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As a final blog post, I am so happy to share a few important reflections from 2011. It is with tremendous gratitude and appreciation that we continue to explore and discover solutions to meet the many challenges that our clients face. Here are just a few of the year’s highlights…..

Roseburg VA Medical Center

- The Roseburg VA Medical Center Acute Psych Ward is an exciting opportunity to treat the needs of our service men and women in an environment that is home like and comforting.

Oregon State University Energy Center

- The Oregon State University Energy Center LEED Platinum cogeneration plant was recognized as a finalist in the DJC Top Projects awards.

Mt Hood Community College Master Plan

- Mt Hood Community College continues to take steps in achieving their master planning goals with a campus wayfinding implementation and a campus electrical upgrade. The city of Gresham is in the process of adopting an Institutional Master Plan process to meet the long term needs of our larger institutions.

Jeld-Wen Stadium

- We celebrated the grand opening of the new Jeld-Wen Stadium. Congratulations to the entire project team including Turner Construction, AECOM, Peregrine Sports and the City of Portland for a successful project and a great Portland Timbers inaugural year.

- We worked with Southern Oregon University on a feasibility study for biomass cogeneration plant.

- Ohpd with solar specialist Martin Shain worked with Portland Community College on a District-wide solar feasibility study.

- We worked with the Rio Tinto Museum of Natural History on a Solar Gateway.

- We worked with the Portland VA Medical Center on several IDIQ projects including an MRI and Supply, Processing and Distribution addition.

- Ohpd is working with Oregon Health and Science University on a new master agreement with many exciting opportunities to provide services.

- We completed a seismic remediation for Symantec with Degenkolb Engineers and Emerick Construction.

- Ohpd is certified as an EDEN Alternative Specialist with our team member Jackie Gilles. Jackie is paving a way toward design of elder housing that is restorative and filled with community.

- Our team won the first place trophy for the Pacific Office Furnishings table tennis tournament. Blazing Paddles!

We are fortunate to work with many creative and skilled professionals including our clients, our consultants, building and planning jurisdictions, and those who will occupy and make use of the spaces we design. We are so blessed to to what we love and share it with others who join us in the pursuit of excellence.

Happy Holidays!

Deb France

For me, the year end is a time of thoughtful reflection and consideration of the year ahead. 2010 was a year of recovery, following difficult times in 2009.

My 2010 reflections begin with the talented Oh team who make the magic each day. Leslie, Zach, Deb, Zig, John, Jackie, Heidi, Mark, Allyson, Kerry, Cary. 120 fingers working hard for our clients. Thank you all for your amazing contributions.

And our clients…the heart of our work. This year we began working with the Dept of Veterans Affairs. It brings great joy to serve the VA and Veterans who serve our country. I am happy to announce some very special new clients including Portland Community College, University of Utah with BacGen Solar, and Symantec. I am especially thankful for continuing professional services to returning clients such as the Oregon University System, City of Portland, Multnomah County, Cerimon House, Peregrine Sports with EB, and Mt Hood Community College (MHCC). This year, I was honored to speak on master planning with MHCC President Dr. John Sygielski at the American Association for Community College conventions in Seattle and Toronto.

I am blessed to be working along side clients who I consider friends and to share these experiences with a talented team who are passionate about their work. Through our recovery we are having fun and living each day to its fullest.

I wish you a very special 2011 filled with inspiration and discovery.
Deb France

I just returned from a short but oh so sweet trip to Toronto, Canada for the Association of Community College Trustee’s annual congress. I was honored to speak along side with Mt Hood Community College board member Dave Shields and President John “Ski” Sygielski.

Our community colleges are on the front line of providing access to a hopeful future for one-hundred percent of our community. I am so impressed with the commitment I see in the trustees, college presidents, and advocates. It is going to take more – it is going to take all of us together.

Together we can achieve great things. I am reminded of the YouTube video titled The Miniature Earth, and the reality of how much we have and how much we can offer from our position on the planet. If you have not seen this short video then take a moment now and know that YOU are a vital and important member of a global community.

As featured in the Portland DJC on Friday, September 24, 2010

If you have watched the highly regarded television series “Mad Men,” perhaps you were amazed by how women were treated in the past. Is this shocking to us because we have come so far? Or have we just become more tolerant of our “diversity barriers”?

According to recent U.S. Census Bureau data, there are 307,006,050 living citizens in the United States, and 50.7 percent are women. Following is perspective on how far women have progressed in the area of gender equality, especially in the architecture profession.

The United States Constitution was adopted Sept. 17, 1787. This supreme law is the framework for how our government is run. Article VI provided the right to vote to white men, regardless of religious belief.

The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified on Feb. 3, 1870, prohibits each government in the United States from denying a male citizen the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified on Aug. 18, 1920, granted women the right to vote. Women were recognized as voting citizens 133 years after the Constitution was adopted. My grandmother was 5 years old at the time.

