IMAX Scheduled for Construction

Portland -- Scott Edwards Architecture LLP, Portland, has been retained to provide full architectural and planning services for a new IMAX Theatre on the Evergreen International Aviation Campus in McMinnville. Following a master plan for Evergreen's campus, the estimated $15 million IMAX Theatre will be located adjacent to the existing Evergreen Aviation Museum, home to the Howard Hughes Flying Boat, commonly known as the "Spruce Goose". Initial site work is underway by general contractor S.I. Grace, based in Tigard. At its peak, the 11 months of construction will involve over 100 craftsmen.

The interior spaces will be visible from Highway 18 via the extensive use of a glass curtain wall showcasing an 80-ft. tall atrium. One of the building's unique atrium design features is the reverse side of the IMAX screen, which will act as a giant canvas in the lobby for projection of colored lighting, images and video.

Additional key consultants include White Oak Associates, Inc. a museum, science center and theater planning firm based in Lakebay, Wash., and Sonics ESD, an acoustics and presentation technologies engineering firm based in Monterey, Calif. Portland-based WDY Inc., will provide structural engineering services.

Otak Adds Ross Condos To Workload

Portland -- Otak Inc., will create a condominium plat for the next residential phase at the South Waterfront development, the John Ross Condominiums.

Otak will survey the entire Block 35 property, including the building, the interiors of its upscale living units, and the commercial, parking and storage areas. This work, to take place in a single phase, will be used to create the condominium plat. A condominium plat is a legal document and map used for future conveyances of condominium units. Otak is also civil engineer for the design of the Block 35 building and the adjacent street frontage design.

Created by a partnership between Gerding/Edlen Development and Williams & Dame Development, the John Ross Condominiums is a 31-story building with approximately 275 residential units.

Energy Trust Turns to Organic Waste

Portland -- Energy generated from organic waste may be the hidden treasure in Oregon's energy future. Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc., has received 25 proposals in response to a request for proposals seeking projects that turn organic waste into electricity. Projects could begin generating power as early as 2006. Through this request, Energy Trust has committed at least $4.7 million to provide financial incentives for new biopower projects able to deliver power to Pacific Power and Portland General Electric. Eligible resources include landfill gas, wood waste from mills or forests, dairy manure, waste gas from sewage treatment, and other biomass sources.

The 25 projects total 91 megawatts of gross nameplate capacity - enough energy to power 50,000 average homes. Entities proposing projects are distributed across 17 Oregon counties and include wastewater treatment facilities, landfills, dairies and mills.

Windmills Come Through Port

Portland -- Lifting large boxes from ships is nothing new for workers at the Port's Terminal 6 container facility, but on May 21, the RV-sized boxes lifted from a large freighter weren't packed with the usual shoes, tires and electronic goodies from Asia. In fact, the 14 large boxes weren't containers at all, but German-built windmill machine heads destined for the Klondike Wind Power Project near Wasco, Ore.

The giant windmill machine heads, which house computers, cables and gears, are part of PPM Energy's expansion of the Klondike wind farm from 16 windmills to 66 windmills. PPM Energy's Klondike facility came online in 2001 and now produces up to 24 megawatts of electricity for the Bonneville Power Administration, enough to power about 6,100 homes. The 50 additional windmills are scheduled to begin producing up to 75 megawatts of electricity for PGE customers by December of this year.

Preservationists to Hold National Convention

Portland -The National Trust for Historic Preservation is currently accepting registrations for its 2005 National Preservation Conference in Portland. The conference will take place September 27 - October 2.

The National Preservation Conference is attended by more than 2,000 preservationists, community leaders, educators, and students from all over the United States, providing the largest national forum to explore the importance of saving and enhancing America's diverse historic resources. This year's conference theme, "Sustain America - Vision, Economics, and Preservation," will explore the role historic preservation plays in real estate development, affordable housing, heritage tourism, smart growth, cultural landscapes, and protection of the recent past and other historic places.

The conference will feature 50 educational sessions covering a wide range of topics and experience levels, 30 unique field sessions exploring Portland and the region, and opportunities for preservationists to network with leaders in the preservation movement. Key note speakers include Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR); David Mas Masumoto, organic farmer and advocate of rural preservation; Donovan Rypkema, president of Historic Strategies International; and Roberta Conner, director of Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. Additional speakers include Phillip W. Grone, deputy undersecretary of Defense for Installations and Environment; David Rusk, nationally known expert on smart growth; Portland Mayor Tom Potter; Oregon First Lady Mary Oberst; Clay Jenkinson, Lewis and Clark expert; James Hamrick, Oregon deputy state historic preservation officer; Cathy Galbraith, executive director of Bosco-Milligan Foundation/Architectural Heritage Center; Robert Gerding, principal of Gerding/Edlen Development Company, and Anthony Wood of the New York Preservation Archive Project.

"The National Preservation Conference is the premier educational gathering of its kind in the United States. With its diverse historic resources and strong preservation story, Oregon is the ideal location for exploring priority issues and strategies in historic preservation," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust. "We look forward to collaborating with national and local leaders to develop strategies for building and strengthening productive partnerships to enable historic preservation and community revitalization throughout the country."

GBJ celebrates 20 years

The award-winning architectural and master planning firm of Giffin Bolte Jurgens is currently celebrating 20 years of healthcare design. Established in Portland in l985, the firm has completed work throughout Oregon and Washington for hospitals, specialty medical clinics and medical office buildings. Current principals include founders Herb Giffin, AIA, ACHA, and Max Bolte, AIA, along with Steve O'Shea, AIA, and David Pugh, AIA. Igo Jurgens now serves as a consultant to the firm.