selected commercial projects ries architecture

Paul Ries, Architect (an architecture and design counseling company)

Selected Commercial and Public Projects

The Grain Store Lofts Adaptive Re-use Design and Development for an Historic Structure on Dunedin’s Harbour Dunedin, New Zealand Design and development of an old grain storehouse on Dunedin’s waterfront. The building was originally built in 1874 and was one of the first commercial buildings on the commercial harbour. This three story, 80,000 sf building is built of carved Oamaru Stone and has a skylit, sawtooth roof spanning the entire upper level. The concept for this re-use is to build well fitted living lofts on the upper level, temporary/hostel units on the middle level, and commercial uses on the street level to serve the burgeoning waterfront uses. The interior experience will be that of the old crystal houses of the past, with many two-level public spaces and bridge walkways from the interior street serving as access for the upper level units.

The Falcon Arts Community Storefront Renovation, DOS Grant Design Study, and Design of the Artist Workshops Portland, Oregon Design study and storefront renovation of an existing residential building in NE Portland. This building’s exterior appearance was upgraded with the introduction of a new entry gate and the restoration of the south entry, as well as a new color scheme. Inside, what had been a storage basement is now home to studios, art and music workshops and a future martini bar. Living units remain above. Scope of work included complete concept and schematic design, coordination with the planning and building bureaus, development of a pro-forma, and permitting. (lots of co-design w/ the owner Brian Wannamaker)

West Mississippi Storefront Renovation & DOS Grant Design Study Portland, Oregon Design study and storefront renovation for an existing mixed-use building. The building will ultimately be separated into three individual retail spaces, and upgraded with a restored storefront and new color scheme. Scope of work included complete concept and schematic design, coordination with the planning and building bureaus, and the development of a preliminary pro-forma for the development.

East Mississippi Storefront Renovation & DOS Grant Design Study Portland, Oregon This existing building was beautiful and proud, but in need of an exterior renovation. The design study addressed new uses, as well as storefront and color options. Not only will the storefront undergo a remarkable transformation, but the interior will be separated into two retail spaces on the ground level, several living units on the second floor, and one multi-level bar/restaurant. Scope of work included complete concept and schematic design, coordination with the planning and building bureaus, and the development of a preliminary pro-forma for the development.

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Architecture

A r c h i t e c t u r e Construction Management

Community Development & Enablement

PO Box 3677 Portland, OR 97208 Tel 503.764.2330 Fax 866.936.1119

Email: ries.architecture @ gmail.com


Paul Ries, Architect (an architecure and design counseling company) 2

Itʹs A Dogʹs Life Play/Day Care Storefront Renovation Portland, Oregon A small building in the St. Johnʹs community is currently being converted into a dog day care and kennel. The storefront was redesigned and a color scheme chosen to work for the new use and respect its historic character. Signage and lighting are an important part of the project and have been integrated into its basic design.

Tropicana Restaurant Storefront Renovation Portland, Oregon A lonely restaurant in inner Northeast Portland was the recipient of a complete exterior renovation. This restaurant was in dire need of storefront glazing, awnings and lighting to bring the look of the restaurant in line with the quality of the food that it served. The side walls were re-sided and a complete signage package was developed for the restaurant.

The Alberta Street Market DOS Grant Design Study Portland, Oregon Design of a new, inner city mixed-use development. Uses included a food market on the ground level with commercial units above. Scope of work included complete concept and schematic design, coordination with the planning and building bureaus, and the development of a preliminary pro-forma for the development.

18th and Alberta Storefront Renovation Portland, Oregon An existing building was saved with a substantial infusion of structural work and the re-creation of its historic storefront. The storefront was constructed of site-stopped glazing and wood frames, recessed entry alcoves, and extensive transom work. The interior was partitioned along historic demarcations and designed for retail shops and caféʹs.

Eastbank Firehouse Design Concepts for the Moorage of an Historic Fire Boat Portland, Oregon This project began as a study to site the Portland Fire Bureau’s Historic Fire Boat (the “David Campbell”) at the future transient tie-up dock for the Eastbank Restaurant. The project scope has evolved into a light-filled, tensile-structured boathouse for the David Campbell, as well as crew quarters for the engine company and an apparatus garage on land. Close coordination was required with the Phase One of the Eastbank Esplanade project as well as with the Oregon State Marine Board.

Paul Ries Architect

NCARB Northeast Community Policing Center Police Precinct at the old Walnut Park Fred Meyer Portland, Oregon

This four year project was the result of cooperation between the community

of NE Portland, the Portland Development Commission and the Bureaus of Police, General Services & Planning. The immediate goal was to place a police precinct in an abandoned Fred Meyer store. The long term goals were to catalyze local development and to nurture a sense of hope in the neighborhood. Masterplanning included the precinct, the new Portland Trail Blazer’s Boys and Girls Club, neighborhood retail shops and adjacent housing. The construction project was composed of the retail shell and seismic upgrade, the precinct, the Police Activities League, a large community meeting room, and a pedestrian park.