We have since seen many improvements in gender equality, especially in academic achievement, yet women are not well represented as principals/owners of architecture firms.

The following statistics are based on the Portland chapter of the American Institute of Architects membership listings for both firms and individuals. The AIA is the best resource for accessing this information.

Additional information on a national study by Alexis Gregory is available on the AIA Blog.

The 2010-2011 membership in the Portland chapter of the AIA has decreased in the past year from 736 to 683 active members. This is likely due to the struggling economy. Of the 683 active members in Oregon, 102 are women. Of the 93 architecture firms, four are owned by women. Those 93 firms have 269 principals/owners; 33 are women and just 13 are women architects.

As percentages:

* 14.9 percent of the members of AIA’s Portland chapter are women

* 12.3 percent of the principals/owners of AIA’s Portland chapter are women

* 4.8 percent of principals/owners are women architects

* 1.9 percent of the active members of AIA’s Portland chapter are women principals/owners (35 percent are men principals/owners)

We are missing the diversity and richness that women leaders bring to the profession of architecture and design. This should be a concern for everyone because it demonstrates a lack of equity and a lack of opportunity for future generations unless something is changed. Is this the legacy that we want to leave to our children?

I started Oh planning + design, architecture in 2004 when it was clear to me that the only way to become a principal owner was to form my own firm. I look forward to a time when equity is the standard and not the exception.

Deb France is principal owner of Oh planning + design, architecture. Contact her at deb.france@ohpd.net.

While many people were commemorating the anniversary of St Helen’s volcanic eruption thirty years ago, May 18, 2010 was also the big celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Portland Archives & Records Center (PARC) facility!

After 28 years in its North Portland location, PARC has exchanged the old City incinerator on N. Columbia Boulevard for a centrally located facility just a few blocks from City Hall. PARC is the official repository for city records and its mission is to preserve these records for future generations while providing access for today’s citizens and city employees. From the original city ordinances, to the plans and maps of your favorite park, to photos of the City establishing its infrastructure, these records provide insight into the City’s development from 1851 to the present.

Randy Leonard with Diana Banning

This has been a wonderful and unique project since 2006, when Oh was hired to provide an assessment of the old archives facility (the Stanley Parr Archives & Records Center at Chimney Park) and forecast their needs for the coming 20 years.  The conclusion was that the existing space did not meet those needs and Archives had to either move or expand.

Detail of artist Keiko Hara's installation. The light is wonderful!

Ultimately the decision was made to locate in the the PSU Student Recreation Center building on 5^th and Harrison. Oh was hired to plan Archive’s space and coordinate their program requirements with the design-build team.  Another contract award allowed our team to facilitate the move plan, which was complicated as every box and archived material has a specific address.  These records are in a specific environmental set at 63 degrees and 40% relative humidity to preserve the documents.

The staff area with the reading room beyond.

The City archives is an interesting resource with documents and historic records that you can access with the assistance of an archivist.  The City of Portland Auditor’s Office also has online resources that are fascinating. Anyone who loves history or their city should check out the resources available to their citizens.

Special thank yous to Diana Banning, Archivist and Jim Coker, City of Portland Project Manager. We are so fortunate to have delightful clients.

Archives!

(The glass art is the work of Northwest artist Keiko Hara.)

Congratulations to everyone involved in the project, including the city!

“Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith.”
author Margaret Shephard

I am certain that many of us can identify with this statement, especially after the past year. If you have not been directly impacted by the economy then you are close to someone who has been.

I took a leap of faith in 2009 on many levels, and I appreciate that I can thank many people who also took a leap of faith on us. Today I was able to enjoy the celebration of those experiences. Here is a brief update on our celebrations. This is a sample of why we are grateful to provide service to our special clients. This is truly a small sampling of the many special people who make projects work.

Gladys McCoy Building

Multnomah County McCoy Building

The Gladys McCoy Building is still encapsulated in its white plastic wrapper but underneath is a delightful transformation. The unveiling is scheduled for early June 2010 and you will want to see this one! Beautiful details will be visible again.  Thank you Gail Hochhalter for your excellent project management.

MHCC Master Plan

Mt Hood Community College

The MHCC Board approved the 2020 master plan. Congratulations to MHCC for taking this first step to an exciting future.  Thank you President John “Ski” Sygielski for your visionary leadership.  Thank you Richard Byers for your care of the campus.

OSU Energy Center

Oregon State University Energy Center
The OSU Energy Center is the first LEED Platinum power plant in the country. Couple that with the renewable energy technology and you have a campus that is providing leadership for the nation.  Thank you Larrie Easterly for your tireless project management and thank you Bob Simonton for your faith in Oregon as a leader in renewable energy.

PGE Park Renovations

The Beavers and the Timbers are hard at work bringing favorite past times to our City. Look for another phase of construction in the fall when the stadium renovations are completed for the 2011 Major League Soccer transformation!  Thank you Terry Shugrue for keeping the construction on track.

