RiverEast Center / Rivers East LLC (Group Mackenzie)

Earning a 2008 Excellence in Design Award from ED+C in the commercial buildings category, the RiverEast Center is at the forefront of sustainable design, showcasing fully integrated green building features while retaining the architectural character of the original 1951 Art Deco Holman Transfer Building. In the heart of Portland’s Eastside Industrial District, the warehouse once used as a distribution warehouse for companies such as Quaker Oates and Coca Cola, was successfully converted into a 100,837-square-foot commercial office building.

“This is a very fine urban renovation project on a difficult site,” notes Excellence in Design Awards judge Jerry Yudelson. “Many fine details, LEED Gold certification and extensive public outreach merit this project a high mark.”

An effective stormwater management system contributes to the overall efficiency of the RiverEast Center. Photo by Gary Wilson.

The Holman Transfer Building sat vacant for more than 40 years because developers could not envision its potential and winced at the investment required for redevelopment. Jeff Reaves,president of Group Mackenzie, and Jay Haladay, president of Coaxis, formed Rivers East LLC to purchase and develop the property as a more centrally located, urban headquarters for both businesses. Halady and Reaves’ $17 million project developed an unwanted property into a fully-occupied, LEED Gold building, retaining the building’s original shell and incorporating sustainable design strategies to enhance the building’s overall design aesthetic and function. The Portland Development Commission called the former Holman Transfer Building “a key site in the transformation of the city’s east bank.”

Awards judge Jim Nicolow says, “Impressive adaptive reuse demonstrates the potential to salvage underutilized existing properties, creating new, green facilities.” The LEED Gold RiverEast Center creatively solved redevelopment problems with practical, economical and sustainable solutions. Devising a successful program for the two rapidly growing companies requires providing a stimulating and efficient workspace within the limited square footage. Special design considerations were made to optimize energy use, enhance the site’s connection to the river, conserve natural resources, and utilize sustainable materials to reduce the impact on the environment, building occupants and the surrounding community.

Energy Efficiency

RiverEast Center has been designed to consume 51 percent less energy than local code requires. A trombe wall on the south face of the building acts as a solar collector using a system of glass panels, baffles and shelves to passively capture and divert radiant heat. The radiant heat is conducted through the mass wall into the occupied space reducing required space heating. The thick concrete walls, which once created a dark, cold warehouse, now act as an added layer of insulation saving energy by normalizing temperatures and muffling freeway noise in the new office spaces. Passive heating and cooling include non-regularly occupied spaces, such as the boathouse and main lobby, being cooled at night through a relief hood at the top of Group Mackenzie’s space. High-performance glazing on the south- and west-facing windows helps reduce the heat load from the windows and decrease UV exposure. Fabric shades shield the south and west sides of the building, reducing the heat load from the windows. The heating ventilation and air conditioning system is able to run on outside air, reducing the energy needed for heating and cooling. The white reflective roof helps reduce the heat absorbed by the building. Workstations are provided with natural lighting from floor to ceiling windows on the south- and west-facing walls. An open mezzanine allows natural light from upper level windows. Efficient lighting systems with daylight and motion sensors reduce energy needs for cooling. Exposed ceilings are painted white to enhance reflectivity of light. Energy reduction is augmented by the owner’s commitment to purchase 100 percent green power resulting in net-zero pollution.

Water Conservation

A 33 percent reduction in internal water usage results from motion activated faucets and dual-level toilets. High-efficiency irrigation technology and native plants were incorporated in the RiverEast Center’s landscaping to reduce water consumption by 50 percent.

Construction Waste Management and Recycling

Construction waste management resulted in 97 percent of construction waste being recycled and/or salvaged. The project architects maintained 100 percent of the existing concrete shell. More than 95 percent of existing concrete (674 tons) removed from the building was crushed and used as structural fill and on-site grading for the new parking lots, as well as used for landscaping and artwork in the public plaza. Remaining waste materials were sorted and diverted to recycling centers by AFF Enterprises, diverting it from landfill disposal. During renovation, slabs cut out of the exterior walls for windows to maximize natural light were repurposed by local artist Linda Wysong as a series of sculptures in the plaza, a project funded through a grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC). Group Mackenzie re-used more than 50 percent of the office furniture and acoustical panels from its former office space.

