A leftover 9,000 sq. ft. berm space was created when the City of Portland built the new one-way Couch Street couplet reconnecting the roadway to the Burnside Bridge. Sideyard, designed by Skylab, was conceived as a working-class building aimed at public transportation connectivity, pedestrian openness, and bicycle priority access. It is positioned centrally in the new eastside community envisioned by the Burnside Bridgehead Framework plan. “Sideyard celebrates a connection to Portland and the broader Pacific Northwest. Skylab purposely employed materials and techniques distinct to this time and place,” explained Skylab’s Jill Asselineau, Project Director.
This wedge building features a new CLT structural system with open ground level commuter-oriented retail environments for daily guests and tenants. “Cross laminated timber is a new and sustainable building material that celebrates the inherent structural qualities of wood. This material was championed by the general contractor for its regional relevance, availability, and simplicity of assemblage. Employing this mass timber system saved on both time and labor expenses. The project also used mass plywood for the interior stair structure, landings and treads. This project is one of the first to employ and elegantly demonstrate the potential of this wood product,” described Asselineau.
Photo credit: Stephen Miller
The workspace above is wrapped in brick masonry with the building acting as an anchor for the Burnside Bridge and a gateway to the eastside community. “The goal was to provide a noble stage for community activity and future public/private uses. Creating a series of comfortable and inspiring spaces simply framed with a palette of masonry, wood, glass, and concrete,” said Asselineau of the selection of materials.
Photo credit: Stephen Miller
This Central Eastside site is located at the geographic heart of the City of Portland and at the edge of the daily commuter flow of automobiles, bikes and pedestrians. The development helps to strengthen the connection between the eastside community and the westside downtown urban core. “Finding a harmonious voice in this emerging neighborhood that is responsive and in tune with the modern vernacular. Placing a coin upon an underutilized site to maximize the neighborhoods potential,” Asselineau described as the most important idea for this project.
Also located in the neighborhood is the world-renowned Burnside Skatepark, constructed on an adjacent leftover city space beneath the Burnside Bridge and leased to the skate community. The building development team has additionally leased a small space under the bridge adjacent to Sideyard and the skate park for food carts. This extends the Third Avenue ground level retail environment into the forgotten and unused urban spaces full of creative potential.
The project is next to YARD / Knot Springs, also designed by Portland based Skylab.
Photo credit: Stephen Miller
Skylab Design Team
Jeff Kovel, Design Director
Brent Grubb, Project Manager
Jill Asselineau, Project Director
Nathan Cox, Project Architect
Jennifer Martin, Project Architect
Tony Tranquilli, Project Designer
Andrew Borell, Project Designer
Stephen Miller, Visualizer
Project Team
Architecture: Skylab
Contractor: Andersen Construction
Civil Engineer: Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc.
Structural Engineer: catena engineers
Mechanical Engineer: PAE
Electrical Engineer: Evans Engineering and Consulting
Landscape: Shapiro Didway Landscape Architects
Plumbing: Caliber Plumbing and Mechanical
Specifications: JLC Architectural Consulting
Photography: Stephen Miller
Products
Interstate Brick
Georgia Pacific Dens Element
Tech Lighting
Arcadia Storefront and Curtain Wall
DR Johnson CLT panels and glulam members
Freres mass plywood panels
