Author: Mahlum

by Anne Schopf

“Our house is on fire — let’s act like it.” 
– Greta Thunberg

Mahlum Architects will join Greta Thunberg in a “Skolstrejk för klimatet” (“School Strike for the Climate”), a Global Climate Strike demanding an end to the age of fossil fuels. On September 20, millions of us will walk out of our workplaces, schools, and homes to join Thunberg and other student activists across the world who are demanding immediate action in addressing the Climate Crisis.

With offices in both Seattle and Portland, Mahlum will support our staff in joining the marches to City Hall in each of our cities. There are multiple events throughout the day in cities across the world. More information and the full listing of activities can be found here: https://globalclimatestrike.net/

We encourage you to join us in this simple yet powerful way to put pressure on our elected officials to approve new legislation that moves us closer to a carbon free economy.

Architects throughout the country are recognizing the impact the building industry has on climate. On Sept. 5, 2019, The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Board of Directors approved a landmark resolution, championed by AIA members, that defines immediate and long-term efforts to engage the architectural profession in the fight against climate change. The approved resolution sets into motion a prioritization of, and immediate support for, urgent climate action to exponentially accelerate the “decarbonization” of buildings.

“This is a defining moment for the Institute,” said 2019 AIA President Bill Bates, FAIA. “We are making this our top priority in order to address the crisis our communities face. Moving the needle on this critical issue—that threatens the future of our planet and humanity—requires our firm commitment to achieving carbon neutral goals in the built environment and our immediate action. It’s imperative that the industry acts today.”

Mahlum invites you to Stand With Us on September 20th for urgent Climate Action.

by Jeff Sandler

Since its inception in 2011, the Seattle Design Festival (SDF) has given the local community an opportunity to celebrate our rich design landscape and provide a venue for Seattleites, visitors, businesses, and designers to engage in dialogue with one another about how design impacts our lives and our city. Each year, the festival selects a theme for designers to respond to, and this year it’s all about Balance.

The design festival is an opportunity for us to roll up our sleeves and have fun creating a project to be enjoyed by the community at large. It also gives us the opportunity to collaborate with our consultants and builders in a different atmosphere from our daily work and our usual interactions. This year we are fortunate to have Aldrich + Associates, who we are currently working with on the construction of several medical facilities, assisting us in making our installation become a reality. And from the work we’ve done so far, I think it’s clear that they’re having as much fun as we are.

Every year, we kick off our design process with an all-office ideas charrette. To get the office thinking about balance, we took over the pin-up space in our main conference room and posted definitions, etymologies, associations, and anything else we could find related to the idea of balance. From here, we facilitated an exercise where everyone wrote or drew their ideas, split into small groups to discuss, and then shared back to the entire office. Much of what we discussed centered on the concept of movement or the passage of time and eroding boundaries. After that a smaller group of us met weekly and arrived at the following list of goals:

The installation should be fun!
The design should feel light and airy.
We should utilize recyclable materials or embrace the idea of non-permanence.
It should broadcast an individual’s interaction to the community.

Merging our recurring ideas of time and eroding boundaries with our list of goals, we arrived at an irregular form, comprised of a repeated and reusable element that had a softened boundary, allowing visitors to choose their level of interaction while providing an engaging experience for people of all abilities. The arrangement of repeating elements and overall form have been tweaked and tuned using parametric design tools in the office. We chose fiberglass poles, used for agility training and running exercises, as our repeating vertical element, with the idea that they will be donated to local health programs or park districts–giving them life after the short installation.

We are currently in construction to prefabricate the installation for an easy assembly during the weekend of the festival. We’re using full-scale mock-ups to test our details, spacing, and final materials with Aldrich, and every day we are getting more excited to share the finished project with you!

If you are interested in seeing how our project (and some 60 others from various Seattle-based designers and offices) turns out, come join us at the Seattle Design Festival Block Party, August 24-25 at Lake Union Park.

In honor of Earth Day, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment (COTE) announced the 2019 recipients for its highest honor, the COTE Top Ten Awards.

Mahlum’s North Transfer Station is one of the 10 projects named this year for demonstrating expertly integrated design excellence with cutting-edge performance in several key areas.

Project submissions were required to demonstrate alignment with COTE’s rigorous criteria for 10 measures that include social, economic, and ecological values. The five-member jury evaluated each project submission based on a cross-section of the 10 metrics balanced with the holistic approach to the design.

We are honored to be included in such great company. Complete details for each COTE Top Ten award winning project are available on AIA’s website.

Recognizing how strategic, integrated planning can result in exemplary buildings, grounds and institutional success, we are delighted that the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) announced on April 15 that two projects received Honorable Mentions in the 2019 SCUP Excellence Awards program.