Stormwater Management Integrated with Building and Site Design

As part of the redevelopment, Clay Street Pedestrian Plaza was designed as Portland’s first shared “green street” reinvigorating and uniting the eastside neighborhood. Designers of the RiverEast Center worked with the City of Portland to create a model stormwater system in the plaza that treats not only roof water runoff, but also water from the parking lot, public plaza and adjoining city streets. Starting on the building’s roof, rainwater travels through the downspouts on the south end of the building, through artistic catch basins next to the building, and is filtered through flow-through planters made of recycled concrete building slabs and native plantings. The process can be observed by pedestrians passing by. Parking lot landscape areas with native plantings capture clean runoff from the public streets and the private parking lot creating a storm system that cleanses stormwater prior to entering the Willamette River.

Sustainably Produced Materials

Forty-eight percent of the materials selected were manufactured locally. Wood use was minimized and only used when necessary. Usable concrete walls were left exposed, reducing the need for additional building materials. The lobby ceiling panels are made of certified sustainable maple. Wall paneling throughout the building is made of sustainably harvested bamboo. Non-PVC, self-adhesive modular carpeting is made from recycled materials and allows for replacement of individual tiles when necessary, reducing both waste and use of new materials. The original warehouse doors and windows were recycled and incorporated into the new building design. Low-VOC paint was used for interior and exterior painting.

Greenhouse Gas Reduction

The building’s close proximity to Portland’s city center and residential neighborhoods encourages the use of alternative transportation. Secured bicycle lockers and bike racks are provided near the west employee entrance. Lockers and showers are provided to encourage bicycle commuting and lunchtime exercise. Building occupants also take advantage of the RiverEast Center’s central location within an existing developed area with access to mass transit. RiverEast Center is less than 350 feet from two existing Tri-Met stops. The RiverEast Center also provides two on-site alternative fuel vehicles to check out for work related travel. The two hybrid vehicles make building occupants less dependant on their personal vehicles.

Community Benefits and Public Outreach

RiverEast Center introduced 250 jobs to an industrial neighborhood identified as an urban renewal area. The project successfully redeveloped the building while preserving the character of the neighborhood. The plaza opens up better access to the river’s eastbank Esplanade, making it safer for people to enjoy. Two public signs are located within the plaza illustrating the process and benefits of the shared stormwater system. Members of the design team have presented RiverEast Center’s success story at numerous industry events. The project architect, Group Mackenzie, regularly gives tours of the buildings and holds learning sessions for clients, colleagues, and students. Recently, a group of Sunnyside Environmental School students toured RiverEast to learn specifically how the stormwater system helped keep the river clean. RiverEast Center is a public showcase for how to creatively apply sustainable design principles.

Information was submitted by Group Mackenzie. See ED+C’s December 2007 issue to learn more about how this project helped reclaim history and save a river.

Sidebar: RiverEast Center / Rivers East LLC

EID Award Category: OFFICE, INDUSTRIAL OR CORPORATE BUILDING
Completion Date: April 2007
Size: 100,000 square feet
Location: Portland, Ore.
Submitted by: Group Mackenzie

Sidebar: Congratulations to the RiverEast Center Project Team

Owner/Client: Rivers East, LLC
Architect, Interior Architect/Design, Civil/Structural Engineer: Group Mackenzie
General Contractor: Howard S. Wright Construction Co.
Landscape Architect: GreenWorks, PC
Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Engineers: Interface Engineering
Controls Contractor: Johnson Controls
Construction Manager: GVA Kidder Mathews
Sustainable Design/LEED Consultant: Group Mackenzie

