to the rapid growth in the region and providing for a sustainable future. 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 a well-established system for providing mass transit solutions, 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 Swift BRT transit program has a primary goal of providing transportation alternatives to help alleviate traffic congestion, but the solution is multifaceted. It’s about the pedestrians, bicyclists, and commercial vehicles that our roadway system serves and the property owners, businesses, and jurisdictions that are affected by the new transit system.
Holistic Approach to Design and Development
CT recognized these complexities and the need for a holistic interdisciplinary approach to designing a solution. From the very start, CT partnered with multiple agencies, utility providers, commissioners and community leaders, as well as civil engineers, planners, 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 program leading station and roadway improvement design, permitting, and providing construction engineering support for the project which included installation of station platforms and shelters, amenities, ticket vending machines, shelter railings, passenger information signing, and iconic station markers. The team also provided surveying, civil engineering, landscape architecture, planning, and utility coordination. 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 on a multi-jurisdictional transit project like the Swift BRT.”
Project Recognized for Innovative Design and Positive Impact on Regional Sustainability
The Swift BRT Blue Line opened in 2009 as the first phase of the program. It was also the first of its kind in the state of Washington and set the standard for phase two (the Green Line) that began operating in March 2019. The Swift BRT Green Line is a 12-mile route running between the Seaway Transit Center and the Canyon Park-and-Ride, serving the communities of South Everett, Mill Creek, and Bothell in Snohomish County. It 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.
This holistic approach has paid off 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 within King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties. The results are undeniable, and as such, the Swift Green Line project has been recognized by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) with a 2019 Vision 2040 Award for innovative design and positive impact on regional sustainability.
The Green line won the 2019 WTS Innovative Transportation Solutions – Large Projects Award, not only for the innovative solutions, but also in recognition of the accomplishments of this women-led team. The project team was led by Joy Munkers, Director of Planning and Development and June DeVoll, Manager of Strategic Planning and Grants for Community Transit. From planning through implementation, Joy and June were supported by a project team that included over 50 women. Women in lead roles included Grants/Funding Lead Melissa Cauley, Community Transit Grant Program Manager; Project Management Lead of Design, Permitting, and Construction Support Windi Shapley of Otak; Traffic Engineering Lead Katherine Casseday of Casseday Consulting; Right-of-Way Lead Faith Roland of Contract Land Staff; Environmental Permitting Lead Sharese Graham of Environmental Science Associates; 128th Street Improvements Design Lead Yee-Fan Riu of WSP; and Geotechnical Lead Debra Overbay of GeoEngineers.
Otak was recently given an Engineering Excellence Gold Award for Successful Fulfillment of Client/Owner Needs for the Green Line project from the American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC), Washington Chapter.
Windi attributes the project’s success in part to the consistent presence Otak has been able to provide when 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 of Strategic Planning and Grants, 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 the City of Lynnwood, and the new light rail line set to open in 2024. As with the Blue and Green lines, development of the Orange Line will include further roadway and signal improvements to ensure transit speed and reliability through the corridor. 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 protection of its natural resources.
On April 9, Otak submitted a Type 3 land use application for the precedent-setting Hyatt Place and Allison Residences, a 24-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, putting a lot of lodging and amenities into one-quarter block. The new Portland Central City 2035 zoning changes, which came into effect in the summer of 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 24-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 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 while 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!
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 Gary retired from MG2, Otak’s Brian Fleener, Director of Architecture, asked Gary to work at Otak. 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 while they worked 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, the 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 was chosen to manage the 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’s 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.
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