Urban Brunch at 1203 Willamette Street

1203 Willamette (all photos by me)

As a change of pace, the 2018 edition of the annual joint AIA-Southwestern Oregon / CSI-Willamette Valley Chapter / ASLA Oregon-Willamette Valley Section Summer Picnic wasn’t a picnic in the usual sense. Instead, it was a scrumptiously decadent three-course brunch served within one of Eugene’s most intriguing urban developments of recent years: 1203 Willamette Street, an excellent example of adaptive reuse within a rejuvenating area of the city center. 

KPFF Consulting Engineers sponsored the AIA/CSI/ALSA brunch, which featured great food provided by Saucefly Kitchen. Saucefly specializes in preparing one-of-a-kind sauces, snacks, dressings, sweets, and savory surprises from organic, locally sourced ingredients. I particularly enjoyed the Kitchen’s take on Eggs Benedict, the best I’ve ever had for sure. 

I found the prospect of visiting 1203 Willamette for the first time since its renovation as much a reason to attend the event as the promise of good company and delicious fare. The 1940s-vintage 36,000-square-foot building was originally a furniture store. More recently it was the Oregon Antique Mall before a partnership including John Rowell and Greg Brokaw of Rowell Brokaw Architects purchased the property with an eye toward repurposing it as a stylish retail/commercial center. Their ambitious project completely transformed the old building, in the process revealing the original timber framing, wood floors, and roof structure, improving its ability to resist seismic forces, and welcoming daylight through expansive new windows and skylights. The Willamette Street façade is particularly transparent and features garage-door storefronts, which open when the weather is pleasant to engage passersby and enliven the streetscape.  

Brunch at SauceFly Kitchen

Saucefly Kitchen opens to the east (alley) side of the building, and like the west-facing Willamette Street façade features a glazed, overhead folding door opening to a patio immediately outside. We began our “picnic” on the patio but moved indoors when brunch was ready. The retail storefront on the Willamette Street side is devoted to selling Chef Sara Willis’ fresh culinary creations and ingredients that are the foundation of the Saucefly’s signature business, a service delivering boxes to subscribers six times a year. 

The other storefronts at 1203 Willamette are occupied by Claim 52 Kitchen, which features an eclectic selection of pub food in addition to Claim 52 Brewery’s traditional and seasonal beer styles, and the Katie Brown Store, a fashion boutique specializing in “timeless and classic staples for the female wardrobe.” Saucefly, Claim 52, and the Katie Brown Store all contribute to 1203 Willamette’s hip, urban vibe—exactly what this stretch of Willamette needs, especially so in view of Capstone Development’s sidewalk-snubbing 13th & Olive student housing ghetto across the street. 

Following brunch, Greg Brokaw led everyone on a tour of his firm’s new office in 1203 Willamette. The choice to move into the building proved easy for RBA. Prior to making this decision, RBA had designed the 33 East Broadway infill project in the heart of downtown with the intent to set up shop in that new building; however, the project partners eventually determined making 33 East Broadway “pencil out” would be challenging given the high cost of development on a tight site downtown. They then looked to 1203 Willamette, which proved financially promising due in no small part to the fact the project entailed renovation rather than all-new construction. 

Rowell Brokaw Architects' office

RBA’s new space on the second floor of 1203 Willamette is spacious and light-filled. Much of its character is derived from the exposed original wood roof framing and concrete walls. There’s an “urban loft” feel to the interior, and the distinct sense it is an environment devoted to creativity and collaboration. Greg described the custom-fabricated sit-stand desks designed by his staff, which surprisingly proved less expensive than comparable manufactured systems. 

Much to the delight of RBA’s staff, the office suite features a fully equipped kitchen, nap room, and dedicated restroom (in addition to common restrooms in the building core). Rowell Brokaw also operates a separate “interiors lab” located across the hall from the main office. Secure bicycle storage and a shower room are found in the basement. 

The other office tenants in 1203 Willamette include Trifoia, DeChase Miksis, Q Sterry Inspired Architecture, DaviesMoore, and Watkinson Laird Rubenstein pc. The building leased-up quickly, a testament to the desirability of its location and how appealing its architectural makeover is. Only one small suite approximately 500 SF in area remains vacant. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Essex General Construction, who executed the renovation. 1203 Willamette is a fine example of Essex’s growing portfolio of impressive mixed-use projects. 

