Making the Portland Art Museum’s New Rothko Pavilion a Space for All Through Universal Design
The Portland Art Museum has long held accessibility at the core of its mission and offered a variety of services to assist visitors of all types. But the museum itself comprises two buildings, each with portions constructed in different eras and incrementally updated and expanded over several decades. Navigating the existing galleries across the various historic buildings has become increasingly problematic, and the need to create better connections has become a priority.
Hennebery Eddy, in partnership with Vinci Hamp Architects of Chicago, is designing the new Rothko Pavilion and campus renovations, which will connect the museum’s two existing buildings at every level, add 30,000 square feet of community and exhibition space, and establish a new, more accessible main entrance.
This fall, our studio welcomed recent-graduate Jacqueline for an interior design internship. Here she shares about her experience working with several project teams as part of our integrated approach to interior architecture. See the Opportunities page for more information about our internship program.
Interior design intern Jacqueline Tellez sorts through product samples in the materials library.
Q: What appealed to you about working at Hennebery Eddy?
A: What appealed the most to me about Hennebery Eddy was the kind of projects the firm focuses on. As a designer, I wanted to see how different firms take on different kinds of projects and understand what I would like to focus on (in my career).
Q: How is your internship related to your studies?
A: I graduated from the Art Institute of Portland in winter 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in interior design. During my internship, I’ve been able to have the experience to work on different kinds of projects, whether the tasks were small or big. It’s been a great experience as a designer to be able to dive deep into a project; in college, we don’t have that ability.
Hennebery Eddy’s second-annual Net-Positive Awards capped a month-long celebration of all things sustainability and honored internal teams for their achievements in healthy, efficient, and adaptive design. Project teams in design and construction were encouraged to share the story of how their designs are creating net-positive solutions responsive to clients, users, and the environment. A panel of five judges from among our staff had their work cut out for them. Ultimately, they selected the following projects, which represent the range of net-positive impacts achievable through our design process.
This project (which garnered an honorable mention in last year’s awards program) is targeting completion next summer — and when complete, will offer a remarkable new passenger experience informed by resiliency, equity, and biophilia. The unique, column-free space with high, canted ceilings and a sweeping curtain wall will feature abundant daylight (lighting loads reduced 70%) and views of Mount Hood and the Columbia River. Durable, sustainably sourced, and locally produced materials are also designed to equitably serve a broad population. The project is on track for LEED Gold certification — no small feat for a facility that essentially operates 24/7.
Restore Oregon, the state’s leading organization committed to preserving historic structures, presented Hennebery Eddy with a 2019 DeMuro Award recognizing excellence in historic preservation. The firm’s rehabilitation and expansion of the historic Sherman County Courthouse in Moro, Ore., was honored during Restore Oregon’s annual Restoration Celebration on Nov. 1, 2019. The rehabilitation returned the landmark building to its original glory, including a new cupola that replicates the storm-damaged original. In addition, a thoughtfully designed annex complements the historic building and provides additional government and community services space.
The design team’s approach was fully rooted in historic preservation best practices. From the project’s inception, the team’s primary goal was that the new building complement the existing courthouse, granting it appropriate historic deference. This goal drove every aspect of the new building’s design, from location on the site and building height to material choices and window shapes. With more than double the square-footage of the original, the new building was carefully designed to minimize the impact of its mass and scale so as to not overwhelm the much smaller historic courthouse.
Additional images and information can be found on the project page.
Hennebery Eddy’s design of the new Robert M. Richmond Memorial Library & Museum serving the Masonic Grand Lodge of Oregon received a Best in Category – Public & Civic award from the IIDA Oregon Chapter. Presented during the annual IIDA Oregon Design Excellence Awards celebration, the award recognizes the project’s timeless nature, as well as its simple, site-sourced materials palette. The IIDA is the International Interior Design Association.
The library and museum is a reading and research library and serves as a community and contemplation space for the Oregon Freemasons family. The library was dedicated and opened during a celebration this spring. Nestled among oak trees near Forest Grove, Ore., the new building features expansive glass walls and clerestory windows, and simple, geometric forms comprising wood salvaged from the site. More details and images can be found on the project page.
It was the perfect Oregon scene: a technicolor sunset behind Haystack Rock and 4,000 cans of food ready to nourish families in need. This concept became reality through a partnership between Hennebery Eddy Architects and general contractor Skanska as part of the 2019 Canstruction Portland fundraiser for the Oregon Food Bank.
Hennebery Eddy is gearing up for our second-annual Net-Positive Month in October — an entire month of activities aimed at promoting our net-positive philosophy in both professional and personal activities. With the goal of giving back more than we take – creating a “net-positive” impact – we invite our clients and friends to join us in two action-focused events.
Hennebery Eddy project architect Camilla Cok, AIA, attended the F.I.E.R.O. conference to present “Equity, Efficiency, and Exceeding Expectations” with Clackamas Fire Deputy Chief Ryan Hari and Division Chief Josh Gehrke. The session provided an overview of the fire district’s goals of maximizing flexibility and efficiency to best serve the community, while creating a more equitable work environment. Camilla, Chief Hari, and Chief Gehrke shared Hennebery Eddy’s tailored, listening-first approach to designing Station 16. The collaborative effort resulted in an energy-efficient building with gender-neutral, space-saving bunk rooms; multi-use common spaces; optimized proximity between living quarters and the apparatus bay; and design features that acknowledge the historic significance of Oregon City and will also fit, reflect, and engage the community for the next 50 years.
A small building with a big impact was recognized with a regional design award by the AIA Northwest and Pacific Region. Bend Science Station Learning Laboratories, designed by Hennebery Eddy Architects, received a Merit award during Thursday’s regional award ceremony in Bozeman, Montana. The new 3,750-square-foot building is a light-flooded learning laboratory on the Oregon State University-Cascades (OSU) campus that provides access to state-of-the-art facilities for STEM education, research, and teacher training serving K-12 students and teachers of Central Oregon.
The Science Station fits the broader context of the high desert region and the immediate context of the new OSU-Cascades campus in form, materiality, and intent. A metal shell protects the warm, cedar-clad interior and covered outdoor spaces, and the building’s design fuses experiential learning and architecture, seen in the demonstration tower, outdoor classroom, and visible sustainable design features. Enrolled in the Path to Net Zero program through the Energy Trust of Oregon, Bend Science Station is one of the first buildings of its type in Central Oregon designed to achieve net-zero energy. Low-flow plumbing fixtures and native landscaping minimize on-site water use.
Additional project details and images can be found on the Bend Science Station project page in our Portfolio.
Principal in charge and Hennebery Eddy president Tim Eddy, FAIA, accepted the award with project manager and associate Dan Petrescu, AIA, and interior designer and associate Ashley Nored, NCIDQ. Tim also served as a member of the regional firm award jury following the AIA NW+PR’s recognition of Hennebery Eddy with the 2018 AIA Northwest & Pacific Region Firm Award. Congratulations to the 2019 Firm Award winner, Weinstein A+U, and to all of the design award recipients!