Tapʰòytʰaʼ Hall at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon was recognized with an Honorable Mention in the of SCUP/AIA CAE Excellence in Architecture for a New Building category.

The Campus Master Plan for UW Bothell/Cascadia College in Bothell, Washington was recognized with an Honorable Mention in the SCUP Excellence in Planning for an Existing Campus category.

If you would like to learn about the trends and observations that came from the winning projects, you can attend the awards session at SCUP 2019 in Seattle.  And you can click here to see the full listing of all the 2019 winners.

by Octavio Gutierrez

Every architect has played with LEGO blocks at some point in their life – and many still do. The simplicity of modular, color-coded blocks lets one inject creativity and beauty with limited, and even then only self-imposed, constraints. So, when asked to develop the Mid-level Challenge for the 2019 NWACUHO (Northwest Association of College and University Housing Officers) Conference last February in Portland, Mahlum turned to the venerable block for inspiration and invited housing professionals to develop their ideal student community. Four teams of professionals – conference attendees representing Colleges and Universities across the Pacific Northwest – accepted the challenge.

Formatted as a game board experience, the challenge simulated the design and procurement process of a student housing project.  Each team was provided a fixed budget and a site at Portland State University, and professionals were tasked with engaging exhibit hall vendors (designers, builders, vendors and service providers) as they deliberated important and realistic scenarios – following their projects from conception through day-to-day operation.

Each team was asked to start by developing a program, and Mahlum was on hand to offer advice on site and planning restrictions. With standardized housing and amenity “blocks”, each team quickly saw the potential of stacking and arranging different program components in a manner that spoke to their vision of a student community. While some teams prioritized density, others focused on themed experiences. All teams finalized their program by assembling their program massing models.

With a design concept in hand, teams were then asked to walk the exhibition hall floor. They were encouraged to first visit a contractor and engineer to verify project budgets and consider potential building systems: Walsh Construction made sure each team met their construction budget while PAE offered insights on potential enhancements, increasing awareness of the importance for planning for sustainable systems. Teams were also asked to procure other necessary services, such as furniture and operational software, by exchanging play money – “Stumps” in this case – for game board stickers.

The challenge was capped by a short presentation to a panel of jurors consisting of Mahlum, Michael Griffel (University of Oregon) and Mike Walsh (Portland State University). Each team outlined their community priorities, project program, budget, and vendor interaction. Massing models were useful in conveying the big ideas, and the jury was impressed at the level of interest, engagement and innovation in the massing/stacking process.

We are thrilled that the American Institute of Architects announced on January 29 that Arlington Elementary School in Tacoma, Washington has been recognized with a 2019 Honor Award. Arlington was chosen in part because its design “eschews basic assumptions and promotes a new model of civic practice in education.”

You can learn more about Arlington’s winning submittal by going to the AIA website, or reading more about the project on our website.

by Joseph Mayo
Large format, solid engineered wood construction, known as mass timber, first rose to prominence nearly a decade ago when a 9-story mass timber building, the Graphite Apartments (AKA Murray Grove), was completed in London. A stream of new innovative mass timber projects has followed – a 14- and 18-story timber building in Norway and an 18-story mass timber building at the University of British Columbia have led to a 24-story mass timber tower in Vienna, Austria, topping out at around 275 feet.

 

Washington, a state rich with some of the nation’s best timberlands and long history in building with wood, is particularly hampered by the 2015 IBC. Our design community wants to use local materials with excellent sustainability and performance metrics**.

Yet in the United States, this new-ish building system has been held back by its regulation under the International Building Code (IBC). Falling under the IBC’s heavy timber construction provision, or Type IV, mass timber is only permitted up to 6 stories or less despite recent testing and research on mass timber’s safety, resiliency and reliability.

Washington, a state rich with some of the nation’s best timberlands and long history in building with wood, is particularly hampered by the 2015 IBC. Our design community wants to use local materials with excellent sustainability and performance metrics**. Timber cultivation and manufacturing offers living wage jobs in rural communities, helps preserve working forests, and boost our state’s economic growth. Two high-tech cross-laminated timber (CLT) plants under construction in Washington can benefit from increased demand for mass timber.

Action Percolates in Washington State

With these numerous opportunities, Washington State Legislature Bill ESB 5450 directed the State Building Code Council (SBCC) to adopt new rules for using mass timber in residential and commercial buildings. This legislative directive builds on over two years for research and testing conducted by a committee of the International Code Council (ICC), the organization responsible for writing building codes used in the United States.

