Otak is excited to announce that our work on 180th Street SE Improvements for Snohomish County just won Project of the Year at the APWA Washington’s annual Spring conference in the $5 million – $25 million Transportation category!
Read on as we take a deep dive into what this award means, and why we’re so grateful to be recognized among many other deserving winners from across Washington state.
What’s the Project?
The impact of improvements to the 180th Street corridor makes the area safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, and critical habitats in the surrounding natural environment.
The unincorporated area between the cities of Mill Creek and Bothell is one of the fastest growing in all of Snohomish County. The east/west 180th St SE corridor runs through the heart of the community, and along with the north/south corridors of State Route 527, 35th Ave SE, and Seattle Hill Rd, is one of the main routes for navigating the southwest area of Snohomish County.
With the steadily increasing population and plans for additional transit options coming to the area, improvements to the arterial transportation system are a top priority for Snohomish County.
Otak partnered with Snohomish County Public Works to deliver transportation, structural, and environmental services for the project’s Phase I improvements, and we’re beyond proud of the final result.
What’s the APWA?
The American Public Works Association is an international educational and professional association of public agencies, private sector companies, and individuals dedicated to providing high quality public works goods and services. Originally chartered in 1937, APWA is the largest and oldest organization of its kind in the world, with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, an office in Washington, D.C., and 67 chapters throughout North America. APWA provides a forum in which public works professionals can exchange ideas, improve professional competency, increase the performance of their agencies and companies, and bring important public works-related topics to public attention in local, state and federal arenas.
The Washington Chapter’s 1,400 (+/-) members come from the entire state of Washington. The Chapter as a whole meets twice a year at spring (Western Washington) and fall (Eastern Washington) conferences and there are several other formal and informal annual events throughout the year.
We’d like to formally thank APWA Washington for bestowing this award on such a deserving and community-driven project. Stay tuned for more conference and award news as this season gets into full swing. We can’t wait to connect with more of our partners and clients at future events, and maybe win some more awards along the way!
For today’s traveler it’s a common, if not inescapable sight—crowds of people seemingly everywhere. This includes places where, in the past, this may not have been the case. Significant growth in tourism across the globe in recent decades has given rise to ‘overtourism’ or simply put, too many visitors in one place at one time.
The trend of overtourism has brought the practice of visitor use management (more commonly found within outdoor recreation areas) into focus for a wider variety of locations. In this piece, we’ll explore the meaning of overtourism, the problems it can create, and solutions for managing its impact that balance site preservation with quality visitor experiences.
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What is Overtourism?
Overtourism is the impact of tourism on a destination or location that excessively impacts quality of life for local communities, habitats and/or the overall quality of visitor experiences in a negative way.
It’s important to note that overtourism is relative to capacity and specifics of each location. Local infrastructure, facilities, community and ecology are all among the details that determine where overtourism is a problem and help define the needed solutions.
Problems of Overtourism
With the exploding popularity of destinations across the globe, it follows that overtourism bears a huge impact on those spaces.
Overtourism, especially by those who may not be familiar with visiting national parks and historical sites, brings certain pressures on systems of visitor use management that wouldn’t otherwise be there. That unfamiliarity can create conflict when it comes to guidelines of where they’re visiting, which is all the more reason why visitor use management is becoming increasingly important to preserve spaces and protect people.
The Social Media Impact on Overtourism
In many ways the information age has been a boon to tourism. The ability to find and travel to locations across the globe has increased dramatically. At the same time, for many destinations, heightened visibility now often comes with a cost.
With the rise of social media, scenic locations have been exposed to overtourism through the viral popularity that can come with sharing a destination on these platforms. The visual nature – Instagram in particular – makes the travel industry ripe for social media and the way “influencer” dynamics can quickly drive people to action in pursuit of likes and followers.
Whether it be through general awareness or attempts to replicate perceived success over social media, these platforms’ impact on overtourism – both for well-known and new locations alike – is already apparent and growing.
Overtourism Solutions
When addressing overtourism challenges, a delicate balance found in visitor use management comes into play. Does one use an unobtrusive and indirect approach? Or does one need a more intrusive and direct intervention method when thresholds are broken? The answer is: it depends.
Many issues are specific to the parks and geographies, but can also be understood as a regional system. Consider the questions behind how local use is dispersed – Where are visitors going? What are they doing in light of crowding and increased use of natural spaces?
These questions have not only local implications, but also regional and international impacts when applied to other historic sites where tourism abounds. Professionals in Visitor Use Management need to have a high-level understanding of the system and ask themselves practical questions about how people actually behave, whether they be at a National Park or at the Eiffel Tower.
3 Types of Overtourism Examples
As discussed, a quickly growing travel environment has made the issue of overtourism relevant to an increasing number of locations. Growing accessibility to reach destinations more quickly and at further distances, coupled with rising interest a broader array of destinations, has lead to a trend that’s sure to continue.
There are some primary examples of overtourism where the impact is already abundantly clear and, in many cases, where solutions have already begun to be put in place.
Iconic Destinations
Some of the places experiencing the most acute impacts of overtourism are naturally those that have already traditionally been popular tourism destinations. Many of these locations are also very old, which can leave them particularly vulnerable since their infrastructure often isn’t designed to handle modern visitor use capacities.
Venice, Italy
Machu Picchu, Peru
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Santorini, Greece
Encouraging travel during non-peak seasons and limiting the amount of visitors allowed to certain areas of a given destination are just a couple of the strategies being used to help combat the negative impacts of overtourism.
Historic Sites, Museums and Public Attractions
While the impacts of overtourism can be clearly seen in its effect on natural landscapes, the same challenges are felt at other types of popular public attractions. This is especially relevant for museums and historic sites that have sensitive, often fragile, aspects of their value. Visitor flow at these public sites now often being optimized using the elements of a visitor use management framework.
