In late 2011, Portland State University faculty were awarded the largest NCARB Grant for the Integration of Practice and Education in the Academy to date in order to generate translational building science research in collaboration with firms in Portland, Oregon. This grant, along with the resources of the Green Building Research Laboratory (GBRL), transformed traditional lecture-based building science and technology courses into a series of on-going, graduate level seminars that revolve around two primary activities: (1) students conduct building science research of relevance to a project currently under design in a firm and (2) students are embedded in project teams where they attend all interdisciplinary meetings for the course of a term to witness and document interdisciplinary collaboration.
In this unique way, students became contributing members of a design team and building science experts on issues relevant to current practice. For the architecture firms involved, working with universities allows practicing architects the ability to utilize a deeper level of research expertise in the design process and access resources not typically available in practice. One of the most exciting outcomes of this collaboration have been the semi-annual research symposiums where students present their work to representatives from all of the participating firms, creating a dialog around pressing building science issues with students, faculty and practitioners.
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Extending the Season for the New White Salmon Pool
Portland State University. School of Architecture and YOST GRUBE HALL ARCHITECTURE
The city of White Salmon will be home to a new outdoor, public pool in the coming years in hope that the community's identity and participation can continue to grow. While the design in nearly complete, a new challenge has been set to investigate ways in which this new aquatic facility can host an extended season via a temporary enclosing structure. During the past few months, the White Salmon team ... Read More
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Biophilia X JEDI
Nyaz Addison, Martha Dane, Maddy Capizzi, and Opsis Architecture
The intersection of biophilic design, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion provides a unique vantage point from which to design. When viewed as intersecting lenses to design the human state becomes more than utility, health, or productivity and more sustainable designs emerge. How can Biophilic design improve by becoming more inclusive in its process and more inviting to a diverse audience? How can Opsis’s initiatives improve by looking to nature for ... Read More
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Challenges + Responses to Thermal Comfort + Indoor Air Quality for Multi-Family Housing in the Face of Increased Extreme Heat Events + Wildfires Amidst Anthropogenic Global Climate Change
Daniel Athay, Nathan Flowers, and Salazar Architect Inc.
This research sought to investigate the perceived occupant comfort levels given the reality of global climate change and the increasing occurrence of extreme weather events. The research conducted was two-fold. First, a community engagement questionnaire was developed and administered to solicit qualitative feedback from community members. Simultaneously, scientific literature was researched and reviewed surrounding specifically identified events related to changing climate conditions: extreme heat events (EHEs) and wildfires (WF).
Heat ... Read More
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Facade Optimization
Brandi Barlow, Bryan Ortiz, Matt Wiste, Madeline Peck, and Bora Architecture
As part of Bora’s renovation of Portland State’s Science Building One [SB1], we have been tasked with helping research how to optimize the building envelope through multiple methods, including optimizing daylighting and maximizing insulation, while staying within budget. The PSU team has worked with the BORA team to expand an existing Thermal Flux Calculator to include all four facades of the Existing condition, the Schematic Design, and an Optimized version ... Read More
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Mass Timber Study: Seating Bowls Design
Darrick Williams, Regina Batiste, and SRG Architects
This project focused on finding other ways to use mass timber (outside roof).
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Spatial Daylight Autonomy Study
Portland State University. School of Architecture and SRG Architects
SRG has run into a problem with the current LEED V4.I when it comes to achieving daylighting credits for mid-rise buildings in the Pacific Northwest. The higher in latitude a structure is on the globe, the less potential sunlight will reach it. In order to calculate how much sunlight enters a space we partnered with SRG to create a tool to help determine how much usable daylighting enters a space. ... Read More
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Thermal Performance of Window Details
Nancy Colores, Emmanuel Valdovinos, Anna Hollingsworth, Levi Eads, and Bassetti Architects
Bassetti asked our team to use THERM software and thermal imaging technology to test, analyze, and compare window performance at two recently built schools. Not only will this information be used to enhance future designs, but we are assisting the firm with creating a troubleshooting and how-to guide for future use.
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Wood Red/Green List
Aaron Mayers, Fatemeh Sheikholya Lavasani, Salix Sampson, and Hacker Architects
Heavy timber construction is gaining momentum within the architectural community because of its aesthetic and perceived sustainable qualities. But where exactly does the wood come from and how sustainable are these forestry practices?