The ICC’s Ad Hoc Committee on Tall Wood Buildings (TWB) is a diverse group of building code officials, engineers, architects, and steel, concrete and wood industry representatives. The TWB proposes 14 code changes to allow the safe construction of taller mass timber buildings. These changes were overwhelmingly approved by the ICC at the Committee Action Hearing (CAH) in Columbus, Ohio in April of 2018 and again at Public Comment Hearings in Richmond, Virginia in October of 2018. If the final ICC On-Line Governmental Consensus Vote is successful, the TWB code change proposals will be part of the 2021 International Building Code.

New Code Changes

The TWB code proposal creates three new mass timber building types: Type IV-A, IV-B and IV-C. The original Type IV is maintained, but renamed Type-IV HT (Heavy Timber). The new types allow up to 18-, 12- and 9-story tall buildings, respectively. The new code language also prescribes significant fire and life safety standards.

Experts on the TWB believe these recommendations are inherently conservative, and often with more stringent fire and life safety standards than for comparable non-combustible construction. This is intended to increase comfort with and confidence in this new type of building.

A Coalition Pushes for Early Adoption

A coalition of partners interested in establishing Washington State’s national leadership in mass timber design and construction has included Forterra, AIA Washington Council, Mahlum and others. Strong technical data supports the safe use of mass timber in taller buildings here.

In May 2018, the coalition submitted a state-wide building code amendment proposal to adopt the TWB’s 14 code changes now. This will allow use of the new provisions three years earlier than when the national model code is available in 2022.

In mid-July, we first met with the SBCC’s Building Code Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to review the mass timber code change proposal. The TAG unanimously passed a motion to submit the proposal to the full SBCC. At the end of July, the SBCC further debated and then overwhelmingly approved the code change to move forward for public comment.

Following an extensive period of public comment and additional discussion and review, the SBCC officially approved the code change proposal on November 30th, 2018. This approval makes Washington State the first in the country to incorporate these changes into their State Code***. After one legislative session, the new code language and new mass timber building types will be part of Washington State’s 2015 Building Code and available to designers as early as April 28th, 2019.

Adoption of these code change provisions will help Washington establish early leadership in this emerging field, create jobs, fuel economic growth, provide new hi-tech sustainable building materials, offer new options for designers and owners, and renew discussion on sustainable forestry practices in the state. Mass timber can mean mass building, mass housing, mass customization and mass change (disruption) for the design and construction industry. We are on the cusp of creating new, innovative buildings that push the boundaries of sustainability and design.

UPDATE – December 19, 2018: The ICC vote results are in, and all mass timber code change proposals have been accepted for the 2021 IBC. Click here to view the AWC press release.

* The phrase “Timber 2.0” has been used by U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer of Washington’s 6th District to refer to the new opportunities in mass timber as compared to traditional wood construction.

** While research is ongoing to quantify the exact carbon benefits of mass timber over other construction types, there is evidence to suggest that mass timber can provide environmental benefits when designed efficiently and utilizing wood from sustainably managed forests.

*** Oregon has adopted a Statewide Alternative Method that also permits the use of these new code provisions, but it will not be officially part of the Oregon State Building Code until later.

Both photos: © Will Pryce & Waugh Thistleton Architects; original photos can be found here and here, via Wikimedia Commons.

by Whitney Geier
On July 27th, Mahlum’s Commitment to Community (C2C) committee organized a silent art auction in our Portland office to benefit Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC). RACC is a local non-profit organization that makes the arts more accessible to the community.

About RACC
RACC’s mission is ‘to enrich our communities through arts and culture’. They receive funding from a variety of public and private partners to serve artists, arts organizations, schools and residents throughout Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. More than 150 non-profit arts and culture groups benefit every year from their grant-making.

RACC provides services in five key areas:

Advocacy – building support for arts and culture
Grants – providing artists and organizations with financial support
Public Arts Program – integrating a range of art in public places
Community Services – workshops, consulting and other resources
Arts Education – funding artists residencies in schools and providing integrated arts education to students

Silent Art Auction
Mahlum staff contributed a variety of art pieces to be auctioned at the event, including paintings, drawings, photography, jewelry, pottery, and handmade clothing. All of the work was displayed throughout the office for some competitive bidding. Staff also had the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets to win a free day of PTO.

Two RACC representatives, Alison Bailey, Business Partnership Manager, and Windy Hovey, Workplace Giving Coordinator (pictured above), joined our auction to tell us more about their organization and how to get more involved. As a bonus, they also auctioned off two tickets to the Portland Opera. Thank you Alison and Windy!

Proceeds totaled more than $1,700. Funds will be used by RACC as grants to support a broad spectrum of non-profit arts and culture groups, through their Arts Impact Fund.

Commitment to Community (C2C)
Community involvement is essential to the work we do at Mahlum. Our C2C committee helps connect our professional resources with organizations who align with our firm’s vision to actively support healthier and more sustainable communities. Our vision, our tools and our actions also align to encourage learning from those who are working towards positive change.