No stranger to winning design awards, Rowell Brokaw received a Merit Award from the 2018 AIA-SWO Design Awards program, as well as a 2017 AIA-SWO Mayor’s Choice Award for 1203 Willamette. My firm (Robertson/Sherwood/Architects pc) may compete head-to-head with Rowell Brokaw for many commissions but I’m quick to give props when they’re plainly due. 1203 Willamette is an outstanding project. Mad respect to RBA for a job well done!

Downtown Riverfront Park Concepts

Aerial view of the Downtown Riverfront development and Riverfront Park site (Imagery: © 2018 Google)

I missed last Thursday’s open house hosted by the City of Eugene that offered a “sneak peek” at the Riverfront Park design proposals. I did attend the project’s initial public input meeting back in May and came away impressed from that earlier event by the level of public interest and the earnestness of both the City’s project managers and the design team from Walker Macy to gather and incorporate citizen input (the City received responses to its survey from more than 1,700 people). This time around, Walker Macy presented three distinct design options with the goal of once again listening to the public and honing in on a final design that truly reflects what Eugeneans want from their new, urban riverfront park. 

Since the last meeting, the City worked with developers Williams/Dame & Associates to expand the park project to include 1.1 acres designated for a public plaza on the redevelopment site. I’m not sure how much coordination has occurred between Williams/Dame’s landscape architects and Walker Macy but I consider this a positive move. My concern about the parallel development of the plans for the park and Williams/Dame’s $100+ million commercial/residential project has always been that the overall effort would not be planned comprehensively and in a unified manner. Walker Macy how has responsibility for the design of the public plaza, ensuring that it will be an integral part of the park’s total design. 

Those who did not attend Thursday’s design presentation still can review and comment upon the three design options. I’ll briefly summarize the options here but as they did following its first meeting, the City has set up an online survey to gather feedback. The survey is accompanied by more detailed information about the concepts than I’ve collected below from the City's project website. It will remain open until Friday, August 10 so be sure to check it out before then if you wish to weigh in on the plans. 

Design Option 1: Winding Paths

The main entry plaza offers panoramic views of the river from the overlook’s edge. From there, a series of pedestrian paths meander through the restored riparian zone and connect a variety of high activity spaces including nature play areas, garden terraces, and smaller river overlooks with framed views beyond. A network of smaller, more intimate paths weave through this beautiful, natural landscape. For a more direct route, the primary bike path gracefully winds from one end of the park to the other, creating a seamless, unifying thread. The central core of the park is defined by sculptural topography that brings the river bank up into the central eco-lawn and gradually rises to a viewing hill with places to sit and enjoy the landscape beyond. 

Here are the elements of the Option 1, Winding Paths design as numbered on the plan above (click to enlarge): 

1. Main Plaza / Overlook 

2. Viewing Hill 

3.  Nature Playground 

4. River Overlook 

5. Pedestrian Paths 

6. Potential Kayak Access 

7. Existing Water Feature 

8. Improved DeFazio Bridge Connection 

9. Peter DeFazio Bridge 

Design Option #2: Urban Amphitheater 

Dramatic wide-open views begin at the main entry plaza where you will be perched above the river rushing below. The water feature flows from the nature play area along the plaza’s edge and down to the river. This unifying element provides endless opportunities to interpret stories of the mill race, the site’s history, and sustainable practices. 

The central activity zone is defined by the urban amphitheater that will provide unique upriver views and accessible access down to the river’s edge. Along its edges, the amphitheater blends into the restored riverbank, shaded by the riparian canopy overhead. Walking along the shared bike/pedestrian path, you will find a series of smaller river viewpoints offering views of the river below. 

Here are the elements of the Urban Amphitheater Design as numbered on the plan above: 

1. Main Plaza 

2. Water Feature 

3. Nature Playground 

4. Eco-Lawn 

5. Amphitheater 

6. River Viewpoint 

7. Potential Kayak Access 

8. Performance Plaza 

9. Improved Defazio Bridge Connection 

10. Peter DeFazio Bridge 

Design Option #3: River Terraces 

The viewing deck offers great views on both sides. While sipping coffee from the adjacent café, you can enjoy views to the river and people-watch on the main plaza. During the summer months, the plaza is alive with activity and the shade pavilion offers protection from the sun while families enjoy the nature play area. 