Through research, we seek to analyze the forestry practices, social impacts, and biological aspects of temperate wood species in the Pacific Northwest used for structural lumber to then create a red/green list that displays and compares the ... Read More
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Barriers to Mass Timber Adoption Mid to High-Rise Buildings
Bianca Viggiano, Chad Wallace, and Corey T. Griffin
Advancements in technology and manufacturing have provided the means to construct tal l wood buildings that are safe and cost effective while gaining the aesthetic and environmental benefits associated with mass timber. The objective of this research is to identify perceived barriers of the integration of mass timber as a desirable bui lding material for architects and structural engineers. Building on a previous study, surveys wi ll be distributed to ... Read More
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CLT Parking Garage Tally Analysis
Ashwaq Al Khalil, Janna Ferguson, Austin Zeitz, Nicholas Papaefthimiou, Corey T. Griffin, Tucker Jones, and SRG Partnership
The goal of this research project is divided into three components. First, utilize Tally to calculate the embodied energy and carbon of the CLT structural system of the Glenwood Parking Garage. Second, the embodied energy and carbon values will be compared against values found in a previous study for different structural systems in parking garages (pre-cast concrete, cellular steel, post-tensioned concrete). Finally, the subsequent dataset and process entailed in its ... Read More
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Daylight Analysis: Analayzing Daylight Autonomy in the Early Phases of Design on an Adaptive Reuse Project
Lauren Sanchez, Nick Vipond, Nicholas Papaefthimiou, Mike Manzi, Josh Brandt, Sarah Weber, Jacob Peel, and Bora Architects
This research investigates methods for increasing the area of daylight autonomy in an adaptive reuse project with deep floorplates. The research employs DIVA simulation tool to assess daylight performance the early phases of design, quantified as Daylight Autonomy (DA), Spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA) and Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE). Findings from DIVA analysis reveal that light shelves decrease daylight autonomy but help to reduce glare.
Effective daylight design is critical in ... Read More
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Daylight & Glare
Sergio Palleroni, David Posada, Tucker Jones, Alyssa Brook, Jennifer Moran, Chad Wallace, and BORA Architects
We conducted a daylighting and glare study for Bora Architects within their Portland business office space. The project was to examine the quality of daylight, consider the effectiveness of borrowed light, and strive to discover what LEED-compliant daylight autonomy really looks like. In addition we were tasked with running computer simulations to measure excess glare and look for ways to combat its effect. We were able to explore the effects ... Read More
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Daylighting Analysis of Neuberger Hall
Heather LaRose, Rachel Sairio, Conner Scher, and Hacker Architects
With the renovation of Neuberger Hall. one of the most highly used academic buildings on the PSU campus. it is crucial to balance the need for maximizing daylighting potential with the long term costs. With various design elements being considered it is necessary to understand the existing daylighting conditions to better enable us to provide effective and efficient design recommendations. Daylighting design plays a critical role in the quality of ... Read More
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Daylighting Analysis: Yost Grube Hall
L. Patterson and C. Hardman
The goal of this research is to produce a daylight and energy analysis of the Yost Grube Hall Ankeny ‘Net Zero’ Multi-Family Housing project.The examination of current daylight levels provides information on what is gained or lost in regards to daylighting and net-zero goals. A focus on the progression of the surrounding neighbourhood development will guide the different daylight studies. This combined with the other strategies employed by YGH in ... Read More
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Goldilocks Device Design
Mitchell Davis, John Williamson, and SRG Architects
As the use of sustainability techniques in architecture increase more and more firms in the world have started to dive into the possibilities of how to create passive and net zero buildings, but in this exploration or techniques such as materials, solar shading, passive cooling there has been little thought into testing how well these techniques are actually working to improve the habitat and livability for the humans using these ... Read More
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Knight Cancer Research Center
Alesha Evans, Zach Pate, SRG Architects, Catena, and Brightworks
The Knight Cancer Research Building is a continuation of the OHSU campus located on the South Waterfront off Moody Avenue. On the course to LEED Platinum certification, KCRB is pursuing a LEED 4 pilot point that focuses on the influence early design decisions have on the longterm environmental impact of a new building project. Collaborating with team members from SRG, Brightworks Sustainability Consulting, and Catena Structural Engineers, we used Athena ... Read More
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Neuberger Hall Portland State Univesity
Portland State University. School of Architecture
CONCRETE’S CARBON FOOTPRINT:
90% of concrete mix emits a relatively small amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. The other 10%, cement, accounts for the vast majority of concrete’s embodied CO2. Concrete’s embodied CO2 is roughly equivalent to 9% of it’s weight Roughly 40% of the CO2 emitted from calcination will be reabsorbed through carbonation of concrete surfaces over a 100-year life cycle.