The US National Park System (NPS) has largely been a victim of its own success. A concerted effort over the years to grow interest in natural landscapes as well as growing popularity with outdoor recreation activities has taken its toll on the parks experience and natural resources.
While still fairly new in practice, the visitor use management framework has quickly become prevalent in the National Park System as well as other public land recreation areas. The framework’s principles of establishing desired conditions, identifying indicators, and setting thresholds and triggers are now being used to address overcrowding on trails and parking. They also protect the valuable natural resources that make these destinations the irreplaceable scenes they are.
Otak is happy to introduce a week near and dear to our hearts. Starting today and going through this Saturday the 25th is National Surveyors week!
Surveyors’ week was created to provide a time for everyone in our profession to think about the impact surveyors have on society, to inform the general public about our work, and to share how enjoyable and impactful a land surveying career is.
To celebrate National Surveyor’s Week, we’re shining the spotlight on our beloved survey team and taking a closer look at what makes survey one of our most integral and far-reaching practice areas. Otak’s team is made up of 18 people working from three offices in Oregon and Washington, with a regional presence that includes Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, North Dakota, and South Dakota. With the help of partners, we also work in Alaska and Hawaii.
Our clients range from Federal agencies to national freight and passenger railroads, to local jurisdictions and even a homeowner from time to time. The variety of work Otak Survey does, along with the diversity of places we do it, is unique and very enjoyable.
What is Surveying?
Land Surveying is a profession as old as the concept of land ownership. The earliest known surveying practices date back to 1400 BC, when land was measured for taxation purposes in Egypt. The position of land surveyor has been held in esteem for just as long. In Oregon, the Office of County Surveyor is in the Constitution (Article VI, Section 8) and is still an elected position in several counties.
Surveyors are historians, measurers, mathematicians, mediators, and treasure hunters, using tools that have been around for a thousand years alongside the latest in modern technology and equipment. Our field and office surveyors map, measure, search, find, set, calculate, adjust, draw, compute, stake, read, scan, fly, float, and plat – sometimes all in the same day.
Meet Otak’s Survey Team
Otak’s survey group is a team that works together for everyone’s success. With a strong foundation of legacy staff, our team members range from seasoned experts to growing talent. All have important perspectives and skills to contribute, and that shows up in our work every day. Below are pictures of Otak field surveyors in their natural element.
Of course, most of the pictures are in pleasant conditions and in nice places – but field surveyors work in the elements every day. That may mean it’s wet, muddy, cold, raining, freezing, next to a freeway, or so remote that hiking into it can take hours. The next day that it’s terrible outside, remember, Otak’s field surveyors are probably out in the weather!
Some of Otak Survey’s recent projects include:
Trimet’s Division Transit Project and nearly every light rail line in the Portland area
Multiple segments of the Willamette Water Supply Pipeline from Wilsonville to Hillsboro, Oregon
Community Transit’s Orange Line and several other light rail lines in the Puget Sound region.
A new 6-mile industrial spur track in Mesa, AZ, for a national freight railroad.
Otak’s survey team uses satellites, robotic total stations, drones, scanners, unmanned boats, and 360° cameras – and as technology advances, so will our utilization of the latest and greatest surveying equipment available.
The Legacy of Otak’s Survey Practice Area
Otak has been providing land surveying throughout its entire history as a firm, with seasoned professionals who have been with us for 30+ years.
We’ve also had four generations of the Lundeen family that have worked for Otak Survey. The first generation started with Gary Lundeen, who worked at Otak for 30+ years until retirement. Gary’s son Joel Lundeen is currently at 29 years with Otak and counting. Generation three included two of Joel’s sons who have since moved on to other careers. Other long-time survey employees that have built the foundation of Otak’s survey practice include: Chris Wiley (24 years), Jerry Osgood (25 years), Mike Rusch (30 years), David Finley (20+ years), and David Breneman (24 years).
“Bob Hawes marked his 39th anniversary with Otak this year! Bob works harder and smarter than most. His tenure gives him a perspective that is nearly unobtainable.”
– Jon Yamashita, Director of Survey
Quality design depends on quality mapping – so early on it was decided that control of the mapping and surveying process was a key to Otak’s overall quality of work. It didn’t take long for word to spread that Otak’s surveying group provided high-quality services – very quickly our client list expanded to work for local and state agencies. We continue to work on on-call contracts with agencies that were initially won decades ago – and some agencies now find that there is more institutional knowledge of their land surveying history at Otak then they have internally.
Celebrating our Staff
Please join us in thanking the Otak Survey Team during International Surveyors’ Week! We’re grateful to have an expert team that is engaged in their work, quick to laugh, and always working on something fun.
The science of engineering is the backbone of the environment we construct around us, and many people perceive engineering in its most common ways. For example, both civil and structural applications are when engineers are most in the spotlight and is arguably the first thing people think about when considering what “engineering” means. These practice areas are often the most visible because they are physical and affect our daily lives as both participators in the built environment and also as members of society.
“I love being able to see a project come to life. It is quite a spectacular feeling to know I have helped bring someone’s idea into reality.”
Hailey Sibert – Otak Civil Designer
However, engineering can be much more varied than meets the eye, and the practice area is defined by the broader applications that a multidisciplinary approach can have on not only the built environment, but also on the communities that call that environment home.
In this post, we’ll explore the ways in which engineering affects multiple facets of society, and show just how important the intersectional practice is to fully functioning communities.
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Getting People Around, In Multiple Ways
Transportation engineering immediately comes to mind when thinking about the lesser thought applications of the profession. Options for transportation in the built environment don’t just spring up out of nowhere, and the impact that high functioning transportation infrastructure on communities is hard to overstate.
Quality transportation engineering improves how community members get from place to place and serves as a great socioeconomic equalizer. By increasing access to jobs, opportunities, and services through breaking down transportation barriers, engineering directly uplifts disadvantaged groups within municipalities by ensuring everyone gets an equal shot at getting there.
