Formerly underutilized, the Leland James Center in Northwest Portland is now a vibrant, new mixed-use complex. SERA redesigned the original 1973 office building as a new creative office and retail building that adds vitality to the Slabtown district – an area currently emerging from industrial use into a new active urban neighborhood. Building renovations included replacing all exterior precast aggregate concrete panels and windows with a new exterior façade comprised of brick, wood, and precast, along with all new windows. A new penthouse was added to the roof, creating a fourth floor with exterior roof terraces. The basement is now a parking level with bicycle storage and locker room facilities. The building ground floor has been converted to retail with main public entrances facing south and east.
The project is LEED Gold certified. With a new energy-efficient envelope, new mechanical and electrical systems, and high-performance windows, the building performs 33% better than code. Water use reduction measures, such as efficient landscape irrigation and low-flow fixtures, reduced potable water demand by 30 percent.
