Meyer Memorial Trust is a private foundation that invests in organizations, communities, ideas, and efforts that contribute to a flourishing and equitable Oregon. Their new campus in Portland, Oregon’s Albina neighborhood is a platform for advancing Meyer’s initiatives across the state, supported by an innovative design that expresses the Foundation’s commitment to equity and sustainability. 

The building functions as a community anchor, with a ground floor that is designed as a welcoming “front porch” to the surrounding neighborhood. The heart and focal point of the building is Meyer’s Center for Great Purposes, a 100-seat convening center designed as a space for collaborations with community partners that is highly visible from the street level. The Center opens up to the Kwánsǝm Yakwá Garden which serves as an educational setting for staff and visitors featuring indigenous plant species. The office program, along with a mission library and café with a roof garden terrace, is strategically placed on the building’s upper levels to prioritize an activated ground floor that engages with the community.

Meyer’s campus employs the most innovative and forward-thinking approach to equity in the building industry. The project incorporates design thinking at every level that accommodates various levels of physical ability, and is inviting to all regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age. Some examples include a bottom-up approach to design and decision-making with participation of Meyer staff at every stage of the design process; thoughtful distribution of windows throughout the building to ensure equal access to light, nature, and views; furniture that accommodates different body types and physical abilities; and a highly curated art and literary collection to reflect a diversity of cultures and languages. In addition to a diverse leadership team, a rigorous process was established at the onset for engaging BIPOC and women-owned businesses throughout design and construction. The result was 47 percent of the project being built by BIPOC and women-owned subcontractors, with 20 percent being “stretch” opportunities for emerging businesses. The building as a whole, through intention, design and narrative, creates a healthy environment for employees and the community-at-large to thrive.

The project showcases an innovative use of materials that are regionally sourced and locally manufactured. The Center for Great Purposes is built entirely with a new wood product called Mass Plywood, manufactured by Freres Lumber in Lyons, Oregon, and is one of the first structures in the United States to utilize this new-to-market material. Off-the-shelf sheet metal on the exterior, also sourced in Oregon, was customized into unique triangular panels that create an innovative façade showcasing a dynamic play of light and shadow that changes depending on the time of day. Additionally, in line with Meyer’s commitment to supporting rural forestry-based jobs, rural communities, and innovation in Oregon, much of the building was constructed with wood. Specific wood sourcing criteria was developed for the project in partnership with nonprofit Sustainable Northwest, which supports forests that are managed intentionally for carbon sequestration, worker rights, human health, water, and wildlife habitat; and engages BIPOC-owned businesses and local Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified businesses in the overall procurement. The result is that 85 percent of the wood in the building met the definition of “Sustainable Wood” with 49 percent being FSC-certified.

The core philosophy behind the new Meyer Memorial Trust headquarters connects the application of sustainable building design with social equity and community development, demonstrating the synergistic relationship that can be developed between these two goals. The building is Oregon’s first to achieve LEED v4 Platinum New Construction certification and is also enrolled in the Energy Trust of Oregon’s Path to Net Zero program. The design employs a number of sustainable design strategies to achieve these ambitious certifications, including solar PV panels which produce over 60,000 kWh annually, an energy efficient building enclosure and HVAC system, on-site stormwater management, and a dynamic filtration system that creates healthier air quality for staff and visitors. Overall, the building uses 30 percent less energy, 35 percent less water indoors, and 80 percent less water for irrigation compared to Oregon code standards. 

Additionally, the landscape design reflects local ecology, community history, and regional identity with a regional plant palette that was sustainably sourced and composed of Oregon native or adapted species which were selected for their cultural significance.