The pedestrian park was a public art project. It featured tiles, mosaics and a painted mural crafted with the help of school children; an interactive water fountain; fish in the walking pavers; extensive landscaping; and, sitting benches for nearby residents. The entire project was taken off the combined sewer system through the use of bio-swale filtration and drywells. (project design and management with Aron Faegre and Associates)

Honors: 1996 Governor’s Livability Award



Paul Ries Architect

NCARB Walnut Park Retail Retail Shops at the NE Precinct Portland, Oregon

This portion of the Walnut Park project was designed concurrently with the

construction of the Northeast Community Policing Center. The retail shops occupied an area of the building along NE Killingsworth and NE MLK Jr. Blvd., and helped to define the North entrance to the pedestrian park. The parking area adjacent to NE Killingsworth was designed to function as an outdoor assembly area and pre-function to the businesses. Retail tenants were selected from among qualified neighborhood applicants and include: “Reflections”, a coffee shop, bookstore, newsstand and gift shop; “Mother Dear’s Tasty Pastries” bakery and desserts; “Its My Kind of Face” photography studio; “JP’s Custom Picture Framing and Gallery”; “Videoland”; “Key Bank”; and “Woods and Reid Bridal Fashions”. An adjacent building was studied for a future coin operated laundry.

The community art program was continued during the retail phase of the project. It features work by the same artists that did the precinct and continues the “fish-in-the-pavers” theme. It also showcases tile triptychs on the retail storefront columns. (project design and management with Aron Faegre and Associates) Honors: 1996 Governor’s Livability Award


Email:

ries.architecture @ gmail.com

Paul Ries Architect

NCARB The Columbia Center Library and Life-long Learning Center St. Helens, Oregon

This project was initiated by an anonymous one million dollar gift to build a library and learning center for the community of St. Helens. The donor wished to build a facility that combined a library with the community functions of a meeting room and a computer technology center. The building was not only asked to be a celebration of learning but also of the timber industry which shaped the history of St. Helens. To this end, the building is framed and sheathed in wood products and the landscape is planted to show the major timber species in their living state. A portion of the landscape is in a partially enclosed courtyard which allows sunny day book enjoyment and a view into the children’s performance porch and their library beyond.

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The project process included the finding of ways to use donated labor and materials and the participation in local fundraising efforts. (project design and management with Aron Faegre and Associates)



Paul Ries Architect NCARB The Columbia Center Library and Life-long Learning Center St. Helens, Oregon

Owners: The Columbia Foundation Michael Kem Barbara Peschiera

City of St. Helens: Brian Little, City Administrator Contractor: R & H Construction Greg Mockford, Project Manager Walt Bianchini, Superintendent Structural Engineer: Berry Nordling Engineers John Nordling



Paul Ries Architect

NCARB Flightcraft Business Aviation Terminal A Gateway for the Business Traveler Portland, Oregon

A new project at the Portland International Airport. This building was designed to serve as a warm introduction to the City of Portland as well as a place for the traveler to conduct business. The project includes a lobby trussed with native woods and filled with natural light from a skylight running its length; an intimate waiting area with massive, native stone fireplace; two conference rooms available for use by business travelers; a pilots lounge and flight planning station; a coffee shop; and a curved wood customer service counter. (project design with Aron Faegre and Associates)





Eastbank Esplanade Restaurant Planning Assistance, Due Diligence and Design Studies Portland, Oregon This project was initiated as a capacity study of the existing Engine 7 building currently used by the Portland Fire Bureau. This building had been identified in the Eastbank Esplanade masterplan as a restaurant (public attractor site #2). Project scope included a computer model of the existing building, design options to explore building capacity and the determination of the process through which this building would be allowed a change of occupancy and redevelopment into a restaurant. This process was recorded and assembled into a request for proposals released by the Portland Development Commission to restaurant operators and development teams.

Clarice Samples Townhouses DOS Grant Design Study Portland, Oregon Design of a new, inner city mixed use development. Uses included live/work units on the ground level and traditional townhouses on the upper level. Six units were gathered around a central courtyard and garden, and two units fronted on the street. Scope of work included complete concept and schematic design, coordination with the planning and building bureaus, and the development of preliminary pro-forma for the development.

Shepler Refrigeration Storefront Renovation Portland, Oregon Yet another storefront improvement project for the Portland Development Commission. This storefront was basically intact and needed only re-glazing. The effort was to impart some excitement to the exterior of this drab shell. New fencing around the shop yard, new landscape, and rich colors provided the improved look that the owners were after.