Sidebar: Materials

Flooring: ECOsurfaces rubber flooring, Milliken carpet tiles, Schluter-Systems tile edging, Shaw Industries carpet tiles, DesignWeave carpet tiles, Forbo Marmoleum resilient flooring, Roppe Corporation rubber base

Ceilings: Armstrong suspended acoustical treatments

Wood: Bamboo

HVAC Systems and Appliances: YORK – HVAC, Price Industries - HVAC

Interior Finishes and Furnishings: GKD-USA decorative metals, Oregon Tile and Marble stone slab

Paints and Wall Coverings: Sherwin Williams interior paint, Parker Paint interior paint, Benjamin Moore interior paint, ICI Paints interior paint, Pratt and Larsen ceramic wall tile

Energy Efficiency: Leviton daylighting controls, MechoShade mechanical solar shades, Johnson Controls building system controls, Alkco, Axis Lighting, Beghelli, Bronzelite, Bruck, Capri Lighting, d’ac Lighting, Day-Brite Lighting, FC Lighting, Focal Point, GVA Lighting, Kirlin Lighting, LEUCOS, Leviton, Lightolier, Litecontrol, Lumascape, Luminaire, Metalumen, Omega Lighting, Precision Architectural Lighting (PAL), Pinnacle Architectural Lighting, Tech Lighting

Building Envelope: Northwestern Industries glass and glazing

Plumbing Fixtures: Caroma, Elkay, Kohler, Sloan, Chicago Faucets, LASCO Bathware, Delta, Oxygenics, Fiat Products, Olsonite

Commercial, Office, Industrial, Corporate Building Category- ED+C’s 2008 Excellence in Design Award Finalists

Stopwaste.org Building

Completion Date: March 2007

Size: 14,000 square feet

Location: Oakland, Calif.

Submitted by: Rumsey Engineers

This project is the first LEED Platinum 2.2 building in the country as well as the fourth LEED Platinum building for Rumsey Engineers. To meet the stringent LEED Platinum criteria, and to make the building 40 percent more energy efficient than a typical office building, new innovative mechanical systems were incorporated into the building envelope, while many old components of the building were preserved.

IDeAs Z2 Design Facility

Completion Date: October 2007

Size: 7,080 square feet

Location: San Jose, Calif.

Submitted by: Rumsey Engineers

Integrated Design Associates (IDeAs) opened its new office, the IDeAs Z2 Design Facility, as the first zero-energy, zero-carbon commercial building in the U.S, designed to produce more electric energy than it uses. Energy use was lowered through careful design and by providing onsite power through a rooftop mounted photovoltaic system. The building uses no fossil fuels for heating or cooling, and is approximately 60 percent more energy efficient than the ASHRAE 90.1 standard. In addition to being carbon neutral, it’s poised to achieve a LEED Platinum rating. See also Sustainable Facility magazine, April 2008.

New Headquarters for the Barton Group

Completion Date: September 2007

Size: 16,000 square feet

Location: Glens Falls, N.Y.

Submitted by: Mahota Associates

The new headquarters for Barton Mines Company, LLC, is a complete renovation of a three-story brick building dating from 1865, located in the historic Fountain Square district. The tenant space and common areas were integrated into the program of the project to realize a whole-building approach. A major area addressed was water conservation: the existing floor and roof structure were reinforced in order to support the added weight of an extensive, panelized green roof.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• Marshall Erdman & Associates - Corporate Headquarters/Erdman Place (Marshall Erdman & Associates)  
• FatWallet, Inc. Headquarters (Workstage)
• Express Scripts Headquarters (Christner)
• L.L. Bean Hunting & Fishing Store (Arrowstreet)

Environmental Design + Construction announced the winners of the 2008 Excellence in Design Awards in the September 2008 issue. Winners and finalists are featured in detail in the September, October and November issues. The online application for the 2009 Excellence in Design Awards will be available at www.EDCmag.com Nov. 1, 2008.