Framework - CLT | 130' | 12 floors | Dead

[MarkDaMan]

Bank mulls 11-story wood building in the Pearl District
Jan 22, 2015, 11:05am PST
Matthew Kish and Jon Bell
Portland Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/...t.html?s=print

Beneficial State Bank is considering an 11-story wood building in the Pearl District that would include two bank branches, B-corporations and affordable housing.

The building would be at 430 N.W. 10th Ave., the site of an Albina Bank branch. Beneficial State Bank, which was previously known as One PacificCoast Bank, acquired a majority stake in Albina in 2013.

Oakland, Calif.-based Beneficial State Bank owns the site.

"We are looking at redeveloping the site," said Beneficial State CEO Kat Taylor, who visited Portland Wednesday. "We have an application in with the USDA to see if we can explore the possibility of a tall wood building."

Taylor said the proposal calls for a mixed-used building between 10 and 11 stories. It would include a Beneficial State branch and an Albina branch on the ground floor. It would also provide space for B-corps, or socially responsible companies, a primary customer for both Beneficial and Albina.

The project also would include housing.

"Our mission would be to have a high proportion for the housing be affordable, if not all of it," Taylor said.

She said the bank is working with an architect and a project developer and plans to have "a bunch" of community input before proceeding with the project.

"It will be a while in the making," she said. "We're still gathering stakeholders. We'll have a big input process. But we own the site and I think we have in terms of impact a really high-quality product to offer."

The site is part of a city block that is also planned to be home to a new Hilton hotel. Menashe Properties is one of the lead partners on that project, which is scheduled to bring a Canopy by Hilton hotel to a quarter-block at Northwest Glisan Street and Ninth Avenue. The hotel, which is expected to have 153 rooms, is expected to break ground in September of this year.

Taylor was the subject for a Portland Business Journal cover story in 2013.

Check back for more from Taylor's interview with the Business Journal.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

Bank mulls 11-story wood building in the Pearl District
Jan 22, 2015, 11:05am PST
Matthew Kish and Jon Bell
Portland Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/...t.html?s=print

Good for them, this sounds interesting....though I am confused on what they mean by wood building. Are they wanting to build a wood 11 story building or a building with a wood facade?

[maccoinnich]

Cross laminated timber?

[babs]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

Good for them, this sounds interesting....though I am confused on what they mean by wood building. Are they wanting to build a wood 11 story building or a building with a wood facade?

I thought there were city codes that limit wood buildings to 5 stories?

[eric cantona]

tall and wood together!:

http://www.archdaily.com/220779/mich...ood-buildings/

[Abide]

If a modern, wood frame tower is against city code, they need to reform that code fast. These kinds of buildings are very exciting. I would love to see something like Zürich's Tamedia building in Portland. That thing is fascinating.

[maccoinnich]

The City doesn't write the building code, the State does. And even then, 95% of what's in the Oregon building code is based on a model code that's used in some form throughout the US. Changing that is a slow, slow process.

[Rob Nob]

But cities interpret building codes for appeals and equivalent alternatives all the time. A few years ago Portland allowed 5 floors of wood over 1 story concrete anticipating revisions to the building code. Currently, Bellevue Washington is allowing 6 stories of wood over 1 story of concrete. I assume there are additional provisions to getting to 6 over 1, but it is happening already because cities that follow the IBC are making allowances.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by Rob Nob

But cities interpret building codes for appeals and equivalent alternatives all the time. A few years ago Portland allowed 5 floors of wood over 1 story concrete anticipating revisions to the building code. Currently, Bellevue Washington is allowing 6 stories of wood over 1 story of concrete. I assume there are additional provisions to getting to 6 over 1, but it is happening already because cities that follow the IBC are making allowances.

That is just madness.

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by Rob Nob

But cities interpret building codes for appeals and equivalent alternatives all the time. A few years ago Portland allowed 5 floors of wood over 1 story concrete anticipating revisions to the building code. Currently, Bellevue Washington is allowing 6 stories of wood over 1 story of concrete. I assume there are additional provisions to getting to 6 over 1, but it is happening already because cities that follow the IBC are making allowances.

Think that's weird?

Here's a 4 over 3 U/C in Seattle:


Blake, The 2014-02-15 by planet_lb, on Flickr

Then there's this monstrosity, I can't figure out how they could get a 7 over 1 approved?!


3266 Avalon 2013-11-16 by planet_lb, on Flickr

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by babs

I thought there were city codes that limit wood buildings to 5 stories?

I believe it is 6 stories if the first floor is a concrete platform and the upper 5 floors are wood, but it has been a while since I tried to keep up on building codes so I might be off on this one.

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Cross laminated timber?

Originally Posted by babs

I thought there were city codes that limit wood buildings to 5 stories?

Most likely something like this:



http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...05-timber.html

I don't know of any other "wood" structural system in use today that can allow buildings heights of 10-11 stories. At least one of these have already been built in London. Obviously, building codes have to be changed or exceptions created for the building to go ahead, but the construction technique will likely become widespread in the near future.

For those of you who aren't in the know, a CLT panel is like a piece of plywood, except composed of dimensional lumber. They can be as much as 2 feet thick, and up to 40 feet long. So you could build a building using 10' x 10'/20'/30' x 1' panels, then lay a subflooring of the same stuff. CLT's have incredible strength and are more resistant to fire than any other type of building. Knowing Portland, they would probably require additional fireproofing tho.

[maccoinnich]

Lever Architecture have submitted Framework at 430 NW 10th Ave for Design Review:

new 12-story mixed-use project. The building will be timber-framed with ground-floor retail, 5 floors of office and the remaining floors in residential use –workforce housing. The rooftop will provide amenity space. Adjustment for loading access, Modification for long term bike parking.

[cailes]

Help me out, because I am ignorant.

What does "workforce housing" translate to?

[maccoinnich]

Housing priced in between affordable and luxury housing.

[eric cantona]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Housing priced in between affordable and luxury housing.

most projects I have been aware of that are described as "workforce" housing limit residents to be at 60% of median income or less. not sure if there are state/federal definitions of the term, but that's been my experience.

[cailes]

Is The Ramona considered workforce housing? I am only asking for reference, because between the Sitka and the Ramona, I am not sure of any other area "affordable" types of housing.

Just trying to think about how this affects truly middle class families where the market rates ($2.50 / sq ft and up) begin to get unreasonable.

It is really hard to find a good website that describes this in practical terms.

[cityscapes]

Originally Posted by cailes

Is The Ramona considered workforce housing? I am only asking for reference, because between the Sitka and the Ramona, I am not sure of any other area "affordable" types of housing.

Just trying to think about how this affects truly middle class families where the market rates ($2.50 / sq ft and up) begin to get unreasonable.

It is really hard to find a good website that describes this in practical terms.

This might help you: http://www.homeforward.org/find-a-ho.../am-i-eligible

[eric cantona]

Originally Posted by cailes

Is The Ramona considered workforce housing? I am only asking for reference, because between the Sitka and the Ramona, I am not sure of any other area "affordable" types of housing.

Just trying to think about how this affects truly middle class families where the market rates ($2.50 / sq ft and up) begin to get unreasonable.

It is really hard to find a good website that describes this in practical terms.

the Ramona was built as workforce housing. 60% of the median income was the limit to be able to rent there. both that and the Sitka were developed by the same guy, Ed McNamara.

[maccoinnich]

Cailes, were you asking if the Sitka and the Ramona represent the only affordable housing in the Pearl? If you were, the answer is no; there are many other affordable buildings in the neighborhood.