Milwaukie Way in Portland, Oregon by Waechter Architecture

Article source: Waechter Architecture

Milwaukie Way reconsiders the potential for an urban infill development to respond to its context, creating a lively public space while also preserving the existing built fabric.

Sited on a central commercial avenue in a Southeast Portland, the clients saw potential to add leasable space in the form of retail, cafes and office to their corner lot. The biggest challenge was how to integrate the existing 1929 Spanish Colonial style building that was to stay. Housing a restaurant below and office space above, the historic building sat squarely at the center of the lot, greatly limiting available street frontage and the opportunity to engage passing shoppers.

Image Courtesy © Waechter Architecture

• Architects: Waechter Architecture
• Project: Milwaukie Way
• Location: Portland, Oregon, USA

Image Courtesy © Waechter Architecture

Our approach was to avoid competing with or demolishing the old building and instead physically pull the proposed buildings back from the lot frontage, extending the activity of the street into the site through a new pedestrian alleyway. Choosing to embrace and highlight the existing site elements, two new buildings were developed as quiet and complimentary backdrops to the existing building’s stucco and terracotta. Clad in vertically ribbed black metal, these structures are punctuated by a consistent pattern of six-foot wide window and door openings that appear cut from their dark textured surfaces to create a ribbon-like effect. Exterior corners are rounded to further enhance the appearance of a continuous, uninterrupted surface.

Image Courtesy © Waechter Architecture

Image Courtesy © Waechter Architecture

Internally, the building provides flexible spaces that nonetheless have distinct character. Support functions, such as bathrooms, stairs, and mechanical equipment, are grouped in a central core allowing the retail and office spaces to have exposed floor and roof structures. The exposed “ribbed” wood joist ceilings on each level give the open spaces richness and texture.

Image Courtesy © Waechter Architecture

Image Courtesy © Waechter Architecture

Bridging between new and old, the scale of the alleyway is reminiscent of Old World streets, providing a vibrant environment for neighborhood gathering, interaction, and chance meetings. This shared space simultaneously maximizes the potential retail frontage of the new buildings, while providing more engagement with the existing building. The result is an approach to development that both graciously accommodates the requested program of the client, while also protecting and reinvigorating the existing structures and neighborhood.

Image Courtesy © Waechter Architecture

Image Courtesy © Waechter Architecture

Image Courtesy © Waechter Architecture

Image Courtesy © Waechter Architecture

Tags: Oregon, USA

Categories: Cafe, Commercial Building, Corridor, Office space, Offices, Retail

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