“I often have the feeling that what I want to achieve is unattainable, but the project that THA delivered is even more than I dreamed I could achieve.” — Neal Keny-Guyer, CEO Mercy Corps
Command central for a global team of 4,000 professionals who run disaster relief and community development programs in over 40 countries, Mercy Corps needs an efficient base of operations. But its Portland, Oregon, “headquarters” was scattered in six leased locations around the city. “We were ready to build a home that would consolidate the different aspects of the organization and reflect our values,” recalls CEO Neal Keny-Guyer. Inasmuch as these values include accountability, sustainable resource management, and the wise allocation of funds, the 30-year-old nonprofit agency negotiated the affordable acquisition of a blighted riverside landmark, the Packer-Scott building (circa 1892), from the Portland Development Commission — part of an urban improvement initiative for the economically challenged downtown neighborhood it occupied.
Charged with the sensitive renovation, the Portland firm THA Architecture worked with Mercy Corps to create a scheme that would qualify for LEED certification, as well as the tax credits and grants needed to bolster the reasonable purchase price and fund-raising profits. Maintaining the integrity of the existing 42,000-square-foot masonry structure, the architects nearly doubled its footprint and mass with a terra-cotta-clad addition that integrates with the historic property without mimicking it.
Then the design team worked with engineers to cut a wide opening in the connecting wall for a free flow between the old and new sections. Their flexible strategy includes a ground-floor community center, bike racks, and an office for another nonprofit foundation that bought a small piece of the building.
Adjacent to the Saturday market, and near public transportation, the new headquarters has been a catalyst for both Portland and Mercy Corps. “Employees from different divisions now work side by side, and the building presents the right impression to visiting donors,” says Keny-Guyer. Delivered on time and on budget, he concludes, “The project is more than I dreamed we could achieve.”
Architect:
THA Architecture Inc.
733 SW Oak Street
Portland, Oregon 97205
p: 503.227.1254
f: 503.227.7818
Location:
Portland, Oregon
Total construction cost: $21.3 Million
Gross square footage:
83,032 sq.ft.
Video
Sign in to Comment
To write a comment about this story, please sign in. If this is your first time commenting on this site, you will be required to fill out a brief registration form. Your public username will be the beginning of the email address that you enter into the form (everything before the @ symbol). Other than that, none of the information that you enter will be publically displayed.