Multi-modal transportation also plays a role here. Communities don’t solely consist of cars, trains, and busses. Designing pedestrian-friendly areas allow neighborhoods to flourish and encourages healthier, more walkable lifestyles among citizens. Greater still, access between point A to point B is improved for those who do opt for public transport, which decreases reliance on cars. This means everything from sustainability perspective, and it’s all made possible through quality engineering that’s designed to move people, not just vehicles.
Using The Natural Flow of Things
The environmental intersections of engineering with purpose are also huge components of quality design. When we envision communities, we design with natural surroundings and not despite them. By doing this, we place an emphasis on low impact development (LID) which gives way to developing green stormwater infrastructure.
The best part about being a civil engineer is building connections. We building infrastructures and improve transportation networks that connect people and communities.
Eva Ho – Otak Civil Engineer
Without a multidisciplinary approach to this type of engineering, the greener aspects of project work may go unnoticed, or natural systems in place may be harmed or interrupted. Instead, engineers can design around habitats by understanding water flow and hydraulics of the site. In this way , water and natural resources engineers play a critical role in making communities not only sustainable for humans, but also more habitable for other forms of wildlife that may exist alongside something out of the built environment.
Helping the Rain Go Away
Quality water resources engineering also helps us answer unique questions about planning and design, including ones in relation to stormwater and surface water management. One might ask themselves, “When the rain falls, where does it go?”
The answer? It’s been engineered to flow through the community in helpful ways. For one, understanding water detention and retention prevents flooding for neighborhoods already in place. Second, it ensures quality of water for communities and natural habitats impacted by the local watershed and stormwater runoff — engineering for the community of life, not just for people.
“My [engineering] work has given me the opportunity to wear many different (hard) hats. I’ve designed cable stay bridges, a variety of buildings, sculptures… every day is an adventure!”
Greg Mines – Otak Structures Engineer
This ultimately helps prevent more vulnerable communities and areas from experiencing the effects of increased or harmful precipitation by injecting climate resiliency into the existing system, something a traditionally structural engineer might not consider. When multifaceted engineers are tasked with a project, they come up with a multi-pronged way of looking at a project that does more than just house, shelter, or get people to work on time.
Finding the Perfect Place for a Project
Engineering helps us answer even more pertinent questions about the built environment and our relationship with it, even before construction begins. So, just what happens on a site before we start building on it? Choosing the right spot to begin work involves a lot more than one would think.
Scrupulous engineering considers all the possibilities in order to find the right place for a project based on a goals and initial design, giving way to the practice of site development. Coming up with creative, practical, buildable, and permittable solutions is the work of engineers as well, and good ones are context sensitive (to cultural and natural resources that exist around a site) before building starts. Design efficiency has everything to do with pre-construction, from choice of materials to making sure things go smoothly from both a budget and site complications perspective. Engineering opens doors to deeper understanding of a project, not just the calculus to get it done, to ensure timely project delivery.
Enjoying Outdoor Spaces
As much impact as good engineering can have, sometimes the work is about leaving that impact with a minimal footprint. This can not only benefit clients, but members of the community that the project might impact. So much of engineering is about enhancing our open spaces and natural landscapes with low-profile infrastructure that allows for greater access and enjoyment from the populace, which can be as simple as a well-placed jungle gym or as complex as designing administrative facilities for parks and natural attractions.
Bike paths, multi-use paths, all of these are often not thought of as a crucial bit of engineering, however they double down on active transportation of the area while continuing to encourage a healthy lifestyle.
Trails and trailheads play a similar role — allowing people to access and connect with nature while preserving the spaces in which they exist and generating interest in the natural environment while in an effort to preserve it.
The thing I like most about working at Otak is the awesome, interdisciplinary team that I get to work with.
Chris Romeyn – Otak Sr. Water Resources Engineeer
And again, even before construction or the start of a project, feasibility studies in these environments also fall into the wheelhouse of engineering, ensuring the safety, sustainability, and resiliency of the site so people can enjoy it, catching problems in advance that might hinder project completion.
Multiple Engineering Disciplines, One Team
The work of engineers at Otak is multi-faceted and interdisciplinary, and we’re proud that our work goes toward the betterment of the communities we serve. The voices, experience and expertise of the engineering teams within our ranks reflects what their work means to them. Take a closer look at the depth and breadth of project work from one of our most esteemed and recognizable practice areas.
Otak’s architectural practice extends well beyond the borders of the Pacific Northwest. We also have roots in the Rocky Mountains, and as we continue to build a robust team of architects in our studio, we’re happy to announce that our investment in the Denver Metro area has never been stronger.
Our Louisville office has been in Colorado for years, and with the opening of our Denver studio we remain excited about playing an active role in what make’s Denver’s built environment so interesting. From Coors Field to Larimer Square to Union Station, the history of Denver’s architecture is storied and worthy of praise across the country. Now, Otak lives where that story is most prominent — Downtown Denver.
Our ‘One Otak’ approach plays a critical role here, and the values of our whole company align with the impact we’re making in Denver. When you work with us, you work with multidisciplinary professionals who are able to look at a project and see not only the macro elements, but also the micro details of how it will affect communities and people that live in whatever space we occupy.
All of this is why Otak thinks it best to introduce the world to our Denver studio, and talk more about our appreciation for both them and our ability to serve the area.
In this piece, Otak invites you to meet our stellar Denver Architecture team, and learn more about where that team is involved, the type of work we do, and how we prioritize that work.