Deb France with Randall Stuart

Cerimon House

This is a new exciting project and one that I will save for more detail. If you are interested in the Cerimon House then please visit their web site at
http://cerimonhouse.org/.  Thank you Randall Stuart for your superb vision of a home for the humanities in Portland.

DVA Prosthetics Suite

Department of Veterans Affairs
We are very fortunate to be working with the DVA on the Portland Medical Center Prosthetics Suite renovations. The renovations will begin soon and a transformation of this very important service will welcome our service men and women in a warm patient centered space.  Thank you Brian Orlowski for your project management.  Special thanks to Robert Kolln and Stan Hockett for your great work in contracting with woman owned small business.

Vic Lituczy was a unique person.  A hero. He was my mentor and role model.

Vic was one of the most skilled and knowledgeable medical planners I know.  He taught me everything he could and he supported me by opening doors to opportunities to grow and thrive in my own craft.  I know without hesitation that my journey owes a debt of gratitude to Vic.

Vic and I met in 1992 when I was a second year intern at JKS Architects.  He was the partner for health care and I was offered the chance to work with him on the Port Townsend, WA Hospital.  There was no going back after that – I had caught the bug for health care design, master planning and working with someone with the energy and enthusiasm to always seek improvement.  Vic and I came together again in 1996 when he offered me the project architect role for the PeaceHealth Longview, WA hospital.  Together we overcame many challenges to achieve a new state-of-the-art hospital.  We continued to work together on the OHSU master plan and California Pacific Medical Center.

Vic was able to open doors for me.  He campaigned for me to participate in an International Design retreat in Switzerland.  He sent me to leadership training in Virginia.  He helped to position me to take the Vice President role in the San Francisco office for HLM Design.

In 2004 I opened the doors to my own firm, Oh planning+design, architecture.   Vic was working for the Hammes Company and again he found a way to transition from mentor to client.  Together we worked on five master plans in the past six years.  Vic would offer to meet me after work to talk about the office or the economy or our families – we always stayed connected.

I knew that Vic was watching over me – offering helpful advice and I was always a willing listener.  We laughed and we cried more than a few times.  His brilliant career is filled with great accomplishments and achievements.  What resonates with me was his constant assurance and encouragement.  He chose to share his wealth of knowledge with me and I am honored.  Now he has left us, suddenly and much too soon.

We live our lives with the gift of angel wings that carry us from one destination to another.  I am grateful for a few special angels in my life today.  Vic was one of my angels and he had a strong wing span that carried me for 18 years.  I will be able to share my wings with others in honor of him.

Deb France

I just returned from Seattle where I attended the American Association of Community Colleges AACC national convention.  There I shared the honor of speaking alongside Mt Hood Community College President John “Ski” Sygielski and two MHCC Board members Dave Shields and Brian Freeman.  We shared our experience with the  MHCC master plan and valuable lessons with other colleges.

While at the convention, I learned more of the American Graduation Initiative http://www.ed.gov/blog/2009/07/american-graduation-initiative-strengthening-community-colleges/ . I listened to US Dept of Education Under Secretary Martha Kanter speak about the ambitious goal of providing access to education to the TOP 100% of Americans.  President Barack Obama has formed the American Graduation Initiative to increase the number of graduates by eight million  by 2020.  At the moment, we are tenth in the world in academic achievement and this will continue to decline if we do not take action.  Of the eight million goal, five million will come from community colleges.  The approximate 1,000 community colleges across this country have a challenge that they are accepting – the challenge of how to make this happen.  We all play a role in coming together and accepting this challenge.

I was impressed by Melinda French Gates speech regarding the Gates Foundation efforts to provide access to education and dedication to innovations that bring health and learning to a global economy.  They have personally toured colleges and see the strong need for innovative solutions to remedial education that reduces the discouragement in students who have a high school diploma yet are told they are not college ready.  All great accomplishments were met with challenges and we are ready to work together to achieve this goal.

Portland loves Soccer!

Zach Hilleson on site

On March 20, 2009, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber announced that Portland will be the home of the League’s 18th team! Thank you Merritt Paulson and his family for your love of the game and providing a world-class soccer environment for Portland’s soccer fans.

So here we go soccer fans in the City of Roses – bring on MLS in 2011! I can almost hear the fans chanting for the Portland Timbers now. The PGE Park improvements include several state-of-the-art amenities with new permanent seats and concessions on the east side fronting 18th Street. The field will be sized to meet MLS regulations. Player facilities will also see improvements.

This project comes at a time when Portland’s economic development can use a boost. Oh planning+design, architecture is one of the many businesses in town who appreciate the opportunity to work on this exciting project and add jobs to our fragile economy. Working in association with prime architect AECOM Ellerbe Becket and Turner Construction on this fast paced multi-phased plan to reach the GOL!