By Marissa Sainz, July 19, 2021
Portland’s Central Eastside is making moves! For years, Portland has been on the quest towards carbon neutrality, yet commercial buildings are still the main source of carbon pollution in the city. Killian Pacific is spearheading the movement by redesigning and reinventing Portland’s Central Eastside. Once home to the majority of Portland’s factories, the quadrant’s lifeblood is now drawn from tech companies and creative-driven businesses. Killian Pacific has developed a cluster of innovative buildings known as the Electric Blocks, designed to be spacious and “imaginative”, adapting to the changing city!
The five innovative buildings include the Highwire, Nova, Skylight, Groundwire, and Volta (still in planning). The Electric Blocks are described as “flexible workspaces”, designed to inspire and uplift employees, not stifle them. In design theory, this means constructing high ceilings, placing stimulating artwork, and oversized windows. Office space is available to lease for any Portland business or individual on the Electric Blocks website!
Buildings of the Electric Blocks
- Highwire — Constructed with a renewable timber frame, it is the largest building in the region built with mass timber, ensuring it stands strong for generations. Mass timber is the process of molding small pieces of soft wood together in layers, crosswise, to form an incredibly sturdy “plywood” material. These buildings can retain structural integrity for hours in intense fires, perform better in earthquakes than concrete and steel, allow buildings to be constructed faster, cut production emissions… AND are visually stunning.
Highwire is rated “platinum” on the LEED rating system — the highest rating for energy efficiency and use of renewable resources. Joe Thurston (local Portland artist) and Hacker Architects collaborated to meld local art throughout the building’s design. Every floor features outdoor terraces and 13-foot ceilings to create an open environment — no cubicles in this office building!
2. Nova — The Nova building is housed in the former Taylor Electric warehouse, destroyed in a 2006 fire. During the time the building’s remains sat vacant, the standing walls became a destination for street artists to showcase their work. Nova reflects the original building’s history with a graffiti-clad rear external wall—reminiscent of the former building’s art encased remains. The design commemorates the artists who built this neighborhood and honor our city’s history while continuing to push towards an innovative future.
For a while, Nova was the tallest mass timber building in the area… until word spread of the material’s sustainability and fire resistance! Now, we’re seeing the material used in a ton of newer, ever taller, builds.
3. Skylight — Built on the notion that everyone should feel safe, comfortable, and included, Skylight has exclusively all-gender restrooms, private showers with towel service, and a hyper efficient HVAC system. The building gets its name from the rooftop common space and hundreds of blown glass sculptures, adorning the building’s interior.
4. Groundwire — Electric Block’s most sustainable and energy-efficient building is also one of the city’s oldest! Originally built in 1911, the railroad freight depot was constructed of concrete — the renovated building used 95% of the original materials, repurposed to Platinum LEED certification, and uses 55% less energy than traditional commercial buildings. This building beautifully reflects Portland’s industrial history and its adaptive, creative future!
5. Volta — Coming soon! The build is being reconstructed from the 1940 electrical warehouse. Although the original exposed beam ceilings remain, the entire building will be redesigned to LEED Gold certification and Net-Zero efficiency. Killian Pacific says Volta will be “reimagined as a light-filled haven of inspiration and possibility”. As amazing as the four standing Electric Blocks buildings are… I expect that Killian Pacific will have plenty in store for us with Volta.
Dive into the details at the Electric Blocks website! We’re chatting over on my Instagram about whether Electric Blocks is the model for the new Portland norm — Join us there! I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Marissa Sainz
Broker | Earth Advantage | OR
She/Her
Whether you want to live in a hip Pearl District condo or a unique east side bungalow I am here to help you find the perfect home.
The Pearl District and the close in surrounding neighborhoods are exciting and evolving areas and where I focus my business.
It is important in our changing real estate world, where location is so vital to home buyers, to work with a neighborhood expert. We all want to live near our local grocery store and within walking distance of our favorite coffee spot, restaurants and parks.
I am here to guide buyers and sellers through the process every step of the way, if you are a first time home buyer searching for the perfect starter home or looking to move as your family and lifestyle change.
Marissa earned a degree in finance with a concentration in real estate from The University of Texas at Austin. Before coming to residential real estate in Portland Marissa worked for both a national and local commercial real estate firm. Around town Marissa is involved with the Women in Insurance and Financial Services Portland chapter as well as the Women's Council of REALTORS®.
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- T: 512-736-6111
- marissa@livingroomre.com
