COLUMBIA BOULEVARD WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

SUPPORT FACILITY

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT 2.INK STUDIO

DESIGN ARCHITECT SKYLAB ARCHITECTURE
LEED ARCHITECT SOLARC ARCHITECTURE&ENGINEERING
ARTIST JOHN GRADE
CIVIL ENGINEER VIGIL AGRIMIS
LIGHTING DESIGN BIELLA LIGHTING DESIGN
ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHICS THE FELT HAT
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER CATENA CONSULTING ENGINEERS
PLUMBING/ ELECTRICAL SOLARC ARCHITECTURE&ENGINEERING
COST CONSULTANT ARCHITECTURAL COST CONSULTANTS
ENHANCED COMMISSIONING GREEN BUILDING SERVICES
SPECIFICATION CONSULTANT PAUL EDLUND

THE COLUMBIA BUILDING IS A PUBLIC PROJECT FOR

THE CITY OF PORTLAND THAT NOT ONLY HOUSES THE
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT OF THE WASTEWATER
TREATMENT FACILITY, BUT ALSO FUNCTIONS AS AN
IMMERSIVE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AROUND
SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE AND GREEN BUILDING
POLICY.

THE CITY’S BUREAU OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

REQUIRED THAT THE PROJECT MEET A MINIMUM LEED
GOLD CERTIfiCATION, INCORPORATE SUSTAINABLE
DESIGN PRACTICES AND PROVIDE A WORKING
DEMONSTRATION EXAMPLE OF STORMWATER
INfiLTRATION. OUR SOLUTION WAS A NEW 11,490SF
ENGINEERING BUILDING AND CAMPUS SITE THAT
INCLUDES OffiCE SPACE, A VISITOR RECEPTION SPACE
AND PUBLIC MEETING SPACES, ALL INTEGRATED
WITHIN A SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE. SITE PLAN & SECTION
THE SITE’S FINAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN MERGES ARCHITECTURE AND SITE, BLENDS PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, AND CREATES A JUXTAPOSITION
EXPLORING TECHNICAL AND NATURAL PROCESSES. THE SUPPORT FACILITY BUILDING MARKS THE ENTRY TO THE SITE, WELCOMING
VISITORS WHILE SECURING ENTRY. LANDFORMS RISE ALONG WITH THE BUILDING FAÇADE, MERGING WITH THE ARCHITECTURE TO
BECOME EXPANSIVE GREEN ROOFS THAT CARRY SURROUNDING GRASSLANDS UP AND OVER THE BUILDING. A POND OVERLOOK AT
THE ENTRY PLAZA PROVIDES VIEWS INTO THE WORKING CORE OF THE SITE. THE CURVED FORM OF THE BUILDING REINFORCES A
CENTRAL GREEN WHERE ART BY SEATTLE ARTIST JOHN GRADE AND INTERPRETIVE ELEMENTS BY PORTLAND’S FELT HAT EXPLORE THE
HISTORY AND PROCESSES OF THE CBWTP SITE. PUBLIC MEETING ROOMS ARE ALSO INTEGRATED INTO THE NEW BUILDING, PROVIDING
ADDITIONAL PUBLIC AMENITIES AT THE PLANT

THE ENTRANCE TO THE PLANT WILL BE MODIFIED TO PROVIDE A NATIVE AND ADAPTIVE ENVIRONMENT, AND TO CREATE A PUBLIC
SPACE IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING WITH VIEWS TO AN EXISTING POND. A NEW LANDSCAPED COMMONS AREA WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO
THE PLANT STAFF AS WELL AS FOR EDUCATIONAL TOURS TO THE PUBLIC OF PLANT OPERATIONS. A CIRCULAR OPEN SPACE IN THE
CENTER WILL FEATURE LANDSCAPING AND INTERPRETIVE FEATURES DEMONSTRATING WATER TREATMENT STRATEGIES.

WASTEWATER PROCESSING DIAGRAM

THE SINGLE-STORY BUILDING FEATURES SEVEN FOLDED CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE ROOF FORMS THAT CHANNEL STORMWATER THROUGH A PLANTED ROOF,
WHICH DRAINS ALONG THE BERMS INTO A VISIBLE COLLECTION SYSTEM THAT LEADS TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER. THE PROJECT ACCOMPLISHED THREE UNIQUE
OBJECTIVES IN ONE SINGLE CAMPUS SITE: THE CREATION OF A VIBRANT AND EFFICIENT WORKSPACE; CLEAN ON-SITE STORMWATER FILTRATION; AND A
DYNAMIC BUILDING THAT STIMULATES CONVERSATION ABOUT THE HEALTH OF THE REGION’S WATERSHED AND RIVERS.

THE TRANSPARENT NORTH FACADE FOCUSES ATTENTION TOWARDS A CENTRAL AND PARTIALLY ENCLOSED COMMONS AREA, AS WELL AS TO THE HABITAT
THAT SURROUNDS THE BUILDING. THE SERRATED CURTAIN WALL FEATURES OPERABLE AIR CIRCULATION VENTS WHICH ENABLES THE INTERIOR SPACES TO BE
NATURAL VENTILATED. MIRRORED GLASS REFLECTS AND REFRACTS LIGHT IN THE COMMONS, MERGING THE BUILDING INTO THE LANDSCAPE. THE BUILDING IS
LEED GOLD CERTIFIED.
THE DOWNWARD FOLD DRAINS THE LANDSCAPED
ROOF RUNOFF INTO A BERM, ON THE SOUTH
FACADE, AND BIOSWALES, RETURNING THE
STORMWATER TO THE COLUMBIA SLOUGH. THE
FOLDED ROOF, COMBINED WITH A NORTH-
ORIENTED, LOUVERED, AND OPERABLE GLASS
FACADE, WILL ALLOW DAYLIGHT AND NATURAL
VENTILATION TO FILL THE INTERIOR DURING
WORKING HOURS AND MAKE POSSIBLE NIGHT
FLUSH COOLING. THE BUILDING’S HYDRONIC
SYSTEM WILL CONNECT TO THE PLANT WATER FLOW,
EFFICIENTLY HEATING AND COOLING.

VIEW SITE VIEW VIEW OF POND