Otak’s History in Colorado
Though our architecture presence in Denver is new in comparison, Otak has been serving the Rocky Mountain West throughout nearly our whole history out of multiple locations in the state. Just some of our milestone projects in the region include: It’s a history that includes a variety of services and a number of milestone projects in the region that include a few recent highlights:
Designed to serve as an urban park as well as a major multi-modal transportation conduit, the US6 and 19th Street interchange improved connectivity between residential areas and the Colorado School of Mines campus, while also improving the vehicular level of service. The concept would also lead to work on the “Heritage Lid” Interchange design project.
The 29-acre cloverleaf intersection of Colfax Avenue and Federal Boulevard represented one of the most dangerous intersections for pedestrians and bicyclists in Denver. Otak led the design of transportation infrastructure modifications with numerous stakeholders and hosted public participation meetings in reimagining the area.
In partnership with Naranjo Civil Constructors, this complete design-build project replaces the Godfrey Ditch Diversion structure located on the Middle South Platte River in Weld County, Colorado. The multiple-benefit diversion project reduced sediment transport disruptions, improved maintenance requirements, limited damage potential from future floods, enhanced aquatic and riparian habitats, and enable fish and safe recreational boating passage—all while delivering the full decree of water.
Why Denver?
Our presence in Denver serves distinct strategic purposes. For one, it opens up our practice to projects in urbanized areas — places where Otak services are needed. From affordable housing and mission critical facilities to mixed use and multifamily high rises, Otak has experience with addressing and exceeding the needs of both our clients and the community.
Second, being in Denver expands our footprint in the region for growing involvement with the community. From this location, we continue to build on our core commitments of equity and sustainability with both the projects we take on in the area and as part of our broader business operations.
On the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is uniquely positioned to provide a perfect addition for our continued work with preserving our natural landscapes. From projects with the National Park Service to studies involving our visitor use management and water and natural resources teams, the deep connection between Denver and the value of outdoor spaces will enhance our own emphasis in that area.
Meet the Denver Architecture Team
Kurt Basford – Denver Studio Lead
“For me, architecture has always been a passion. As a young artist, I connected with the profession as a physical extension of my creativity. Designing spaces that inspire and shape our cultural dynamics bring me joy in every project. Being raised around construction sites and building a background in finance, I have been able to bring these experiences to the built environment to create meaningful spaces, balance the art + science of architecture, and deliver innovative solutions for our clients. Architecture has allowed me to travel the world working with incredible clients and afforded me the experience of every building type. It truly is a joy to be an architect and I enjoy my work with colleagues every day. I can honestly say I love my job as every day is a new adventure.”
Kelly Buchanan – Architect
“Architecture is about people and placemaking. I believe in the power of placemaking and crafting spaces to be inclusive, sustainable, and relevant. Having studied in Las Vegas, Portland, OR, and a brief time in Italy, I have seen how architecture adapts to the context and culture of a place. I grew up along the front range and moved to Denver to once again be closer to family. I’ve always appreciated the unique style of Mountain West architecture and the influence of both the mountains and prairies. The natural landscape is deeply embedded in the culture of Colorado communities and offers an exciting backdrop for practicing architecture and place-based problem solving.”
Zaq Dohallow – Designer
“I chose a career in architecture in order to better serve my passion for integrating nature into the built environment. Architecture is one of many options for addressing the challenges related to a rapidly changing climate, however, architecture and design also provide an outlet for creativity and inventive thought. Designing buildings and spaces in Colorado is a welcome challenge. Due to our extreme weather and drastically different seasonal considerations Colorado buildings are a great way to expand our understanding of flexible and adaptive design. Energy saving strategies and passive measures are tested in our hot and cold, wet and dry seasons and provide a template for strategies which can be applied to various parts of the world with more stable weather patterns.”
Levi Wall – Architect
“Like many architects, I found architecture first through Legos, but also from gleaning art and woodworking skills from my mom, which got me hooked on shaping the physical world. Colorado is a great place to practice architecture for many of the same reasons it’s an great place to live: the natural beauty, the vibrant growing cities, and a dynamic business environment all provide the context for beautiful architecture. Population growth and climate change also bring challenges to our way of life, which are exciting challenges to address in designing the built environment.”
Tom Hoover – Architect
“I became interested in Architecture at a very young age, 8 years old to be exact. My family moved to Colorado after time in Europe and my parents procured a piece of land on a hilltop with fabulous views to the west. My parents collected several Herman Miller & Eames furniture pieces long before I knew what good design translated to. My parents engaged the services of an architect whom designed a mid-century modern home nestled into that hillside. Growing up in that house, in a mountain setting, with choreographed interior elements that supplemented the feel of the space gave me an appreciation for how it came together through the architect. I grew up with desire to create fabulous spaces & experiences in Colorado doing just what that architect did.”
Karen Smith – Interior Designer
“I feel privileged to live in such a beautiful place and have witnessed a coming of age with local and national architectural groups. I had the opportunity to work for some local icons that were Colorado natives, and now of course everyone wants to be here! Throughout my career I have learned that working in tandem with architects yields the greatest results for the overall vision of the project. Blending the two disciplines seamlessly is one area where I have great expertise and an ongoing passion. Above all, design is a way of thinking, of looking at the world around us, and appreciating the fine details. There’s no better place to do this than here!”
Interested in joining the Denver architecture team, take a look at openings here!
What Does the Denver Architecture Team Do?
As a multidisciplinary firm, it follows that our people have multifaceted experience and a holistic view of all kinds of projects. Our team’s industry knowledge is extensive — our main areas of expertise are as follows:
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Architecture
Interior Design
Specification Proficiency
Master Planning
Visitor Use Management Integration
Program Planning
Fixtures, Furnishings, and Equipment (FFE)
Historic Preservation Data Driven Design (Parametric/Algorithmic)3D/Meta Design
The values that bind the Denver studio are distinct while still falling under our ‘One Otak’ umbrella, and much of our work in the PNW translates directly into the work we do in Colorado. From affordable housing, higher education, civic, and institutional to specializations including corporate offices, data facilities, and mission critical infrastructure, Denver injects expertise and community involvement at every step of project delivery.
