Location: Happy Valley
Completion: August 2024
Size: 10,700 square feet
Cost: $9,348,302
Owner/Developer: City of Happy Valley
Architect: Scott Edwards Architecture
Engineers: Harper Houf Peterson Righellis, Interface Engineering
General Contractor: Bremik Construction
Submitting Company: Bremik Construction
Other Associates/Key Consultants: ABD Engineering and Design, Reyes Engineering, Vertex Technology Design and Consulting
Subcontractors: Anderson Specialties, Architectural Metalcrafters, Authority Dock & Door, B & T Striping and Curbing, BASCO, Bell Hardware, Bryker Enterprises, Building Material Specialties, Cascade Acoustics, D & H Flagging, Dallas Glass, Diamond Concrete Products, Duke Construction & Excavation, Eastside Paving, Elementary Energy, Fire Systems West, Hercon Rebar & Post Tension, Hilltop Commercial Supply, Insulation Contractors, Integrity Industries dba Cement Elegance, Interior Technology, Longhorn Geomatics, MB Structures, McDonald & Wetle, Northwest Masonry Restoration, Pacific Window Tinting, Paulson’s Floor Coverings, Piper Mechanical, Portland Electrical Construction, RedBuilt, Rich Holland Painting, Skyline Sheet Metal, Spectrum Custom Interiors, Superior Interiors, Ultra Quiet Floors, Van Lom Concrete, Vaughn Environmental, Wallace Steel, Wright Manufacturing, Zeeland
The City of Happy Valley’s 10,700-square-foot library expansion transformed an existing space into an enhanced community hub for the city’s 55,000 residents.
Designed around the concept of “The Community’s Living Room,” the expansion includes a 300-person community room that can be divided into smaller spaces, private study rooms for both individual and group use, and improved accessibility features.
The architectural design bridges old and new, with the existing library structure inspired by book spines while the expansion draws from book binding imagery. This concept appears throughout the project, from the zigzag facade addressing the steep slope to matching acoustic treatments inside. The triangular, sloped site required an intentional floorplan that maximized every square foot: even niches and nooks have purpose.
The expansion maintains a single public-facing level for accessibility despite challenging terrain, with a staff-only lower level housing mechanical equipment and storage. The design orients the community room toward an adjacent nature reserve, maximizing visitors’ connection with the natural surroundings.
Interior spaces feature wood tones echoing the exterior’s vertical slats, exposed structural glulams in the community room, and neutral, durable materials that support various activities and easy maintenance.
Construction presented multiple challenges, including proximity to a habitat conservation area, maintaining library operations throughout the project, and winter weather delays that extended completion by three days.
The expansion outperforms Oregon Energy Code requirements by 30 percent, incorporating sustainable elements including a 33-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array, installed by Portland Electrical Construction in partnership with Elementary Energy; all-electric HVAC systems for energy-efficient climate control; and advanced insulation techniques to improve thermal performance. A robust stormwater management system mitigates runoff and protects the adjacent habitat conservation area.
Though not required by contract, the project team prioritized community engagement by partnering with several local businesses.
The collaboration among Bremik Construction, Scott Edwards Architecture, and multiple engineering firms ensured the project addressed technical complexities such as aligning new HVAC systems with existing infrastructure and coordinating sophisticated utility networks.
“The Happy Valley Library Expansion has been an overnight transformation for our community living room,” said Ben Bryant, Happy Valley assistant city manager, in the project nomination form. “Our typical programs such as story times more than doubled in average attendance within the first weeks of opening. Moreover, the project was delivered on-time, under-budget, and with zero workplace injuries.”
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