While transforming a Wilsonville, Oregon, warehouse into a lab building and workplace for several State of Oregon agencies, Lewis and SERA Architects incorporated wood salvaged from the devastating wildfires of 2020 into new finishes throughout the reimagined space.
These wooden slats can be found in “nodes” built along the North Valley Complex’s circulation paths, adding warmth to amenity spaces while also helping to bring human scale to the 175,000-square-foot building.
The entire project team embraced the wood’s imperfections—the knots, holes, and color variations—as a poignant reminder of the fires and of Oregon’s resiliency.
North Valley Complex opened to employees last year. Lewis, SERA, and KPFF Consulting Engineers breathed new life into the former industrial building with a seismic retrofit and by adding advanced labs and shared support spaces.