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PCC Rock Creek Post Occupancy Evaluations
Ossie Pleasant, Ryan Ngo, and Opsis architecture
The objective of this research is to determine whether the new additions to Building 5 and Building 7 of Portland Community College at Rock Creek Campus fulfill the requirements for the LEED IEQ 7.2: Thermal Comfort-Verification credit for LEEDv2009.
Occupants of the new additions will take an anonymous survey regarding their thermal comfort and other aspects of the new additions via SurveyMonkey.
If the survey results indicate that more than ... Read More
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Source to Site: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon Material Analysis
Portland State University. School of Architecture
The object of this research was to conduct a material analysis of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon Church in Bend, Oregon designed by Hacker Architects (Portland, Oregon). This research produced an infographic narrative depicting the place of origin of the raw form of the primary building materials used in the church: wood, steel, stone, and concrete. An investigation of the project specifications and the material submittals developed the ... Read More
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Baseline Daylight Autonomy and Glare
Portland State University. School of Architecture
With the 2050 Energy Challenge in mind, many institutions are embracing strict policies on energy consumption in order to be at the vangaurd of sustainable practice. The California State Educational System is one such organization, specifying a 25% below code requirements for University buildings. This project specifically involves a retrofit of Cruess Hall, a former shop and storage space on the campus of UC Davis.
Our first task was establishing ... Read More
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Building Performance “What Ifs”
Paul Conrad, Alejandra Ruiz, Genevieve Wasser, and Boora Architects
The “Building Performance What Ifs” project collaborated with Boora Architects to analyze the envelope design performance for three schools in the Portland area. The three selected schools, North Clackamas High School, Rock Creek Middle School, and the Early Learning Center addition to Earl Boyles Elementary School serve as examples of evolving knowledge and strategies in envelope performace design in recent years.
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Central City Concern
Benjamin Britt, Cheryl Leontina, Erich Raudebaugh, and Joseph Wilson
Project Overview: Energy assessments for four CCC buildings which represent the array of properties in their portfolio. Method: 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Use thermal imaging, 3D modeling with Sefaira and data sets from WegoWise to create comparative analyses for CCC to utalize in future projects.
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Creating an Eco-District at Lincoln High School
Willy Chandler, Isaac Schultz, Abbey Dacey, Mike Manzi, Corey T. Griffin, and Kalina Vanderpoel
The EcoDistrict protocol is a list of concepts centered around connectivity, sustainability, and resiliency in neighborhoods and urban environments. Initial research consisted of reviewing precedents for EcoDistricts and other high performance neighborhoods and schools. Lincoln High School, Providence Park and the Multnomah Athletic Club were identified as the stakeholders of a potential EcoDistrict due to their location and energy demand. Calculations and estimates were made for the potential employment of ... Read More
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Existing Retrofit for Enhanced Performance
Portland State University. School of Architecture
Hacker is renovating Cruess Hall on the University of California, Davis campus. It is a 22,000 sf structure built in 19 59. Over the years it has had many uses included being a meat processing p lant and is to become a multi-use space which will include an auditorium and wood shop to name a few.
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Healthy Living Environments
Tina Taeb, Ashley Schahfer, and ZGF
Internal Connection: Control Safety Privacy Entry Access Windows Wall thickness Common facilities
Physical Connection: Physical Connection Layout organization Organized complexity Familiarity Ceiling heights Spatial dimensions Hallway proportions Tiering Accessibility
Social Connection: With building residents and the city Auditory Visual Interaction Entry Windows Wall thickness Proximity Common facilities
Environmental Connection: Environmental Connection Air quality Light quality Thermal comfort Windows HVAC Orientation
... Read More