Oregon Sustainability Center Creative DevelopmentJanuary 12

The OSC exists to lead and celebrate the green economy of Oregon’s future. It acts as a portal to Oregon’s green economy.

It is a response to the Living Building Challenge, which asks how every aspect of design and construction can make the world a better place.

It will be home to Oregon's leaders in sustainable business, government, and education.

It will act as a laboratory for green technology regionally and globally, designed to be the greenest high-rise ever built — sourcing its materials locally, creating its own energy, and collecting and treating its water on-site.

The Challenge1. To define a positioning for the Oregon Sustainability Center.

2. To tell the story of the OSC using an interactive and engaging space.

The role of the Action Center is to show all visitors that the OSC represents the cutting edge of urban sustainable design. And to place its innovation in context of Oregon’s ambitions to remain a world leader in building green cities.

It must be flexible enough to welcome new partners and content, to host temporary exhibitions and respond to developments in sustainable innovation, while retaining a consistent experience and purpose.

Towards a positioning

The OSC is a paradox.

A high rise tower with the footprint of a flower.

A building that can save us from buildings.

It refuses to believe in that old conflict

Culture vs. Nature

And help cities be part of a natural cycle.

It connects economic growth to sustainable development

The location speaks to the intent of the building.It connects the worlds of education, commerce, city policy and residential.Park blocks create a series of green corridors converging on the OSC.

Built by the people, industries and natural resources of Oregonto help us thrive.

The OSC is a Living Building

OREGON OSC WORLD

Built by the people and industries of Oregon

Over 90% materials coming from Oregon/Pacific NorthWest

Over 100 different companies involved in the construction.

780 jobs created.

$100m pumped into the Oregon economy.

Supports 4 of the 5 largest, and 3 of the 5 fastest growing industry segments in Oregon.

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Oregon Electric Group, Portland Charter Mechanical, Tualatin Orenco Systems, Sutherlin Benson Industries, Gresham Madden Fabrication, Portland

Marine Lumber, Tualatin Skyline Sheet Metal, Troutdale Advanced Metal and Wire Products, Wood Village

West Coast Paper, Eugene

Dura Industries, Portland

Hartung Glass, Wilsonville KPFF, Portland B&G Builders, Portland Collins, Portland

Oregon’s business has always come from its rich natural resources, its manufacturing and creative workforce

The OSC continues this tradition and establishes leadership for the green economy

The building provides leadership at a time of economic growth powered by sustainability

To connect the OSC with communities in Oregon and beyond

To drive people to the OSC Action Centre and to inspire change in their lives

To promote the OSC as a center for education, research and knowledge

To demonstrate the clear connection between sustainable and economic development, specifically linking green building, the green economy and jobs for Oregon

Roles for branding and communications

VisitorsRegularUsers

Invite participation, share knowledge, inspire personal action

Align building and organisations’ aimsRemain involved and excited by OSC innovation

OSC PERMANENT STORIESEVERGREEN

TENANTS

SEASONAL

COMMUNITYPARTNERS

WATER ENERGY WASTE FOOD TRANS-PORT ETC

EG. UMPQUA EG. PDC

EG. SOLARIZE EG. LOCAL FARMS

USERS ANDVISITORS

WORK

EG. PSU, PCC

Permanent Space

The Building (construction, operation)

Water

Energy(solar, geothermal)

Waste

Responsive (Encouraging feedback, or a change in behavior)

As we show the building’s systems, its working and its health, let’s make any representation

Embedded(Part of the building’s walls, ceilings, floor)

Intuitive(A child can tell what’s going on)

Emotional(You feel the building’s health, before you have to think about it)

All of us, then, have been born into a world full of abstract technologies and systems. We are forced to adapt to them in order to survive.

Berries, grassland, birds and clouds have long since ceased to be the things we need to read in order to survive.

Insofar as these elements still exist in our environment, they have taken on a recreational role.

Instead, we live in a world of screens.

-Koert Van Mensvoort, Our Environment as an Information Carrier

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant.

We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.-Einstein

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50'

50'

15'

33''

VisualLanguageWe will use the building’s raw materials as a consistent design element throughout the building.

To show that the OSC was built by the people and industries of Oregon

During the launch period we will connect the materials to the industries and the people behind them

Strips of the different materials will flow continuously across the Action Center surfaces, and beyond: into the Lobby and outside.LEDs will line certain parts of the structure.

A curved, organic, flowing surface and overall shape. With sharp transitions between materials. Points of intense light.

