District Office

Speculative office development is typically driven by market appeal, adaptability and cost, all of which made mass timber a perfect fit for this project in Portland’s central east side. District Office was completed during a time when several other commercial office buildings were also coming on the market, yet the project was almost fully leased soon after completion, thanks to the market appeal of its distinctive wood interior and efficient office grid spacing. The building has 38-foot colonnade-to-window spans on one side and 28 feet on the other, creating spacious, open office layout options. District Office also includes several other unique features, including removable floor sections, a beautiful floating mass timber staircase, and a clean interior aesthetic. The design team found ways to save by utilizing 3-ply CLT panels, innovative beam-to-column connections and quick, efficient installation, for a distinctive yet cost competitive development.

See the business case study for this project. The case study series aims to fill a gap in available information related to the financial performance of U.S. properties constructed with mass timber structural systems in buildings across various product sub-types. Using transparent quantitative data, each of the 10 case studies analyzes how mass timber has created value and provides a qualitative overview of successes, challenges, and lessons learned from the developer/owner perspective. 

See the WoodWorks technical case study to learn more about the design and construction of this building.