Ideas to share...
Architectural products and materials knowledge keeps us relevant to your design process. We regularly engage with product representatives, attend industry seminars, and contribute to industry groups in order to maintain our awareness of changes and new processes in the construction industry.
Additionally, we participate on panels and in discussions, sit on student critiques and juries, attend design conferences, and provide education opportunities to remain at the forefront of ideas and knowledge in the design community.
Below are systems, components, products and materials which we've brought to the attention of our clients and incorporated into recent projects. For a list of manufacturer's representatives for the regions we are working in, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Additional, visit our What's that? page for a primer on where to find some of the many building components that we specify.
Dura-Fuse Frames
Steel moment frames are traditionally designed to sacrifice the structure. While good for saving lives, this approach has poor resilience, due to the difficulty of replacing damaged beams. A repairable steel moment‐frame connection solves this.
...Another product providing this feature:
Yield Link Brace Connection
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Cast Connex
Timber End Connectors are clevis-type fittings for heavy timber or glue-laminated structural elements for use in architecturally exposed applications.
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Cavity Sliders
Make spaces feel more open and taller by using full-height doors. The base of the FH Ceiling Mount recessed track sits flush with the ceiling, allowing the sliding doors to span full height.
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Elevator Design Studio
An online, interactive tool that lets configure elevator interiors, apply materials and finishes from an extensive surfaces library, view realistic renderings, and request cost estimates.
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AviProtek E by Walker Glass
Bird-friendly glass combines acid-etched visual markers on the 1st surface with high performance low-emissivity coating on the 2nd surface, providing visible deterrence on the most effective side.
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Ridge Baffle by Turf
Ridge Baffle provides a felt-based acoustic panel system with a crisp profile and gradual change in pattern. Ridge installs with magnets to standard suspended ceiling grid.
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Softcrete seating by Gufram
The result of a collaboration between English designer Ross Lovegrove and furnishings manufacturer company Gufram resulted in this soft 'concrete' seating
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Proflow by Black Locust Lumber
We introduced our client to this product for a school in Portland; naturally rot-, water-, and fungal-resistant Black Locust pavers make for a long-lasting landscape surface
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Engineered Fall Protection
Freestanding Deadweight Anchor Systems provides tie-off points for work on roofs and facades, without penetrating the waterproofing or thermal bridging.
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VMZ Standing Seam by VMZinc
We've specified VMZinc for the roof, wall and soffit standing seam metal panels, for a university marine science facility in the harsh Oregon coast environment.
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Hansen Architectural Systems
For the Locks Tower project in Richmond, Virginia, glazed wind screen panels at the rooftop pool deck allow maintenance ropes to pass under the panels.
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Vitro Architectural Glass
For many of our projects, we specify Vitro Architectural Glazing products as the basis-of-design. Their availability and service are second to none.
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Opaci-Coat 300 by
ICD High Performance Coatings |
Fenix NTM by Arpa Industriale and Ultra-Matte Traceless by Wilsonart
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Pika-Pika by Nakamoto Forestry
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Spandrel glass and glass wall-cladding with an infinite variety of color availability
Pacific Northwest-based company with Mindful Materials and HPD certifications |
We have been specifying a laminate material that is anti-fingerprint, soft to the touch, thru-body color, opaque and durable
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Also on the university marine science facility in the harsh Oregon coast environment, Yakisugi (aka shou sugi ban) treated lumber siding materials
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Spiral VP by Rytec
On many of the multi-family residential buildings we specify, high-speed spiral doors for fast-acting openings at garages
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Dip-Tech
Maker of glass frit printers for full-color printing on glazing, locally provided in the Pacific NW by Hartung Glass.
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Privada
For improved non-gender restroom design, European-style glass, wood veneer and laminate toilet compartments
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R-Stud
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Oval Fire Products
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Sculpt Nouveau
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Innovative light-gauge steel stud framing larger, flanged openings and longer spacing
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Innovative, oval-shaped fire extinguishers fit into fully recessed cabinets in nearly any depth wall or partition
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Several of our projects' designers are calling for blackened steel fabrications using patina and metal finishing products
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High density fiber cement siding products:
Equitone
Through-color panels, 5 textures/ finishes with 2 to 20 colors for each, standard panel and plank configurations, ten-year warranty.
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Swisspearl
Through-color panels, 10 wall panel color lines, 2 wall panel formats, 10 roof panel colors, 3 slate roof panel formats, 8 corrugated roof panels formats.
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KØL
Through-color panels, 12 colors, 5 textures/ finishes, standard panel and plank configurations, ten-year warranty.
