The Burnside Blog
Thurman Infill Architects Have Their Day
When designing the built environment is your passion and life’s work, nasty comments from the neighbors can certainly ruin your day if you let them.
Still, it’s good to know that local freelance writer Brian Libby (Read his excellent blog here) and editorial staff of the region’s largest daily newspaper appreciates good design. In today’s lead story in A & E, several of the region’s most talented designers are featured in a lengthy lead story.
In my opinion, design is the next chapter of what local PR mavens call the “Portland story.” There are many young and talented firms here. However, I’m not alone in my belief that there are still too many forces preventing great design from happening in this city. From the Landmark’s Commission to the neighborhood associations, to the often conflicting feedback given by various city bureaus, designing Portland can make an architect want to carve. I’m not saying that various groups shouldn’t be able to weigh in, I’m just saying that in the case of development, “too many cooks” is not always a good thing. Especially when many of those cooks have no idea how to read a recipe.
From green business to our thriving food scene, Portland is having its day. But there’s much more to Portland than renewable energy and radicchio. Design is increasingly part of the dialog and could be much more with a little help.
But what must happen first?
By Supergadfly on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 02:11PM PST
Too bad you weren’t asked to choose the designers in the issue Angry Neighbor, you obviously have a lot of insight. Pretty sneaky ‘sis.
By why so angry on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 02:17PM PST
wow, what sort of crap are you interested in seeing built? something along the lines of LRS’s wentworth building down the street from this building? it sounds more like, someone is upset that they didn’t get invited to the party.
By Supergadfly on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 02:24PM PST
Anyway, it looks more like a crossword puzzle. Connect four was a yellow grid.
By Eves on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 02:27PM PST
The NW infill project is not on Thurman. It’s between Upshur and Vaughn. Just don’t want to confuse the angry neighbors. :)
By Mike Thelin on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 02:40PM PST
Connect Four was a great game.
By intheknow on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 03:58PM PST
or what’s that ‘price is right’ game with the dropping disks?
By Supergadfly on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 03:59PM PST
Plinko!
By eileen on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 04:11PM PST
it seems more plinko to me.
By Mark on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 04:33PM PST
Is it fair to say that Angry Neighbors’ hatred of this building is rooted in his or her hatred of childhood board games…or perhaps childhood in general?
By SE happy-go-lucky on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 05:04PM PST
Have you all seen that exhibit at the OMSI where you can play Connect Four with the robots?
Good stuff.
By Eve on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 05:32PM PST
Yes. The OMSI Connect Four with robots is bad ass.
By eileen on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 05:17PM PST
Connect Four provides a fascinating egress model.
By Angry Neighbor on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 11:30PM PST
Make fun if you like. Seriously, what would you do if this building went in next door to your business?
By Corner Store on Saturday, March 08, 2008 at 08:50AM PST
My reaction would depend on whether I own my business space or lease it.
If I lease it I definitely won’t renew the lease if there is room in bSide6. Of course, the lease rates for that building is likely to be higher than my current one, so maybe I’m stuck being its neighbor rather than an occupant.
If I own then I hove a more difficult set of issues to address. Do consider the land’s newly rising value and develop it? Do I sit pat while all my other neighbors do so? Do I sell and take immediate advantage of property value? These are tough questions.
By Mark on Saturday, March 08, 2008 at 12:00AM PST
What would I do? Extend my lease.
By intheknow on Saturday, March 08, 2008 at 08:26AM PST
I’m very curious about angry neighbors response. A little research on this one shows that thus project under-went an intense design review process with only one person voicing concern.. And only about parking. The area has a 200’ height limit and will get a streetcar line soon. The building creating a connection with the lower burnside arcaded buildings and has as super clear diagram to its design. And, except that opus fell thru, would have been a block away from the burnside bridgehead project. The severe reaction stresses emotion over perspective and seems more rooted in bad attitude than substance
By ericcantonaisgod on Sunday, March 09, 2008 at 01:36PM PDT
substance abuse?
By intheknow on Sunday, March 09, 2008 at 03:01PM PDT
: )
Still better than a bad attitude.
By Brian Libby on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 12:35PM PDT
Thanks everybody for checking out my list in The Oregonian. I stand by my selection of Works Partnership. If you polled people in the local architecture community, they’d make just about anybody’s list of top young firms in town.
LRS Architects does some significant work in town. But I haven’t been too impressed, particularly when it comes to their mixed-use building on MLK and Fremont. It’s one of the ugliest buildings I’ve seen built in Portland in many years.
Thanks also to Mike for pointing out the story and for the kind words.
By Angry Neighbor on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 02:00PM PST
These guys build this crap and get featured in the Oregonian? I mean, what the hell is that thing? It looks like a game piece for Connect Four.
By eileen on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 04:43PM PST
Angry Heighbor,
Feel free to post your own list of 10 here…rather than casting these empty disparagements. That way, maybe we can have a productive conversation on the subject.
As for LRS, they’ve certainly been prolific lately. Why shouldn’t they be on this list, taste aside.
By eileen on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 04:48PM PST
I’ll help you get started…provide a reasonably considered assessment of all of the following. Heinz Rudolf, Allied Works HolSt Architecture Jeff Kovel Wpa Thomas Hacker Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Tiffany Sweitzer Ziba Design