Multnomah Arts Center, one of the largest community arts centers in the nation, has served more than 5,000 community members of diverse age, background and abilities in comprehensive visual, performance and literary arts each year since its establishment in 1983. Annually, over 100 teachers are able to instruct using the facility.
The design team from SERA Architects provided pro bono design and construction administration services to the Multnomah Arts Center Association to renovate their existing art gallery. This pro bono contribution is part of SERA’s commitment to the national initiative known as the 1% Solution. The 1% Solution challenges architecture firms to donate 1% of their staff hours to pro bono work.
The design team worked collaboratively with artists, the Multnomah Arts Center Association Board and staff members to develop a design solution that addressed all the pre-existing constraints and provided maximum flexibility through a modular strategy that allowed the staff to transform the gallery to fit any configuration they might need. The new gallery features more open space, moveable display boxes that serve both as storage units and display walls, natural light, upgrades to the existing wall surfaces with natural and sustainable materials, energy efficient lighting and improved fire safety measures.
Because of their relationship with SERA Architects, many technical and construction professionals provided in-kind donations, including contribution of labor, design time and construction expertise. As such, much appreciation is due to all of our collaborators: Mortenson Construction, Cascade Acoustics, Rosendin Electric, Fine Painting, Performance Abatement Services, Temp Control Mechanical, Viking Automatic Sprinklers, KPFF Consulting Engineers, PAE Consulting Engineering, Solus Lighting, and Northern Illumination Company.
Gallery renovation in numbers:
- Total value of donated design, labor and in-kind materials: $118,300
- Approximate number of hours of donated time: 1,200
- In addition to the business community’s demonstrated support, more than 100 community members donated funds exceeding $10,500
More in-depth information about this project can be found here.
