A community college in Oregon has begun construction on a new building devoted to maritime science. With it, the school hopes to solidify its position as a major industrial and marine technology center in the Pacific Northwest.
Designed by SRG Partnership, based in Portland and Seattle, the 15,500-sf Maritime Science Building will house classrooms and other instructional and building-support spaces at Clatsop Community College’s Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station (MERTS) campus. Only the fourth building on the MERTS campus, the structure will serve as an arrival point, one that strengthens the school’s maritime identity and brand.
Outside, cantilevers on both ends of the building create spacious, covered workspaces. Inside, the design evokes a working ship—with exposed steel, mechanical systems, and stairways all highlighting the training program’s hands-on ethos. Exposed mass timber nods to the maritime theme, while honoring the region’s timber industry. The mass timber also eliminates the need for internal columns, leaving the space open and adaptable. The building’s transparent atrium invites views from both inside and outside. And a large map of perforated wood shows where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.
“Moving through the building will feel like navigating the bridge on a maritime vessel,” SRG Partnership says in a statement.
In addition to its aesthetic appeal, the design serves a structural purpose. Adjacent to the Columbia River, the MERTS campus sits on land that was dredged from the river. The soil is sandy and silty, with a high risk of soil liquefaction in a seismic event—a key design challenge. Also, the bedrock lies 60 feet down. By limiting the footprint of the ground floor, the team minimized the amount (and cost) of foundation drilling. The cantilevered second floor provides the rest of the needed interior space.
PAE will serve as the MEP engineer, with Catena as the structural engineer.
Related Stories
| Jul 20, 2012
2012 Giants 300 Special Report
Ranking the leading firms in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction.
| Jul 16, 2012
Business school goes for maximum vision, transparency, and safety with fire rated glass
Architects were able to create a 2-hour exit enclosure/stairwell that provided vision and maximum fire safety using fire rated glazing that seamlessly matched the look of other non-rated glazing systems.
| Jun 8, 2012
Nauset Construction completing sustainable dorm for Brooks School
Student input on green elements provides learning experience.
| Jun 8, 2012
Thornton Tomasetti/Fore Solutions provides consulting for renovation at Tufts School of Dental Medicine
Project receives LEED Gold certification.
| Jun 1, 2012
New BD+C University Course on Insulated Metal Panels available
By completing this course, you earn 1.0 HSW/SD AIA Learning Units.
| May 31, 2012
2011 Reconstruction Award Profile: Seegers Student Union at Muhlenberg College
Seegers Student Union at Muhlenberg College has been reconstructed to serve as the core of social life on campus.
| May 31, 2012
Perkins+Will-designed engineering building at University of Buffalo opens
Clad in glass and copper-colored panels, the three-story building thrusts outward from the core of the campus to establish a new identity for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the campus at large.
| May 29, 2012
Reconstruction Awards Entry Information
Download a PDF of the Entry Information at the bottom of this page.
| May 24, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Awards Entry Form
Download a PDF of the Entry Form at the bottom of this page.