In line with our Green Otak (GO) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Denver also undertakes projects where environmental resilience meets serving underrepresented communitiesTo serve these projects, the team is involved with organizations like Housing Colorado and the Urban Land Institute.
In summary the Denver studio is strategically placed and positioned to serve clients in the Denver Metro area with a unique perspective, one that’s distinctly Otak.
A Piece of the Otak Architecture Puzzle
Otak’s Denver studio exists to impact a variety of new bottom lines when it comes to serving clients, which expands our reach and relationships even further into the state of Colorado. It’s a crucial new piece of Otak that aligns with our greater architecture practice and strategy.
With our new Denver office opening this past year, learn more about our whole architecture business unit. Otak is proud to take this step in our continuing commitment to resilient, practical, and beautiful design.
When it comes to project delivery, few methods are as cutting-edge as the design-build delivery, but what does it mean, and how do we differentiate it from a traditional delivery?
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What is the Design-Build Delivery Method?
According to the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA), the design-build process is different from a traditional project delivery for a few reasons:
Rather than managing multiple contracts, the Owner manages only one contract with a single point of responsibility.
The single point of reference allows the designer and contractor work together from the beginning as a “Design Build Entity,” providing unified project recommendations to fit the Owner’s schedule and budget.
Any changes are addressed by the entire team rather than in siloes of the project, leading to collaborative problem-solving and innovation.
It all comes down to single-source contracting, but what’s important here is the culture of collaboration inherent in design-build. Teams truly work as a team without an adversarial relationship between subdivisions, and that means everything for successful, innovative delivery.
The Portland Building team at the DBIA Awards 2022
The DBIA has a storied history of sharing the wonders of design-build with the greater industry. Formed in 1993, it started as a handful of engineers, architects, and builders who sought to make project delivery both easier and scalable. The organization is now the authority on the design-build process, comprised of not just professionals but academics, students, and leaders from all over the country.
What’s more, they host one of the biggest industry events in the country commemorating use of the method every year.
What is the Design-Build Conference & Expo?
The Design-Build Conference & Expo happens in various locations and hosts a slew of industry professionals who come to network and learn from one another.
Projects from all over the U.S. are nominated for their historic delivery methods, and experts from across the AEC industry judge and award firms based on a variety of criteria provided by the DBIA.
“The Portland Building is by far, one of the defining projects of my career and one of the best teams I’ve worked with in my life.”
Miro Radoynovski – Portland Building Project Manager
Otak attended the annual event in Las Vegas in November 2022, where we were up for multiple awards for our owner’s representative work on The Portland Building in our home city of Portland, OR.
What Did the Portland Building Win?
At the 2022 Design-Build Conference & Expo, the Portland Building was nominated for three DBIA awards in the category of rehabilitation, renovation and restoration. The project ultimately swept all three.
Best in Process – Rehabilitation / Renovation / Restoration
National Award of Excellence – Rehabilitation / Renovation / Restoration
National Award of Merit – Rehabilitation / Renovation / Restoration
The awards reinforced the success felt across the project team, including the city of Portland. For the DBIA, success is defined in a variety of ways and the details of the Portland Building were clearly aligned with those criteria.
Delivering an Award-Winning Project: What the DBIA Looks For
Winning projects are all evaluated on the same criteria, based on DBIA’s Design Build Done Right framework.
Projects are considered if they achieve the best value while meeting design and construction quality, cost and schedule goals. They must also demonstrate advanced and innovative application of total integrated project delivery, including design-build best practices to achieve exceptional outcomes.
Credit: DLR Group
But what is the Design Build Done Right framework?
The overview of it is that it’s a universally applicable set of best practices and principles that can aid in the delivery of any design-build project. The DBIA provides a set of guidelines, and more importantly real-world techniques, that facilitate successful projects from procuring services to execution, exemplified by the following aspects of delivery:
Schedule and cost performance
Effective processes
Interdisciplinary teamwork
Problem solving
Excellence in design
Use of technology
Based on these elements of successful design-build, Otak is proud to say we won multiple awards the evening of the conference, which we’ll get into next.
Building a Winning Case in The Portland Building
The Portland Building project 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, and houses a number of government departments all working in tandem to make Portland run smoothly.
Exterior view of the Portland Building (Photo Credit: James Ewing, JBSA)
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. Otak also organized the temporary relocation of all the city’s 1,400+ staff to ensure that the city maintained normal operations throughout the project.
However, what’s really interesting (and unique) about the project is its cutting-edge delivery method, one that takes DBIA guidelines and brings them to the next level—progressive design-build.
Progressive Design-Build Delivery of the City of Portland’s Vision
The City of Portland initiated a $195 million project to reconstruct the building, making it the city’s largest capital project.
Such an innovative method of delivery was needed to address several of the City’s objectives with construction:
Fix the enclosure performance problems—no more leaks and better daylighting
Preserve the historic integrity of the exterior—get through landmark approval process
Upgrade the seismic performance of the building to an appropriate standard
Replace building mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems
Remedy urban design deficiencies at the base
Improve the workplace and public engagement areas
Meet requirements for LEED Gold
What Does Progressive Design-Build Mean?
Essentially, a progressive design-build delivery method is a form of early contractor involvement that can help reduce risk and increase collaboration among all stakeholders. It’s the way a construction project design is developed by the owner and design-builders using a step-by-step process.
The DBIA again states that progressive design-build allows the design and construction team to collaborate during the earliest stages of project development. This enables the greatest amount of engagement between the three key players in a construction contract: the owner, the designer, and the contractor. Ultimately, Otak advocated that this unique method was best for meeting the needs of the project in terms of complexity and scheduling needs.
