B76 was designed 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. The ground floor will be activated by storefronts along third avenue and a work space above. This new building program will also reintegrate a pedestrian stair down from the Burnside Bridge level to third avenue akin to the original stairs that previously existed.

This wedge-shaped 20,000 sq ft building will feature a new CLT structural system with open ground level commuter oriented retail environments for daily guests and tenants. The workspace above will be wrapped in brick masonry with the building acting as an anchor for the Burnside Bridge and a gateway to the eastside community.

Site Characteristics/Constraints

A leftover berm space was created when the City of Portland built the new one-way Couch Street couplet reconnecting the roadway to the Burnside Bridge. 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. 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 b76 and the skate park for food carts. This will extend the Third Avenue ground level retail environment into the forgotten and unused urban spaces full of creative potential.

Project Size: 20,000 sq. ft.

Estimated Completion: May 2019

Program: Commercial Office and Retail

Zoning Constraints: Commercial and Retail uses only with no parking or loading.

Construction Systems: CLT
Developer: Key Development

About Skylab 
Established almost two decades ago in Portland, Oregon, Skylab is a band of makers—curious, industrious and experimental. As architects, designers, creators and entrepreneurs, Skylab works together across a wide range of landscapes and locations. Their designers are futurists, making today what they believe will inspire and connect people tomorrow. By exploring, curating and innovating, they are always looking ahead to create what may shape tomorrow. Skylab reveals the unseen for those willing to seek it. 

Offering unique and customized services, Skylab’s greatest value is in their holistic approach to problem solving across the following disciplines and offerings: Architecture, Interior Design, Branded Environments, Planning.