The ft.² Report

New building entrance

Mercy Corps finally unveiled their new headquarters (28 SW First) on Thursday, October 9, 2009.  Located on the old Saturday Farmers Market site by the Burnside Bridge in Old Town, the project is a combination of old and new to create a building that totals  85,000 square feet at a cost of $37 million. The building has been certified LEED Platinum, the highest certification available, and contains numerous elements of recycled materials and sustainable systems including solar energy and water reclamation.

With a design team led by THA Architecture, the new building contains a gallery and a large open atrium with a unique staircase running up four stories. The building is home to the 160 staff members and is an open floor layout along with several small conference rooms around the perimeter. There is even a small, enclosed patio on the top floor for outdoor dining. Mercy Corps Northwest is located on the ground floor of the new building and will be providing aid to low income small businesses.

The older building is home to the Mercy Corps Action Center, a public education center designed to show visitors what everyday life looks like in locations around the world (think poverty or disaster stricken areas in need of our help).

Old building entrance

While the building is impressive in design, the reported occupancy cost is $19.00 per square foot due to subsidies from the City of Portland and other tax credits based on energy efficiency. Mercy Corps has a mere $7 million mortgage on the building as a result. This approach by the City was a strategy to retain Mercy Corps headquarters in Portland, Oregon.

Other large contributors include the Jeld Wen Foundation and Lemelson Foundation, who recently moved their offices from the Balfour Guthrie Building (733 SW Oak and former Energy Trust offices) to this new location.

   

Floating staircase

1st floor looking up

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