We will work with Oregon based artists to create a unique, inspirational space.

Floor: Geothermal

Ceiling: Solar

Wall: Water

Pole: Waste

Continuing the metaphor of the living building, we want the LEDs to represent its health.

When systems are working well, and there is plenty of energy, there should be a regular flow of lights. The lights breathe in a calm fashion (like a sleeping Macbook).

Reduced energy production/overconsumption can be indicated by more rapid flashing (showing distress)

The number of lights in operation can reflect the building’s available resources.

But looking like this...The Building - operation

A 5ft high model, realistic, but colorful and inviting. Inspired by plant and animal nervous systems

Moving parts to show PV and blinds. Light representing energy, water and waste.

Based on this...

Throughout the building, we will continue to signal the health of the building through a simplified identity that refers to the Action Center materials

On: In use

A single LED will help users understand energy and resource status.

Flashing:Shortage.Use sparingly.

Breathing:Healthy.

The visual language will show the health of the building throughout

LED firepits will offer places for people to gather, socialise and learn more about the OSC.

Firetables

Firetables

Another way to communicate information about the building, and to encourage people to explore Portland, and to make changes in their lives.

A place to capture and share feedback.

Seasonal stories

WATER ENERGY WASTE FOOD TRANS-PORT ETC

We want to tell each seasonal theme from different perspectives, showing how different stakeholders are connected

personal/community

business osc worldoregon

WORK

education/research

WORK

How the green economy works for youThe OSC is built by the people and industry of Oregon. We will highlight the companies and individuals responsible for the center, show the jobs it created and offer ways for OSC visitors to be part of Oregon’s economy.

personal/community

business osc worldoregoneducation/research

Building the OSCLeading up to the opening and for the first few months of its operation we want to tell the stories of the people and industries connected to the construction of the OSC.

Showing that many Oregon industries are part of sustainable solutions.

And that the OSC has benefitted from and supported local industry and created jobs.

Profiles of the people and industries of Oregon involved in building the OSC.Surrounded by figures related to total number of companies involved, jobs created, etc

We will use the profiles of the people and industries involved in the OSC to start a broader conversation about work.

We will invite Oregon companies to show how they are part of the green economy. What if the launch weekend was also a job fair, connecting the companies of Oregon with the workers, and helping them to discover new opportunities?

Visitors will be able to upload their own photos of people that they feel have been positively affected by the OSC to a Facebook gallery. For example, an Umpua bank employee can add her team’s photographs or a PSU student can add his professor.

We will feature PSU, OSU, etc sustainability courses and talk about the kind of employment opportunities they lead to.

ENERGY

How Oregon’s green energy is repowering the stateRepresent the diversity of sustainable energy solutions across Oregon.Show guests how they can repower their life with Oregon’s green energy. Highlight the companies involved in the building of the OSC’s energy portfolio and the businesses that can help bring clean energy to the people in the OSC’s community.Show how people can make a change by making the tech innovation in the building’s energy systems accessible to the visitor in a DIY format.

personal/community

business osc worldoregoneducation/research

We want make the tech innovation in the building’s energy systems accessible to the visitor in a DIY format, to highlight the companies involved in the building of the OSC’s energy portfolio and show the businesses that can help bring clean energy to the people in the OSC’s community.

We also want to show the variety of clean energy solutions that are being explored in Oregon

We will create a large map of Oregon on the exhibition wall of the Action Centre, with key energy locations highlighted.

Online/mobile, people can find out more about the different projects highlighted on the map and add their own energy saving projects to the Oregon energy map.

Visitors will be able to link  through to relevant organizations to make a change in their life, through going solar, having an energy audit, getting a green loan.

Energy experts will be available at the fire tables to talk through personal green energy options.

Our main partners will be Panasonic, with their focus on solar and energy saving appliances and Umpqua, with their green street product which finances energy efficiency. The map will show people in Portland and beyond how many people are making the switch to a more efficient home, and we’ll link directly to Umpqua so that visitors are able to take action online.

In the event space, we’ll make sure that visitors are led to the Umpqua store for more information on making energy changes in their homes, perhaps even using the Panasonic products that they’ve learned about on the map.

People will be able to use the fire tables or their mobile app to find out more about the specific examples of innovative energy use on the map.

The community will also be able to add their own houses or businesses to the map if they’ve made a positive change: eg had an energy audit, solar panels installed, geo-thermal put in or offset their power.

The concept is designed to show the diversity and prevalence of clean energyin Oregon, to encourage interaction and to get the community excited about cleaning up their energy.