Edith Green Wendell Wyatt Federal Building
Retrofit of an existing 1970's era federal office building in Downtown Portland. Client is Cutler Anderson Architects of Seattle with SERA Architects of Portland.
This high-profile GSA project was undertaken at the height of the recession in 2009. There were many stakeholders, and as a result there were many design changes throughout the process of creating these renderings. Sustainability and state-of-the-art "green" features were central to the design concept, especially the large living wall proposed for the west elevation. At the time, it would have been the tallest of its kind in the world.
This ground-level view in particular was subjected to a great deal of scrutiny - therefore, a unique approach was developed that allowed for maximum flexibility right up to completion. For instance, the glazing, fins, exterior planting and “shelves” were all modeled separately and composited in Photoshop so they could be adjusted independently. The planting was shown in different seasons as well, shown here in full summer growth while the aerial rendering shows a typical autumn condition.
