Project Description
Lincoln Hall is the cornerstone of the Portland State University campus, providing a gateway from downtown to the academic core of the University. Built in 1911 as the first public high school in Portland, the building was given to PSU in 1952. Over the years, a number of renovations ultimately weakened the building from a seismic and functional standpoint.
Through creative design thinking on how to do more with less, the design team was able to stretch a deferred maintenance budget into a whole building transformation. Natural light has returned to Lincoln Hall via resurrected light wells and uncovered historic windows. The Steel BRB’s used to make the building safer from a seismic perspective were expressed as a design element and allow light to filter through to interior spaces. The reconfiguration of existing roof trusses and replacement of old mechanical systems created additional classroom space on the top level, while basement renovations allowed for the insertion of a black box theater.
The revitalized building includes a rooftop solar array and was been awarded a LEED Platinum certification in 2011, the first building on the PSU campus achieve this rating level.