College Inn Rehab Started

The College Inn at OSU is being renovated, a sign that many 1960s dorms will be undergoing the same treatment.

CORVALLIS - The $10.6 million renovation of the College Inn dormitory at Oregon State University could be a model for other 1960s-era dorms that need rehabilitation.

Across the nation there are scores of dormitories that no longer conform to current building standards, student preferences and college administrations' desires to keep students on campus. At least ten of the structures were College Inns.

"By renovating the OSU College Inn, the university will get a better quality building than today's dollars could build and the impact on the environment will be significantly less than if the building were torn down and all the concrete, wiring and ductwork went into a landfill," said Kurt Haapala, project manager for Mahlum Architects.

"Instead, we will reuse the building's exterior core and shell, a majority of interior partitions, mechanical and electrical main systems, as well as doors, door hardware and even bathroom mirrors."

Thermal insulated high- performance aluminum windows will replace the existing windows, entry canopies will be added to reduce heat loads and glare, and landscape pavers will be added to improve the exterior appearance. The existing roof will also be replaced and new insulation added.

Work on the renovation began in May - design began in 2003 -- and is scheduled to reopen in April 2006. The College Inn was closed in 2002 because of plumbing and ventilation issues. Walsh Construction is the general contractor.

SERA Wins Award For Sustainable Practices

Portland - SERA Architects was a winner at the 13th Annual Best Awards Breakfast honoring businesses that demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to sustainability. The Office of Sustainable Development and the City of Portland presented the award. Winners must demonstrate excellence and innovation in Energy, Water Efficiency, Transportation Alternatives, Sustainable Food Systems Development, Sustainable Product Development, and Sustainable Stormwater Management. SERA's business practice and office improvements garnered recognition in 4 of the 6 categories which earned them a 2005 BEST Award for Sustainable Practices.

In September 2004 SERA left its home of 34 years, prompting an evaluation of how to use sustainable practices in its new workplace. Using an innovative process advocated by The Oregon Natural Step Network, SERA created a vision of full sustainability and then identified a list of steps required to achieve that vision.

Portland City Council Approves LEED Gold Standard

Portland--Portland's leadership in high performance green buildings, low impact development, and smart growth got another boost from the city council, with Commissioner Dan Saltzman's recommendations to improve and expand the city's four-year old Green Building Policy. The new policy includes more rigorous standards for city owned facilities, Portland Development Commission-funded projects and incentives to facilitate the permitting of LEED registered buildings in the private sector.

All new city facilities must meet the Gold level of the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system. LEED, a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, has become the most widely used tool in the U.S. to help design and evaluate the environmental performance of a building.

Portland joins Scottsdale, Arizona as the second city in the country to require LEED Gold certification for city facilities. Regionally, Vancouver, BC also requires all of their municipal facilities to achieve LEED Gold.