Best Value for Dollar Spent: Collaborative Team Environment, Optimal Efficiency
The Progressive Design-Build model allowed for the right voices to be in the room to make the best decisions at the right time. From the outset, Otak successfully met the greatest challenge of the method—getting all team members to buy in to a lean design process and trust it would deliver an innovative project. The team also utilized the “SmartStart” partnering process, where we discussed and committed to a community-focused assessment of risk and project progress which was key to establishing a collaborative environment.
Schedule, scope, and design intent were optimized, as the entire team was at the table making informed decisions each step of the way.
Planning sessions and project milestone dates were incorporated into scheduling from the very beginning to inspire active participation between stakeholders for effective schedule management.
Technology Utilization
Quality assurance and control was also highly collaborative, and we deployed high-tech tools like VR, Clash Detection, and Laser Scanning for building information modeling (BIM) work to improve access to facilities and streamline operations of the building post-construction.
A huge part of this effort was not only relocating all city employees into temporary office spaces, but also bringing them back when construction was completed, and the building envelope was brought up to code. Thanks to the progressive design-build method these goals were accomplished through early planning and team effort to get the job done.
Design Solutions to Historic Reconstruction Challenges
With every project comes challenges. This can be particularly true for buildings of historic relevance, for which the Portland Building is a perfect example.
The City’s vision was such that the building needed to be drastically updated while maintaining it’s iconic design elements, while enhancing the working environment. The existing concrete exterior, external glazing, the famous Portlandia sculpture, and getting the space approved as a city landmark were all hurdles that made progressive design-build the choice of the greater team.
View of “Portlandia,” the copper sculpture at the Portland Building (Photo Credit: James Ewing, JBSA)
Considerations were also made to maintain the internationally recognized post-Modern architecture style, and the stakes were high. The building has historic significance of “exceptional importance” on the National Register of Historic Places, which means extra care had to be taken in order to both preserve and renovate the space. The building also needed to be upgraded from a sustainability perspective, a viewpoint that has become an Otak calling card.
Sustainable and Efficient Systems
In terms of being sustainable, the Portland Building was truly brought into the modern era. The project made improvements to light fixtures allowing for greater daylighting, reducing energy costs and carbon footprints in the process.
The envelope of the building also needed to be revitalized in order to fix leaking issues in a famously rainy city. Low emitting materials were also used to compensate for the existing concrete of the structure, which we did by improving existing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, among others.
The project also pursued a LEED Gold Building certification, and the team’s efforts led to the project exceeding it’s goals in achieving both WELL and LEED Platinum certification.
Public Involvement and Inclusive Project Goals
Not only did the project need to be sustainable, but it also needed to be equitable to address the needs of the city and align with its values. The vision was to both inspire and influence the public, leading to a two-fold goal— serving the public well and becoming an employer of choice to bolster talent acquisition into the space. To align with those goals, our team led visioning sessions on both the public and employee experience, ultimately transforming the building’s poorly lit, substandard interior into a truly exceptional interior experience for all.
Social and community impacts were also top of mind. A targeted community outreach effort was implemented to ensure DMWESB firms were aware of upcoming opportunities. This effort included informational meetings, open houses, trade show events, one-on-one meetings, and sourcing a local non-profit to provide consultation to DMWESB firms bidding on the project. Additionally, the project promoted design and construction career opportunities by hosting eight separate tours for high school and college students. Otak is proud to say that in the process we exceeded MWDBE goals.
The End Result
By utilizing a progressive design-build framework, inspiring both the team and the community, and delivering on early promises thanks to early planning, the result of our efforts yielded a multi-award-winning project.
Otak would like to extend a formal thank you to the DBIA for bestowing us with these accolades, which we take to heart. We’re proud we had the opportunity to play an outsized role in the successful delivery of the project, and our mission to transform the built environment while keeping the community in mind remains one of our cornerstones.
You can find out more about the complete list of DBIA award winners, and we look forward to the opportunity of highlighting our projects in the future
As Native American Heritage Month comes to a close, Otak is aware that the land our practice areas often work on did not originally belong to us. Indigenous peoples across the United States and the regions we occupy existed long before the colonization of the Americas, and will continue to exist in perpetuity.
What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose. Otak hopes to recognize not only the contributions of indigenous people to our current society, but also highlight our project work directly with tribes in regions where our offices exist.
As part of the importance of considering historical context in design, we’d like to give recognition to a project with a client that aligns with our mission to uplift communities across all backgrounds.
A view of the finished Dungeness River Pedestrian Bridge project
This is why we’re turning the spotlight on the Dungeness River Railroad, with our client being the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe on the Northern Olympic Peninsula in Washington state.
Dungeness River Railroad Bridge: An Intersection of Cultural and Natural Restoration With Project Design
Inhabiting the area for more than 10,000 years, the S’Klallams possess a rich social and religious culture based on the abundant natural resources of the Northwest Coast. They moved from village to village in their traditional territory during the spring, summer, and fall for fishing and resource gathering, and settled into more permanent longhouses for the winter months. They are also craftspeople skilled in woodcarving and basket making, and they fashioned ceremonial masks, serving dishes and utensils, storage boxes from cedar, and woven mats, rope, and clothing from cedar bark.
But what was the project, and how are we serving their community while upholding their rich culture and history?
The Dungeness River Railroad Bridge Replacement project spans 585-feet and involved floodplain restoration to preserve the natural waterway
This project, titled the Dungeness River Railroad Trestle Replacement, is located on the Dungeness River at Railroad Bridge Park in Sequim, WA, and supports the Olympic Discovery Trail. The goal was to restore floodplain processes that had been constrained by the 585-foot-long railroad trestle and was accomplished by replacing the existing trestle with a river-worthy and salmon-friendly pedestrian bridge. Work included preparation of design alternatives, preliminary and final design of the preferred alternative, permitting, and preparation of a design report, technical specifications, quantities, costs, and bid documents.
