NW Natural HQ | First Forty Feet

2019 CRE Transformer Award

Top Project, Office-New Construction, Daily Journal of Commerce

NW Natural HQ

Project

LEED Gold

Year

2019

Location

Portland, Oregon

Client

Rockwood Capital and Third & Taylor Development

Size

191,557 SF
10 Stories
90 below grade parking stalls

Ramin Rezvani served as the Senior Designer for this project while working at Ankrom Moisan Architects

The Challenge

A Threshold Between Districts

The approach to 250 Taylor was driven by the unique interplay of history and modernity at its site—where Portland’s historic Yamhill District converges with the city’s evolving tech and financial hubs. Our challenge was to craft a building that is both iconic and deferential, one that enriches its historic surroundings while asserting a distinct presence.

Site Location

Diagram by Ankrom Moisan Architects

Photo by Ankrom Moisan Architects

Born From Context

Rooted in a deep study of the rhythm, scale, and proportion of adjacent historic structures, the design is a contemporary response to the architectural language of the district. The building stands as a singular entity, yet it serves as a threshold—an urban marker shaped by its context. By reinterpreting masonry through a modern lens, 250 Taylor creates a dialogue between past and present, offering a nuanced contrast that accentuates the district’s architectural legacy.

Diagram by Ankrom Moisan Architects

Self-Reflection

The materiality of the building was as critical to the design as the overall massing adjustments and neighborhood relationships. It is clad in a unitized curtain wall system, with integral dimensional Terracotta and aluminum closure panels. A major design intent was to physically reflect the surrounding historic buildings in the facades, further amplifying the presence of the existing district. The dynamic reflective glazing on the non-retail floors was carefully chosen to not only reflect the surrounding masonry, but also disguise the strong horizontality that is usually present in curtain wall systems at the building floor lines. This achieved a more pronounced reflection effect, and a strong verticality to the terracotta pilasters while maintaining total transparency at the ground floor retail environment.

Futureproofing

Sited on a prime half-block in Portland (100’x200’), 250 Taylor’s design maximizes its flexibility by offsetting the building core to the southern edge of the parcel, creating expansive floor plates that can accommodate a variety of uses throughout the building’s lifespan. The entry is strategically placed at mid-block, pushing retail to the corners to activate the street and foster a vibrant pedestrian experience.

To support Portland's growing biking community, we incorporated bike parking along SW 3rd Avenue, further integrating the building into the city’s sustainable transportation network. As an essential facility, 250 Taylor is designed to withstand 50% higher seismic forces than a typical structure, ensuring it remains a safe refuge in the event of an earthquake.

The building boasts one of the largest rooftop decks in Portland, offering expansive, protected views of the Yamhill Historic District, the Willamette River, and Mt. Hood—an unparalleled connection to the city and landscape that will endure for generations.