We’ve reached a major milestone in the design of the Southwest Corridor Light Rail Project with the release of the draft Conceptual Design Report, 14 months in the making. The proposed 11-mile extension of the MAX light rail system will connect Downtown Portland, Southwest Portland, Tigard and Tualatin.
Leading the conceptual design, a joint venture between Mayer/Reed, ZGF and VIA Architecture prepared an overview of the corridor context and history and developed proposed urban design concepts including biking and walking improvements, stormwater strategies, station configurations, structures, streetscape and system elements summarized in the report. Special strategies such as tunnels, flyovers, elevators and even an inclined elevator – a modern type of funicular – are proposed to respond to the more challenging site conditions along the route.
Throughout the process we’ve enjoyed interacting with the communities along the line. A recent series of open houses shared the concepts and collected community input which the team will use to finalize the report in anticipation of a funding bond measure. There’s still time contribute your thoughts until March 27 through TriMet’s online open house.
As darkness approached on opening night, a crew from Mayer/Reed walked from our downtown studio to partake in the festivities flanking the riverfront. Such amazing displays! Our first stop, of course, was the installation we designed – Kinetic DeLight. We had so much fun watching the night light up as people found their own, unique ways of interacting with the hundreds of human-powered LED skateboard wheels. Mayer/Reed is proud to have supported this community-building event since the beginning – as sponsors, designers and volunteers – and we look forward to next year’s bright ideas.
Designers, contractors and community leaders recently celebrated the completed renovation of the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. The major upgrade elevates the visitor experience – indoors and out – at the largest event venue in the Pacific Northwest.
After years of design and construction, Portland State University’s former Neuberger Hall reopened this week with a new name, 
The Mayer/Reed designed jetty is a 77 ft. long steel and wood structure that invites people to dock out of the flow for a period of time. It provides places to sit, dine, study, converse, create, relax, people-watch or simply be. We’ll be watching to see how it gets used in the days ahead.