The project’s goals were achieved with the S’Klallam tribe in mind since members living on the land use the river and surrounding areas to fish and keep their heritage alive to this day. The most important part of this, however, is the role the tribe played in the decision-making process for improvements. The tribe worked with us directly to be the agents of change and helped us understand their needs, so we were best able to serve them by preserving and improving their resources. Far from being passive acceptors of our work, the tribe worked with us to achieve an award-winning project courtesy of the ACEC Washington in Engineering Excellence.
Otak is reverent that we are able to work to preserve and improve land that the S’Klallam tribe calls home. Learn more about how our DEI initiatives are central to “Our Why,” and we’d like to thank the tribe for their trust in delivering this project.
Community impact, quality design, and a lasting legacy—all of these are phrases that describe the work of Don Hanson, senior advisor of our planning and landscape architecture division, who has announced his well-deserved retirement. It’s a bittersweet day at Otak, however, we are taking this opportunity to reflect on and commend Don’s work throughout his illustrious career.
A Certified Expert
For the past 37 years at Otak, Don has become a lauded expert in residential, mixed-use commercial, and industrial development work. He also has extensive project experience with public parks/recreation, open space, and streetscape improvements. Greater still, Don served as chairman of the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission and was a member of the commission for 10 years, setting development and land use policies for the entire Portland Metro Area.
To say Don’s career has been impactful would be an understatement. Though it’s hard to pick just one of the many projects he’s worked on, we’re zooming in on a few key projects that highlight Don’s legacy both at Otak and in our greater community:
The Project Breakdown
Center Commons—Portland, OR
Don’s Role: Serving as the Principal Planner, this project involved the preparation of a master plan and highly detailed site design, as well as a land use approval process coupled with public involvement.
Project Highlights
This work is regarded by TriMet, the Portland Development Commission, and the neighborhood as a model for transit-oriented development and in-fill development in Portland’s station area districts.
The project includes 314 units of housing at both market and affordable rates, housing for seniors, as well as for-sale townhomes. Retail space, a daycare center, and management offices are also provided.
The focal point for Center Commons is a “woonerf” space that congregates cars, pedestrians, a playground, a bosque of trees, parking, drop-off zones, and generous sidewalks that provide shortcuts to transit. The development is located adjacent to the 60th and Glisan station of the MAX LRT line.
Don’s Role: As the Principal Planner/Landscape Architect for this project, Columbia Knoll is a mixed-income redevelopment project located on the ten-acre historic Shriners Hospital site in northeast Portland.
Project Highlights
The redevelopment includes affordable senior independent and congregate housing, as well as affordable family housing, a day-care facility, a community center, and market rate-for-sale townhomes.
The 334 housing units are configured in two, three, and four-story structures that are carefully sited to preserve mature existing trees and the historic Shriners front lawn on Sandy Boulevard.
The project required detailed coordination with the state Housing Office, the Portland Development Commission, the Historic Landmarks Commission, and an extensive public outreach program with five neighborhood associations. We also worked closely with the NE coalition of neighborhoods throughout the process.
Don’s Role: Serving as both Principal and Master Planner, this project is in the countryside west of Wilsonville.
Project Highlights
Villebois is a spectacular 480-acre site where residential neighborhoods include forests, open spaces, ponds, walking trails, and magnificent vistas. Working in close coordination with the master planner and the City of Wilsonville, Don oversaw the design of a cohesive street and site network that encompasses 135 acres of single-family residences, parks, and open spaces, while preserving the natural features of the site.
Individual projects within Villebois include residential subdivision developments, engineering of public roads and private alleys, utility infrastructure design, water quality and detention ponds, and enhancement and creation of wetlands. Final design elements include greenways, trails, neighborhood and regional parks, a future community swim center, and entry monuments.
Not only has Don’s skill set had an indelible impact on Otak’s project work, his involvement and community affiliations outside of work set him apart as a luminary in the field and his extensive resume reflects that. Some of the groups Don was a part of, and even led, include:
Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission, Past Chair and Former Member
Former Development Review Advisory Committee: City of Portland
Former Citizen Advisory Committee Member reviewing the Title 34 Land Development Ordinance: Portland, Oregon
Former Stakeholder Advisory Group Member for Vision 2000: Portland, Oregon
Committee Member reviewing the Urban Renewal Districts Status: Portland, Oregon
Former Downtown Design Review Board Member: Vancouver, WA
Passing the Torch
With a dedicated planning & landscape architecture team now led by staff like our own David Sacamano, Business Unit Leader for our Oregon and Southwest Washington Planning and Landscape Architecture team, Otak will continue to deliver on dynamic projects in Don’s spirit and bring not only our whole selves, but also our expertise to projects in the future. It’s a practice that Don ensured was integral to Otak’s success, and it will continue to be so in our future operations.
Take a closer look at how we celebrated Don’s legacy as an Otakian in this digital booklet and join us in bidding a fond farewell to Don as he begins this well-deserved new chapter.
Otak is proud to announce that four OtakCPM projects have won DJC Oregon Top Projects Awards for 2022! The DJC Oregon is the premier publication covering news of the building and construction fields in Oregon and SW Washington. Project teams from all over the region submitted their projects for consideration and, out of 84 finalists, we took home four trophies for our Project Management/Owner’s Representative work.
OtakCPM, our PMCM/Owner’s Rep services group, was fortunate to be part of projects whose design, construction and project management project teams produced some truly phenomenal projects for owners: The North Clackamas School District, the Nestucca Valley K-8 School Expansion, Lake Oswego City Hall and Police Station, and the Salem Public Library Renovation.
The DJC awards cap off a wonderful month of recognition; Otak was also named by the Engineering News Record (ENR) as the Top Design Firm in the Northwest.