A shared bike/pedestrian path arcs across the length of the park connecting each end. Mirroring the flow of the path and the bend of the river, a series of river terraces create a central activity zone. The terraces step down to provide a dynamic sequence of river views while offering accessible routes to the river’s edge. Demonstration eco-gardens encourage pollinator species. 

Here are the elements of the River Terraces Design as numbered on the plan above: 

1. Main Plaza / Water Feature 

2. Nature Playground 

3. Viewing Deck 

4. Shade Pavilion 

5. River Terraces 

6. Eco-Gardens 

7. Potential Kayak Access 

8. Eco-Lawn 

9. Improved Defazio Bridge Connection 

10. Peter DeFazio Bridge 

What are my immediate reactions to the concepts? Design Option 1: Winding Paths appears too naturalized for what is Eugene’s best opportunity to connect in an urban way with the Willamette River. Design Option 2: Urban Amphitheater places too much emphasis upon a single park feature, so the range of places to engage the river in different ways is limited. I prefer Design Option 3: River Terraces because I believe it has the potential to offer a variety of experiences within a recognizable and unique (to Eugene) framework. As presented by Walker Macy, River Terraces acknowledges the linear nature of the park and the dynamism of the river as it turns northward at its bend. I can imagine the terraces providing well-distributed means to manage and treat storm runoff. Design Option 3 also makes generous room for riparian habitat (as opposed to Option 2, which would appear to rely upon significant revetments along the edge of the amphitheater). 

The City is quick to point out the final design could incorporate elements from all three concepts. That said, I think each design option represents a distinct direction that risks being muddied if Walker Macy is compelled to blend aspects of two or more. 

All three options imply a new pedestrian bridge upstream of the existing DeFazio Bridge (the dashed line crossing the river). If it does move forward, perhaps the new bridge could be the outcome of an open design competition. 

The City is planning a final public forum in late September in which it will present Walker Macy’s final design for the Downtown Riverfront Park. Actual construction of the park will begin in 2020, with completion scheduled for 2021 before the IAAF World Track & Field Championships, when Eugene will play host to thousands of visitors and occupy the world stage, if only for a moment. I’m looking forward to the park taking shape and the Willamette River becoming truly central to Eugene’s sense of identity.

It Takes a Community to Raise a Village

Michael Fifield, FAIA, was featured this past week in a KMTR16 News segment regarding Emerald Village, the community of tiny, affordable homes developed by SquareOne Villages for people who self-identify as “working poor.” The problem of housing affordability is certainly intractable, which is why the efforts of non-profit organizations like SquareOne Villages are so important and welcome. 

SquareOne believes everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home. The organization, founded in 2012 by pastor Dan Bryant and others, seeks to bridge the often insurmountable gap between the street and conventional housing with a variety of simple, cost-effective housing options. Following its Opportunity Village pilot project (which consists of transitional micro-housing for otherwise homeless individuals and couples) SquareOne embarked on Emerald Village, which provides permanent, accessible, and sustainable homes for members of a housing cooperative. 

SquareOne goes beyond building individual tiny houses. The organization is building democratic communities in which each person has a voice in shaping how their community is operated and managed—creating a foundational sense of ownership on which the village thrives. By developing Opportunity Village and now Emerald Village, SquareOne is providing real solutions through innovative means. 

A big part of that innovation is enlisting the help of local architects, designers, and builders to make Emerald Village a reality. The design professionals who volunteered their efforts each designed one of the twenty-two homes or shared communal facilities. All the homes meet code definitions for a “permanent dwelling,” including sleeping and living areas, a kitchenette, and bathroom—all within 160 to 288 square feet per unit. 

Emerald Village Site Plan

To date fourteen of the twenty-two homes have been completed and occupied, of which Michael’s design (Unit 5) is among the latest. At 268 square feet, Unit 5 is one of the bigger Emerald Village homes. It is site-responsive, opening both to the communal walkway and open space to the west, and to a covered patio on the south. Michael separated the sleeping and bathing spaces from the living area to allow different activities to take place at the same time. In this respect, Unit 5 is suitable for a couple, which is exactly who now occupies the home (Gary and Pam are the proud residents). 

