New Community Library Features Forest-Centric Design
Multnomah East County Library | Gresham, Oregon
Overview
The project, situated on a previously underutilized parking lot at NW Division Street and NW Eastman Parkway, is part of a county-wide $387M bond measure to update and modernize the local library system and leans into the region's forest products industries. East County Library is the largest project to be developed from that initiative and is comprised of 1,200 glulam beams and nearly 300 CLT panels. Totaling 93,000 square feet, the library is a heavy timber system designed to reflect the "natural landscape and patterns of the Pacific Northwest. Holst Architecture says, "The new East County Library emulates the sense of wonder, refuge, and exploration that the Pacific Northwest’s forests evoke. Inspired by Native architecture, the design is connected to place using local, natural materials. Mass timber forms the structure of the building from columns to roofline, matched by a wood-filled interior of paneled walls, storefronts, and balustrades.
Team
Owner | Multnomah County Library
Architect | Holst Architecture
General Contractor | Fortis
Engineer | MKA
Mass Timber | Timberlab