Take a closer look at the details behind each of this year’s DJC awarded projects and the unique solutions the OtakCPM team implemented to bring the client’s vision to completion.
Lake Oswego City Hall and Police Station had our division tasked with owner’s representative services for the whole project’s lifecycle, overseeing the delivery of secured parking for police facilities and 9-1-1 operations, as well as the retrofitting of City Hall and designing to LEED Gold standards. Otak CPM worked with Mackenzie as the architect and used CM/GC delivery method—all of which resulted in a completely modernized, redefined part of city infrastructure.
Project Team Owner: City of Lake Oswego, Architect: Mackenzie, Contractor: Howard S. Wright, Consultant: Interface
Salem Public Library: Third Place – Public Facilities
PMCM was also commissioned as the owner’s representative on the Salem Public Library Renovation, Services the Otak CPM team provided include review of plans and specifications throughout the design process, bidding assistance, construction management, budget and schedule tracking, assistance with project close-out, and contract administration. This all went to ensure a successful delivery using the Progressive Design-Build method.
Project Team Owner: City of Salem, Architect: Hacker Architects, Contractor: Howard S. Wright
Nestucca Valley School Expansion: First Place – Primary Education (<$50M)
As owner’s representatives for the Nestucca Valley K-8 School expansion, we oversaw a revitalization of a 1953-era elementary school to expand the curriculum from a K-5 school to a K-8 school, with a future capacity of 380 students. The new facility includes a double gymnasium, flexible layout new classrooms, a library/media space, a music space, a new kitchen, open layout commons/cafeteria, school administration offices & District administration offices.
Project Team – Owner: Nestucca Valley School District, Architect: DLR Group, Contractor: O’Brien & Company
Adrienne Nelson High School: Third Place – Primary Education (>$50M)
For the North Clackamas School District, we were nominated for our project management work at Adrienne Nelson High School, in which we managed the $503 Million dollar Capital Construction bond. The funds allowed for basic, large-scale repairs in existing schools including heating, ventilation, roofing, plumbing, windows, lighting, energy efficiency, and ongoing improvements to school facilities like a revitalization of STEM classrooms.
Otak Team and Partners
While all these projects have stories, they wouldn’t be award-winning if not for our teaming partners and those who nominated us. So we’d like to extend a warm thank you to not only them, but also the DJC Oregon for this recognition.
We also can’t forget about our tremendous OtakCPM team for continuing its tradition of excellence.
Want to learn more about some of our projects? Our experience engine has everything you need to search for any Otak project on our website. Check it out to see even more award-winning work.
At Otak, we deal in cornerstones. Whether it be on a beautiful building or one of our values— cornerstones make us who we are in every sense of the word. One of these cornerstones is our projects, the work we do to elevate our communities and make them accessible, sustainable, and vibrant. Which is why when we were called upon to handle one of the biggest school bond programs in Oregon’s history, we welcomed the challenge, rolled up our sleeves, and got to work.
This was the case in 2018, when voters approved a $619.7 million funding bond for the Salem-Keizer School District. The goals? Relieve overcrowding, expand vocational and science learning spaces, improve safety and security throughout the buildings, protect the public investment with planning for upgrading infrastructure, and expand the wireless network for improved access to technology in mind. With the bond addressing every educational and support building in the district, our multidisciplinary approach wasn’t just desired, it was vital to the project’s success.
Building a Team
The project needed a qualified manager. Looking no further than our own team, we tappedBob Collins, PMP, CCM, to lead 19 other Otak employees in working with the district to ensure strong project planning and delivery. Tasked with developing a plan to make the district’s aspirations a reality, we provided management services so voters could be confident their tax dollars would be stretched for maximum benefit to students and the community.
Tools of the Trade
We utilized a variety of tools to accomplish this. First, we introduced the district to Smartsheet, a significantly less costly project management information system that allows for easy tracking of costs, tasks, and schedules. Smartsheet made it simple for them (and us) to cross-reference and standardize work so that each project optimally benefitted from the influx of funding.
Second, we developed a set of guiding principles and official specifications for the scope of work, establishing a clear roadmap to project completion. Serving as a guiding light for 25 pre-qualified, local contractors and architects, we provided an action plan that contended with the ambitions of the district. Our project management and construction management capabilities presented a direct benefit to this program, and were a key factor in how we won such a far-reaching project.
Reinforcing our Values
This all ties into Otak’s “Why.” When it comes to uplifting communities and elevating our built environment, we do those things not because it’s lucrative, but because the project has benefits that will last generations to come. We believe in creating places that will benefit the many, not just the few, and our growing experience with schools is a prime example. When students have adequate facilities for learning and growth, the benefit to society extends beyond our body of work, and instead translates to value-added approach that serves the public good.
In Bob’s own words, “We are actively matching and meeting the goals of the bond with all of the tools at our disposal. We do this by making taxpayer dollars stretch further with tools like Smartsheet, and through our expertise, we’re confident we can deliver facilities to students that need them.”
So, join us in celebrating the work we do that benefits scores of children within the Salem-Keizer district, and here’s to continued success as we leverage everything we can to accomplish this work for the good of all.
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Lake Oswego City Hall and Police Station had our division tasked with owner’s representative services for the whole project’s lifecycle, overseeing the delivery of secured parking for police facilities and 9-1-1 operations, as well as the retrofitting of City Hall and designing to LEED Gold standards. Otak CPM worked with Mackenzie as the architect and used CM/GC delivery method—all of which resulted in a completely modernized, redefined part of city infrastructure.
PMCM was also commissioned as the owner’s representative on the Salem Public Library Renovation, 
As owner’s representatives for the Nestucca Valley K-8 School expansion, we oversaw a revitalization of a 
For the North Clackamas School District, we were nominated for our project management work at Adrienne Nelson High School, in which we managed the $503 Million dollar Capital Construction bond. The funds 