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Modified wood siding products:
Basalt Blue Chalk by Kush Rugs
Carpet designs that appeal to our affinity for rustic and marred, industrial finishes
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Protectosil Antigraffiti by Evonik
Non-visible, nearly VOC-free, silane-based anti-graffiti treatment for stone, concrete and masonry exterior finishes
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Vents by Seiho
Nicely designed, wide variety of aluminum and plastic vents for exterior penetrating dryer, bathroom and kitchen ventilation.
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Oregon-based mass timber sources:
Mass Plywood Panels
Oregon-based, family-owned timber company Freres Brothers created the concept of mass plywood panels (MPP)
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Douglas Fir CLT Panels
Oregon-based DR Johnson Wood Innovations produces Douglas Fir CLT, to better match glue-lam member species
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Mass Timber Fabrication
TimberLab, an Oregon-based branch of Swinerton procures fabricates and erects mass timber for many of our projects
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Mass timber hardware sources:
Wurth Timber Fasteners
Wurth fasteners are used on many of the projects we've specified, distributed in the U.S. and Canada by MTC Solutions
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Mass Timber Hardware
Plates, splices, fasteners and other hardware by MTC Solutions provide structural connections for mass timber
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Schmid Timber Fasteners
Schmid Schrauben Hainfeld fasteners
are often used on mass timber projects we specify |
Rothoblaas Hardware
Rothoblaas produces cutting-edge hardware, fasteners, tools and other solutions for all aspects of mass timber
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Strong-Drive Fasteners
Simpson Strong-Tie is one of the only U.S. manufacturers of fasteners for mass timber construction
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Mass Timber Fabricator
Timberlab, a division of Swinerton, provides mass timber procurement, design, fabrication, delivery and erection
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Exterior mass timber, wood siding and carpentry finishes:
Premium Blue Label Penofin
Penetrating finish for exterior wood siding and fabrications, using Brazilian Rosewood oil without creating a surface film
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PPG Proluxe
PPG is the U.S. distributor of the Sikkens brand of finishes, as the Prolux line for exterior wood siding and fabrications
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Sansin Factory Finish
Sansin's KP-12 Enviro Stain is a great finish for both exterior-exposed and interior mass timber panels and frame members.
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Accessibility products:
Dart Canyon by Elkay
Kitchen sink that mounts without a lower cabinet, accommodating seated and shorter users with three widths available
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V-1504 Prestige Lift
Savaria makes attractively designed vertical accessibility lifts, with glazed sides and stainless steel and colored metal finishes
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Gensis Opal Lift
Garaventa Lift makes attractively designed vertical accessibility lifts that can meet limited budgets without being ugly
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Insulation products:
Next generation extruded (NGX) polystyrene insulation
Polystyrene NGX board replaces XPS board that uses blowing agents that have exceedingly high global warming potential (GWP), while providing higher thermal resistance. The blowing agent for NGX is HFO-1233zd, which has a GWP < 1, meaning lower than CO2 (GWP = 1). The GWP of HFC-134a, the traditional blowing agent for XPS, is between 1300 and 1430!
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Lower-impact closed-cell spray polyurethane foam insulation
Spray-foam is available from several manufacturers now with blowing agents based on hydrofluoro-olefin (HFO) chemistry, for lower ozone depletion potential (ODP) and lower global warming potential (GWP) than standard spray polyurethane foam products, while providing increased thermal performance.
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Sitework products:
Living breakwater elements
Partially submerged breakwaters constructed with stone and ecologically enhanced concrete units that functions as habitat for marine species, an example of how to “design not against but with nature in adapting to the changes that lie ahead.”
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Modular landscape support
Modular suspended pavement system that uses soil volumes to support large tree growth and provide powerful on-site stormwater management through absorption, evapotranspiration, and interception.
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Other product sources...
Here are some more sources for valuable product information:
Vendor Directory
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Sustainability Resources
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People you should know...
We do our best to keep the Manufacturers Representatives listed below up to date. If we have old or incorrect information here, please let us know. If you're a manufacturer's representative and your name isn't here, let us know and we'll be happy to add your contact information.
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Rep's, contact us here:
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Division 03 - Concrete
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Division 07 - Thermal and Moisture Protection
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Henry (roofing, waterproofing)
Portland Raoul Meekcoms 503-880-8420 |
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Tremco (sealants)
Portland Scott Martin 503-701-4788 |
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Henry (roofing, waterproofing)
Miami Enrique de Solo 305-282-6119 |
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Tremco (roofing)
Portland Keith Schwarting 503-607-5557 |
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Division 08 - Openings
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Division 09 - Finishes
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Miller Paint
Portland Samuel Hampson 206-261-1958 |
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USG
Portland Samantha Vogel 503-985-2043 |
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