Unit 5 (EVE Micro Housing) by Fifield Architecture + Urban Design

Michael with Gary and Pam, who now call Unit 5 their home (photo by Essex General Construction)

The residents of Emerald Village are most definitely an intentional community. Each resident pays between $250 and $350 to cover their share of the cooperative costs (which pays for rent and includes utilities, maintenance, and operating expenses). Helping to keep the cost of living low, the residents have contributed sweat equity through their direct involvement with the construction of their homes. They can build equity as $50 of their coop share each month applies to a savings account, which can be cashed out if they choose to move elsewhere. The residents abide by a community agreement that outlines a basic code of conduct and duties toward the village. 

Michael says he isn’t sure why KMTR chose to interview him rather than somebody else, but he welcomed the opportunity to emphasize the value of engaging skilled professionals in a project like Emerald Village. 

SquareOne is planning a community open house/Grand Opening event later this summer so everyone in Eugene can see Emerald Village and celebrate what an achievement it is. I’m looking forward to this opportunity to see the village for the first time. 

Big props to Michael and all the other architects, designers, and builders who are volunteering their blood, sweat, and tears in helping make Emerald Village a reality. And of course, kudos and much appreciation to the staff, board of directors, advisory board, and the others behind SquareOne Villages for pioneering inventive models that directly address the huge problem of housing affordability.

Gothic City

St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York (all photos by me)

New York is a thick forest of towers, many of them distinctive and running a gamut of styles. Its dystopian doppelganger is the imagined Gotham City of the Batman comics, in its consummate form the dark Gothic vision of Tim Burton’s Batman movies. The equally dark and romantic monumentality of Hugh Ferris’ moody, chiaroscuro-heavy renderings further the mythos of New York as an enigmatic metropolis whose primary axis is the vertical. The layering of architectural styles is remarkable and yet, in my mind at least, Manhattan is the epitome of a contemporary Gothic city: breathtakingly perpendicular, grotesque, and compact. Like a work of Gothic architecture, the complex whole is ordered and coherent, even as its constituent parts teeter on the brink of chaos. 

I’ve always been drawn to Gothic architecture despite my decidedly modernist upbringing. I believe it’s an instinctual response. It’s a response that comes naturally to non-architects, one that many designers since the advent of Modernism have struggled to reconcile with their education and biases. The Gothic style relied heavily upon its ability to convey a narrative, most often of an ecclesiastical nature, striving for spirituality through lightness of form and a lavishing of expressive and didactic ornamentation, in contrast with the relatively spare ponderousness of the Romanesque forms that preceded it. The Gothic vocabulary would come to be distinguished by pointed arches, rib vaults, flying buttresses, large stained-glass windows, and elaborate tracery. 

Of course, all the “Gothic” buildings in New York (and elsewhere in North America) are not actually Gothic but rather derivative and historicist. They are “Neo-Gothic” or “Gothic Revival.” The resurgence of the Gothic style during the 19th century was championed by A.W.N.Pugin, John Ruskin, and others claiming it was the style of the great age of faith and thus inherently superior to other forms. Even architects who were more secular in outlook would deem the Gothic appropriate for a variety of new applications, particularly those for which stylistic precedents did not exist. Thus, train stations, university buildings, parliament houses, country estates, and ultimately skyscrapers around the world would all utilize the style to imaginative effect. 

Despite my characterization of Manhattan as Gothic in character, the actual number of buildings genuinely designed in the Gothic manner is small. I visited several of the most noteworthy examples while I was in New York for the 2018 AIA Conference on Architecture. These included St. Patrick’s Cathedral, The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, Saint Thomas Church, and the Woolworth Building. 

Nave, St. Patrick's Cathedral

St. Patrick’s Cathedral 

Definitely one of the highlights of my A’18 experience was a tour of the recently restored St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Members of the restoration team from Murphy Burnham & Buttrick Architects provided a wealth of informative details about the 3-year, $150 million project, which included 30,000 individual repairs to the stonework, plaster, wood, and stained glass. 

Originally designed by architect James Renwick and constructed between 1858 – 1888, St. Patrick’s was upon its completion the tallest structure in New York (and remains the largest neo-Gothic Catholic cathedral in North America), which seems remarkable now that it is completely overshadowed by the bulky towers of the neighboring Rockefeller Center. The cathedral’s exterior is largely comprised of Tuckahoe marble and richly ornamented in a highly unified and consistent Flamboyant Gothic style. 

