Malcolm 'Max' DeRungs

Design for a mixed-use retail, art gallery, and studio residential building in downtown Portland, Oregon, on Jefferson Street between 10th and 11th Avenues for master's in architecture design studio.

Located close to the city's South Park Blocks the studio program called for an "Artist's Collective"—a building completely devoted to the arts, where art could be created, stored, displayed, and sold. It also required spaces for retail, education, galleries, workshops, residences, parking, and secure storage.

My design resolved program goals into a seven-story structure with below-grade parking/service, ground-floor retail, second-level art galleries, and upper-level residential with active rooftop access.

It positioned the building's school, gallery, and cafe in proximity to similar activities clustered in the neighborhood. It respected the scale and mass of buildings in the district and connected to the nearby South Park Blocks by maintaining the street's greenery pattern.

Elevations

Different building materials distinguished each building use:

Smooth, warm-tinted precast concrete with planters and clear window glass identified retail uses.
Brick with travertine-framed windows and fritted glass represented school and gallery uses.
Colored bands of synthetic stucco signified residential spaces.
Stainless steel trim and grillwork across all material bands.

North

Highlighted central residential entry with ornamental latticework.

East

A large, highly visible stained glass "lantern" corner called attention to the cafe's public space.

West

Visually related the art gallery/school to the nearby Portland Art Museum by emulating travertine details and window proportions.

South

Parking and service entrances.
Privacy face of residences.
Light on three sides of residences.

Plan

Availability of below-grade parking limited residential to fifteen units. The ground level had retail spaces, an arts cafe, and lobbies for upper-floor activities. A two-story second level supported spaces for an art school and a public art gallery connected to the cafe. The remaining floors were devoted to residential home/work lofts.

Parking/Loading

Created an alleyway for access to parking, loading, and waste pickup from the south alley, which also air-gapped tenants from adjacent buildings. Vehicular flow followed adjacent one-way streets to support front entry drop-off and pickup. Vehicles shared space with resident storage spaces.

Level 1 - Retail

The design placed entries with the most public foot traffic on street corners, and glass awnings protected pedestrians along sidewalks. It also located a roomy entry hall for residents in the center of the building, considering the need to serve private foot traffic for both "home" and "work" uses.

Level 2 - Galleries

Corridor connections promoted continuous circulation between the cafe, gallery, and art school, promoting exhibition and discussion of works.

Level 3 - Residential

Separated "home" and "work" into clearly different experiences. Both occupied two stories, gave ample room and flexibility for residents, and emphasized ample daylight, fresh air, quietness, and greenery in both.

Corridors

Designed indoor/outdoor collaboration spaces for mingling, chance meetings, and works of art or other studio products.

Loft Studios

Studio space was a simple, well-proportioned shape—a "canvas" that owners could adapt to their specific needs.
Home space had more corners, more opportunities for furniture placement, and daylight from several directions.
Enlarged halls served as indoor/outdoor collaboration spaces for a mix of entries to homes and studios.
Larger windows on the north related to more extroverted art studio "work spaces," while smaller windows on the south spoke of the more intimate "home spaces." Most windows were operable for residents to regulate airflow.

Roof

For top-floor residents, access to gardens and sunlight was available on the roof for some relief from urban confinement. The long north/south roofline anticipated future solar panels.

Sections

Common ornamental metal and glass works from the ground floor to the roof expressed the art experience through all building uses.

Retail

Attracted cafe visitors to the art gallery by overlapping the two spaces.
Recessed retail entries protected customers from sun, wind, and rain.

Gallery

Wide travertine planters doubling as benches invited visitors to perch or sit along walls.

Residential

Studio spaces had an extroverted nature, consistent with the active nature of the workspace.
Home spaces had an introverted nature with deeply recessed windows to create niches for plants, frame exterior views, give a ground floor feel to the space, and take advantage of sun and wind for air circulation.

Roof

Contained rooftop activities and gardens with ornamental grille-work.
Preserved the potential for future solar panels and water catchment and maximized opportunities for plant life.

Details

Retail

Glass awnings identified commercial entrances and protected public foot traffic along sidewalks from inclement weather.

Gallery

Window shelves illuminated wall art by reflecting north light onto ceilings.

Residential

Inward-projecting alcove window shelves in home spaces provided some protection from the elements, encouraging residents to open windows, display art, or grow plants.
Outward-projecting bay or bench windows in studio spaces let light in from three sides and gave occupants a broader view over the city.

Roof

Ornamental grille-work contained rooftop activities and gardens.
Recycled plastic decking, like wood, softened rooftop surfaces but required less maintenance.

Structural/Mechanical

The design could be easily built using lift-slab concrete construction, with steel columns strengthened in shear by the vertical concrete circulation cores.

The majority of mechanical equipment was located in the basement to preserve the roof for living space. Chaseways followed stairwells for simplicity and efficiency.