April 01, 2010
Portland continues to stack up its “green city” credentials with the recent awarding of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification to Ziba Design’s headquarters building in the Pearl District, built with financial assistance from PDC.
In addition, on April 6 at the 2010 Oregon Brownfields Conference, PDC will receive the Oregon Brownfields Award for its work on the Station Place redevelopment, which includes the Ziba headquarters building, Station Place Garage, and Station Place Tower senior housing.
“The Ziba project has been a triple win for our business assistance program,” said Bruce Warner, PDC Executive Director. “It attracted private investment, kept quality jobs in the city, and achieved green building goals.” PDC provided $875,000 in loans and grants to support the project, which attracted nearly $19 million in private investment and retained 99 high-wage jobs in the River District Urban Renewal Area.
Designed by local firm Holst Architecture and built on a former brownfield site near the Union Station rail yards, the three-story, 76,000 square foot building uses reclaimed wood and features concrete floors, large windows for natural light and a rooftop vegetable garden. Work spaces at Ziba encourage co-mingling; purposeful “blocks” and long “alleys” allow groups to gather for work on a specific project. The building has a 15,000 sq. ft. ground floor retail space, a pocket gallery open to the public, and an amphitheater that seats 200, available for both employee and community events, panel discussions and screenings. It was completed in August 2009.
Ziba worked with local green services firm Brightworks Sustainability Advisors to achieve its LEED certification. The headquarters project received 40 of the 41 points submitted for review. “Ziba’s new headquarters building is a great example of how exceptional design, environmental performance and functionality can be mutually supportive goals,” said Scott Lewis, CEO of Brightworks.