Inside, the cathedral does indeed soar, appearing much larger than I’d imagined as I approached the cathedral from outside. The restoration repaired decay in the roof structure and removed decades of accumulated candle soot on the ceiling over the nave. The interior is bright, lofty, and very impressive. 

West facade, Cathedral of Saint John the Divine

The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine

Looming over the Morningside Heights neighborhood, the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine is the largest Episcopal cathedral in the world, and the fifth largest Christian church overall. Its list of superlatives includes the longest Gothic nave in the country, the largest rose window, being taller at its interior crossing than the Statue of Liberty, and seven apsidal chapels (a nod to the different national origins of various immigrant groups the church initially welcomed). It is, in other words, enormous. 

Choir, Cathedral of Staint John the Divine

The cathedral has mockingly been dubbed “Saint John the Unfinished” because construction and restoration has continued ever since the first cornerstone was laid in 1892. Unlike St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Saint John the Divine is a mish-mash of styles. The original architects, Heins& LaFarge, intended the building to be of Romanesque-Byzantine design. Following the death of George Heins, the Cathedral Trustees elected to hire Ralph Adams Cram to complete the design along neo-Gothic lines. Saint John the Divine suffered a large fire in 2001, which destroyed part of the north transept. The south tower on the west façade has only partly risen, while the north tower lags even further behind. It’s immediately evident the cathedral remains a work in progress. 

Saint Thomas Church

Saint Thomas Church 

Like St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Saint Thomas Church is located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, and like the Cathedral of Saint John Divine, Saint Thomas was designed by Ralph Adams Cram (along with his partner Bertram Goodhue). I was previously familiar with the building because of an essay written by Gerald Allen in the book Dimensions, co-authored with Charles Moore. In that essay, Allen explained how Cram and Goodhue designed the church in a way that addressed the particulars of its site within a modern city, as well as its general purpose as a place of worship. The result is an oddly asymmetrical design allied to its specific corner location at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 53rd Street. 

As Gerald Allen wrote, Saint Thomas does not make the kind of coherent, self-contained sense that architects typically strive for in their designs. I like Saint Thomas’ consequent eccentricity. Cram and Goodhue demonstrated their mastery of the Gothic Revival style, expertly adapting it to its location within Midtown. The church confidently stakes claim to its location without attempting to compete with much taller neighbors. 

Woolworth Building

Woolworth Building 

The Woolworth Building was the tallest building in the world when it was topped off in 1912. Architect Cass Gilbert, a leading proponent of the neo-Gothic style for tall buildings, designed the richly ornamented 60-story tower, which would aptly be nicknamed “the Cathedral of Commerce.” The building’s piers, pinnacles, pointed arches, and patinated copper roof all draw one’s eyes skyward. Gilbert over-scaled the Gothic detailing on its upper reaches so they remain legible from the street level far below. The design exploits the Gothic style’s use of vertical elements to emphasize its height. Somewhat incongruously, Gilbert used Romanesque forms for the building’s elegant two-story lobby. 

While following Louis Sullivan’s adage that a skyscraper should be “every inch a proud and soaring thing,” the Woolworth Building also admirably functions as an urban block. Its lower 27 floors are configured around U-shaped floors that define the public space on all sides, while bringing daylight to the center of the plan by means of a central court open to the west. The Woolworth Building, like most pre-WWII towers, manages to work effectively at both the pedestrian level and as part of Manhattan’s impressive skyline. 

Other New York skyscrapers employing features reminiscent of Gothic architecture include the American Radiator Building, the Sherry-Netherland Hotel, the Lincoln Building, and the General Electric Building. Following the completion of the General Electric Building in 1931, architects would largely eschew the Gothic Revival style in favor of the more fashionable Art Deco or Modernist idioms. The asceticism of most post-war skyscrapers may have reached its apogee (or nadir depending upon your point of view) with the completion of the astoundingly banal 432 Park Avenue in 2016, a supertall and slender tower that rises 1,396 feet without relief or any sense of proportion or grace. 

432 Park Avenue

I’m no architectural revivalist or historicist; however, I do admire architecture regardless of style that inspires, is rich in detail and meaning, and joyous in character. Neo-Gothic works like St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, Saint Thomas Church, and the Woolworth Building greatly contribute to New York’s appeal and coherence as an incredibly diverse amalgam of memorable places, images, and ideas. I favor identity over anonymity, and architecture that connects people with their environment rather than alienating them from it.