Hilltop Lofts New Mixed Use Development in North Portland Portland, Oregon This project was to be located on the magnificent 100’ x 300’ site on NE Fremont and Mississippi, and was the project which, for us, kicked off the desire for affordable infill projects. This project was designed a number of different ways, and very nearly penciled for the developer in the configuration of 49 live/work units of 1,000 sf each. Five of these units were designed as accessible commercial storefronts. This project also toyed with the idea of steel framed shell and structurally insulated panels for the wall and floor/roof construction, but was again deemed slightly more expensive than typical construction techniques (note: It was not until the Alberta Street Market that a way was found to make this idea cost effective). Parking was to consisted of 24 spaces. And the front yards were to be landscaped gardens.



Billy Oskay Recording Studio Construction Management for a New Recording Studio Corbett, Oregon Project management and design help for the conversion of an existing metal barn into a new recording studio just a few miles off the old Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway. Management tasks included acquisition of permit, material takeoff/quantity survey, detailing of special acoustical construction, material research, and design review for egress and ADA accessibility.

Living Enrichment Center Conceptual Design and Outreach Planning Assistance Tigard, Oregon A non-denominational church wished to develop an outreach program and community space in Tigard. This space was to house community gathering spaces as well as areas for computer instruction, various retail spaces, a book seller, medical offices, mental health offices and a meditation area. Project scope included design schemes, due diligence re: regulatory agencies and costs, and multiple discussions with the City of Tigard Planning Bureau to begin the minor modification process for the existing building.

Corbett Country Market Renovation to an Historic Market on the Gorge Corbett, Oregon Documentation and renovation of an historic market on the Columbia River Highway. This building was recently purchased by a family determined to keep the existing market as the social center of the area. A renovation has been planned to repair the damages caused by neglect and harsh weather, as well as to bring the building back to an appropriate historic time period. The front porch, long since sheathed over, is to be opened up with windows and planned for the sitting area of the modest restaurant. The existing coolers and freezers, important for the storage of hunter’s game and meat cuttings, will be rebuilt. The interior of the store will receive new finishes and will be replanned to allow a more comfortable use by the public. Project scope includes close coordination with Multnomah County’s Planning Bureau and the rules governing the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

DaVinci Middle School Starting the Middle School Arts Magnet Portland, Oregon The proposed DaVinci Middle School needed a place to call home. After much searching and working closely with parents and the Portland Public School District, the old Washington-Monroe High School was chosen as the best option. Design help included inventory of various facilities; discussions with the Fire Marshal and the City of Portland’s Bureaus of Buildings and Planning; design schemes showing room layout and areas of occupation; and, many meetings with the neighborhood associations and parents in defining project scope, curriculum, space needs and future growth issues.



The Weimer Building Design Options and Analysis for Redevelopment Portland, Oregon An existing building along the MLK Jr. Blvd Corridor was the focus for this study exploring redevelopment options and building capacity. A computer model of the existing building was produced and design options explored for the highest and best uses allowed by the City and by market forces. Final product included as-built drawings, design options with perspective views, structural and code analysis and preliminary budget information.

Portland Public Safety Building New 9-1-1 Center and Radio Shop Portland, Oregon Originally located on Kelly Butte in an underground atomic bomb shelter built after W.W.II, the old 911 operation was beset with problems that contributed greatly to distressed dispatchers. There were no windows, no natural ventilation, a malfunctioning HVAC system and a history of environmental problems. The site chosen for a new building was a portion of a public park. The building was designed entirely around dispatcher comfort and seismic survivability. The building features light, airy spaces, operable windows and redundant communication, mechanical and electrical systems. (project design and management with Aron Faegre and Associates)

Monte Shelton Parking Lot Detention, Drainage and Grading for an Existing Lot Portland, Oregon A simple project to take an existing gravel parking lot and bring it into compliance with current City of Portland development standards. Surface grading, stormwater detention and release, AC paving, and appropriate landscape completed the scope for this site.

Eagle Fern Large Animal Veterinary Clinic A Hospital for Large Ranch Animals Estacada, Oregon A renovation of an existing barn and the construction of a new pole barn and breezeway for a complex of buildings that mimic the connected barn of ages past. Project includes surgery areas for the large animals, recovery area, intensive care stall, observation area, holding stalls, pharmacy, lab, offices and garage for the mobile unit.

The Benson Hotel Renovation Portland, Oregon Renovation to an historic downtown Portland landmark. The project included complete reconstruction of the original lobby and vestibule, new entry marquee and fabric canopies, redesign of ground floor specialty restaurant, retail and assembly spaces. All guest rooms were upgraded, as were the mechanical and electrical systems. The hotel structure was also brought up to current seismic standards. (Project design with the Callison Partnership.)

selected commercial projects ries architecture

Business

historic storefront

oregon design study

schematic design

itsbasic design

existing building

new zealand design

restored storefront

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