Mahlum has formalized our commitment by pledging 1% of our time to pro bono service through Public Architecture’s The 1% program. Our first initiative was a design tool we created for the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV), a website called ‘Building Dignity’. The site is working to change the paradigm of shelter housing both nationally and internationally.

If you’re interested in supporting RACC and finding out more about what they do, check out their website!

by Kurt Haapala
Mahlum and the Director of Housing at the University of Oregon, Michael Griffel, hosted an “evening listening session” with the residents of UO’s newest residential community – Kalapuya Ilihi. Happily, what we heard was resounding positive feedback about living in this new space.

“I used to live in Walton Hall last year and I just love it here. It is so easy to meet new people, it is definitely the place to be,” said one student. Her sentiments seemed to be widely shared.

Direct Insights Make a Big Impact
As part of Mahlum’s commitment to enhancing the residential experience for college students, our project teams return to each living environment on a typical weeknight. Through passive observation and informal dialogue, we assess how students use the building. This qualitative Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) has, over the years, revealed insights into how our designs can evolve to meet the needs of today’s busy students. We have discovered ways to modify community spaces to enhance flexibility, support technology in and around the residence hall, and enrich academic and social encounters to boost student advancement and personal growth. We have also observed how design decisions produce unanticipated results (both positive and negative), including building systems that have become maintenance issues.

What We Learned
Our evening at Kalapuya Ilihi revealed that the transparency and diversity of community spaces have successfully connected students. Open lounges and glass-enclosed study rooms adjacent to student rooms and community spaces promote serendipitous encounters. A sense of familial security happens when students can see (and wave at) their friends. The asymmetrical corridors with views and natural light terminate in “student nooks,” which are great informal hang out areas and create micro-cultures within each floor community. When asked, a majority of students said that they used the central open stair because it is convenient, directs them into and past the Academic Learning Commons, and reinforces the larger sense of togetherness.

Through this listening session we also learned about specific system deficiencies, like one elevator that constantly has breakdowns, and an air-conditioning unit wasn’t programmed properly. We also learned that there’s a need for more “user education” on how thermostats work and how operable exterior windows directly affect the building’s energy management system.

When asked about the gender inclusive restrooms, among the first that Mahlum has designed for a higher education facility, the entire student group gave them high praise. They also said that in general they feel fortunate to be living in the best residential facility on campus!

by Bryan Hollar
On a warm evening in May, we invited the community to join us in our Portland office for an open house exhibit showcasing the work of the elementary school students and design professionals participating in the Architects in Schools program. The exhibit marked the culmination of an innovative program where design professionals join forces with elementary school classes for a 6-8 week curriculum focusing on design, architecture, and creative problem-solving.

The program is an effective way for us as design professionals to utilize our unique knowledge to positively impact the youth in our local community and open their eyes to the possibility, opportunity, and responsibility involved in shaping the world around us.

Put on every year through the Architecture Foundation of Oregon (AFO), the Architects in Schools program helps elementary school students develop awareness and understanding of the designed and built environment. The program drew interest from Andrew Weller-Gordon, Rosanne Lynch, Yasu Yanagisawa, and I, who were pleased to represent Mahlum as design professionals. Our talented Portland-based students ranged in age from first to sixth graders and came from Abernethy Elementary, Harrison Park School and The Ivy School.

The Architects in Schools program is loosely structured and does not dictate specific curricular content. We found this beneficial because it allowed us to develop a customized curriculum to support the broader learning goals of the teacher (since the lessons often tie in with class lessons in history, art, or science), the developmental abilities of the student population, as well as the particular interest and knowledge of each design professional, such as sustainable design or material systems. This year, each of us from Mahlum focused our curricula on different topics, which made for diverse exhibit content that included many colorful drawings, models creatively utilizing material samples, and even a large hand-drawn tapestry.

Displayed at the exhibit was an outdoor camp, sited on the east bank of Portland’s waterfront by Andrew’s class, a “Log Cabin Homestead” by Yasu’s class (that included Yasu’s Restaurant – a flattering homage to their teacher), a “School of the Future” by Rosanne’s class, and an adaptive re-use of an historic Portland warehouse into uses like a Dragon Cafe and a Banana Factory by my class.

Having participated in the program for three years now, I find it very rewarding to see the students’ interest and excitement when they begin drawing and model-building, allowing themselves to flex their creative brain in ways they may not have had the opportunity to do otherwise. Several teachers mentioned that this program is often what students remember most about their academic year (with the exception of a jet boat ride), and parents have expressed their gratitude for sparking a latent or undiscovered passion in their children.

Ultimately the program is an effective way for us as design professionals to utilize our unique knowledge to positively impact the youth in our local community and open their eyes to the possibility, opportunity, and responsibility involved in shaping the world around us.