Opsis Architecture’s Offices Garner Three Awards for Interface Engineering

Portland, Oregon - Interface Engineering recently received two awards for Opsis Architecture’s newly renovated Lovejoy Office Building in northwest Portland. Interface took home one of four Grand Awards from the Oregon Chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC Oregon) and an Honorable Mention for HVAC from Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine’s national Advancing, Reinvigorating and Cultivating Excellence in Engineering (ARC) competition. The office building also won the 2004 Excellence in Construction Award from Associated Builders & Contractors’ (ABC) Pacific Northwest Chapter.

For the Lovejoy Office Building, Interface Engineering had the task of providing mechanical engineering design for the renovation of a 75-year-old two-story structure into a comfortable, productive, energy-efficient modern office building. The 20,000 SF brick structure was originally used as a stables, warehouse and office. Opsis Architecture designed the upper 10,000 SF floor for use as their own office space, with a maximum capacity of about 40 people.

Interface Engineering took advantage of the required seismic upgrade to pour a new concrete second floor with in-floor tubing to support radiant heating and cooling, using zone controls. The design also provided temperature-responsive controls for occupant comfort, using a specially designed system that averages three-day outdoor temperatures to control slab temperatures. The natural ventilation cooling system uses operable windows and an overhead paddle-fan system. The result was 51% modeled energy savings vs. the 2003 Oregon Energy Code.

The energy conserving solutions also included: demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) with carbon dioxide sensors; water-conserving fixtures; daylighting control of electric lighting; and reduced lighting power density. Interface’s principal-in-charge, John McMichael, PE, said, “The first summer and winter have proven out our design; during last summer’s long stretch of 90-degree days, the internal office temperature never got above 78 degrees, relying mostly on the radiant cooling system, paddle fans and operable windows for natural ventilation. This is the kind of engineering we like to practice – high-performance on a conventional budget.”

In this way, the building responds well to seasonal changes in outdoor air temperatures. The project expects to receive a LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. (more)

James Meyer, AIA, Principal of Opsis Architecture, commended Interface’s work: “The energy performance and human comfort of our building exceeds our expectations. Opsis appreciates the high level of leadership that Interface brought to our project.”

Interface Engineering is a 36-year-old firm with offices in Portland, Seattle and Sacramento. With more than 120 employees, Interface offers full-service mechanical and electrical design services, along with specialty services in such areas as lighting design, fire/life safety consulting, technologies design, building commissioning and sustainable design. Current significant design projects include the LEED-Platinum -seeking OHSU River Campus Center for Health and Healing on Portland’s southwest Waterfront and numerous high-rise condominium projects in Bellevue and Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and San Jose, Sacramento, Los Angeles and Irvine, California. Interface’s project for the new Hillsboro (OR) Civic Center was just certified at LEED “Gold” by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Additional media material may be accessed at our website www.interface-engineering.com

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