Office Trip to Portland
“What brings you joy?”, mural from Questions for Humans project, Gary Hirsch, SE Portland.
As architects, we’re often asked, where does inspiration come from? One of many sources: from experiencing architecture. While we can scroll through images of places on social media, there is no real substitute for visiting places. Rowell Brokaw had our “office retreat” this year in Portland.
Tope, rooftop restaurant, Old Town/Chinatown, Portland
After a rooftop dinner and stay at The Hoxton, we set out in small groups to explore the city, mostly on foot. We walked through neighborhoods, streets, and buildings to see how others approach the same design challenges we face at home.
Here are a few highlights from the trip:
Albina Library, Lever Architecture, Renovation and Addition, North Portland.
New New Crusher Court, Brett Schulz Architect, Lloyd District, Northeast Portland. Below: New New Crusher Court; Kakuro Project, Hybrid Architects, North Portland; Chapman Court Apartments (formerly The Mardu Apartments), Goose Hollow neighborhood, Southwest Portland; The Center for Native Arts & Cultures (formerly Yale Union Laundry Building), Southeast Portland; Goat Blocks, Ankrom Moisan, Eastside.
Mississippi Workshop, Waechter Architecture, Mississippi Avenue District. Below: Mississippi Workshop; The Heartline, Mithun, Pearl District; Center for Black Student Excellence (formerly One North), Holst Architecture, North Portland; YARD, Skylab Architecture, Eastside; LL Hawkins building, Holst Architecture and GBD Architects, Nob Hill/Slabtown, Northwest District; Splash Apartments, Mithun, East Portland; Holloway Apartments, Hacker Architects, North Portland; Carbon12, Kaiser+Path, Mississippi Avenue district, Northeast Portland; Sketch left in a coffee shop of the evolution of the Mississippi Ave. district with Carbon12 depicted.
Highland Hall, Lever Architecture, University of Oregon, Portland Campus. A great big thanks to Justin Fowler, Director of the Portland Architecture Program, for giving us a tour of Highland Hall. Below: Highland Hall interior; Innovation Building, TVA Architects; Duck statue, Alison Brown.
Schoolhouse Electric, showroom, nestled between Pearl District and NW Industrial. Below: Schoolhouse Interior; Hyphn, office and showroom, Pearl District.
Movement Portland. Andrew and Shane (and Britni) are currently working on a climbing facility in Eugene. Julia just likes to climb.
Before returning to Eugene, many of us met for lunch at Prost! Marketplace’s food cart pod.
Back at the office, in our weekly design review, we shared our discoveries. The whole trip and conversation afterward reminded us not only of why we love architecture but also of why we love practicing architecture together.