The Henry Building Renovation
The Henry Building is a six-story building containing 173 single-resident occupancy units and active ground floor retail in downtown Portland.
Details
Name
The Henry Building Renovation
Client
Central City Concern
Scale
173 units
Status
Completed 2020
Location
Portland, OR
Sector
Specialties
Seismic improvements and more units, leaving the history intact
From an urban design perspective, the Henry, built in the 1900s, is vital as a historic resource adjacent to the Skidmore/Old Town Historic District. SERA’s design of a major seismic retrofit—while adding more housing units—had to be considerate not to impact any of the building’s historic elements, such as the exterior façade, interior hallways, or the appearance of the interior daylit court.
Historic significance and unreinforced masonry
The 1909 Henry Building provides deeply-affordable housing and resident services in downtown Portland, but its status as an unreinforced masonry structure and listing on the National Register of Historic Places created a unique challenge for our design team.
The grand exterior undisturbed
As part of the renovation to add residential units and update systems, our retrofit strategy had to be implemented without impacting the exterior façade, the interior daylight atrium, or many of the interior features with historic significance.
Ambitious goals established by an organization that cares
Central City Concern’s initial criteria were to maintain occupancy during construction for approximately 40% of the existing residential tenant population; add residential units where possible; minimize or eliminate disruption to commercial tenants; and design a full seismic upgrade to the building without affecting its designation on the National Register of Historic Places.
Inspired, multi-functional solutions
Along with a structural floor diaphragm, we added four concrete cores that act as the primary vertical elements of the seismic structure. The cores created space for elevator shafts and public restrooms at each level, and additional residential units along the central atrium. Importantly, our solution was an affordable option for our nonprofit client Central City Concern.
Inspired, and affordable, solutions
The cores created space for elevator shafts and public restrooms at each level, and additional residential units along the central atrium. Importantly, our solution was an affordable option for our nonprofit client Central City Concern.
Awards
Today, the rehabilitated National Register-listed building offers safe, beautiful and dignified spaces for 173 veterans and low-income residents.
Press
Central City Concern is celebrating the virtual grand re-opening of the historic Henry building!
After more than 100 years gracing downtown, a newly restored apartment building is ready to offer hard-pressed Portlanders a place to call home for another century and beyond.
The six-story Henry Building was designed by architect Francis J. Berndt, and sits on a quarter-block at 309 S.W. Fourth Ave.
