Blackburn Center
Portland, Ore.
Award of Merit

Owner: Central City Concern
Lead Design Firm: Ankrom Moisan Architects Inc.
Contractor: Walsh Construction Co.
Civil/MEP Engineer: Glumac Engineers
Structural Engineer: Miller Consulting Engineers Inc.
Subcontractors: M&M Construction Services Inc.; Western Rebar Inc.; RDF Builders Co.; Hillebrand Construction Inc.; McNulty Flooring LLC; B&B Tile & Masonry Corp.; Timberland Inc.; Skyline Sheet Metal Inc.; Anning-Johnson Co.; Culver Glass Co.

The project team faced a complex mixture of needs when building the six-story Blackburn Center for owner Central City Concern. The center is one of only five facilities in North America to integrate clinical services with transitional housing, offering palliative, recuperative and pharmaceutical care for people without a home.

The project’s goal to integrate clinical services with transitional housing created challenges for both design and construction. The shape of the site meant that the building had to be taller than it is wide, resulting in modules with mixed uses, complicating the need to create secure entrances and transitions in an integrated campus environment.

With Central City Oregon paying all of the residents’ utility bills, energy efficiency remained a priority. The center’s southern roof is covered with solar panels and solar shades to offset power needs, helping it achieve Earth Advantage Platinum certification.

Back to ENR Northwest's 2020 Regional Best Projects