LEED Gold Mercy Corps headquarters an international organization that helps people around the world survive and thrive after a crisis. The project was built in very close proximity to an active light rail line; in addition, it was imperative that the site remain clean and secure for the Saturday Market, held adjacent to the site on weekends. The initial design called for a very complicated and expensive curtain wall design on the East wall. Initial pricing was in the $1.8 million range. This system also had several shortcomings in terms of water resistance and thermal performance. By switching to a simpler system, the cost was reduced by $724,000 while the system’s water resistance and thermal performance was improved substantially.
Categories:
Commercial, Renovation, Historic
Mercy Corps International Headquarters
Size
The project consists of major renovations and seismic upgrades to the historic 42,800 SF Packard Scott building, along with the addition of a new 40,000 SF steel and concrete structure.
Clients
Architects
Press
A blend of old and new at Mercy Corps’ new headquarters | DJC Oregon
TopProjects: Mercy Corps Internation Headquarters submitted by Walsh Construction | DJC Oregon
Mercy Corps | American Institute of Architects
Mercy Corps: Case Study of High Performance | Walsh Construction Co.
Deep Energy Savings in Existing Buildings | New Building Institute
Mercy Corps International Headquarters Wins Timmy | Walsh Construction Co.
Testimonials
“Mercy Corps International hired Walsh Construction Co. through a competitive process to build the new Mercy Corps International Headquarters in Portland, OR.
The project was a significant undertaking for Mercy Corps, and they needed a general contractor partner that would provide preconstruction services, value engineering and quality construction for a fixed budget, during an inflationary period of time. The project financing also required extensive cost analysis and unusual project reporting, all demanding Walsh’s patient cooperation. Their input during the preconstruction phase was critical to project success. They worked closely with our design team to meet the project objectives while staying on budget and the targeted schedule.
Walsh’s onsite technical team was top notch…With every change, challenge and hurdle, they approached issues with a positive and pleasant attitude – always putting the project goals first. Their creative approach to the historic renovation portion of the project yielded a structurally sound and beautifully built space.
Walsh’s thoughtful approach to preconstruction, their commitment to sustainability and their endless good will made the project successful for Mercy Corps and its employees and a pleasure to work on for the entire project team.” - Carter MacNichol Sheils Obletz Johnsen, Inc.
“[Walsh] is very familiar with the way non-profit agencies function in general, and to our benefit, they derived a workplan that outlined the ways that Mercy Corps could better position itself internally in order to ensure our headquarters project would stay on time and on budget. The fact that they could apply their previous work with non-profit entities (Oregon Historical Society, Ecotrust) has been a tremendous contribution to the success of our headquarters project.
At every step of our project’s phases, we have felt we could rely on Walsh Construction Co. to provide much needed assistance in understanding our construction and development costs; they always stepped up to help us manage the internal decision making processes at Mercy Corps by providing updated cost estimates or development guidance on a timely basis. They would typically turn estimates or assessments in to us on very, very short notice – always with grace and good humor, and never once causing us, the client, to feel burdensome…” - Kathy Cooke Former Director of Administration and Facilities Mercy Corps
The project was built in very close proximity to an active light rail line; in addition, it was imperative that the site remain clean and secure for the Saturday Market, held adjacent to the site on weekends. The initial design called for a very complicated and expensive curtain wall design on the East wall. Initial pricing was in the $1.8 million range. This system also had several shortcomings in terms of water resistance and thermal performance. By switching to a simpler system, the cost was reduced by $724,000 while the system’s water resistance and thermal performance was improved substantially.
At Mercy Corps Headquarters, energy performance was predicted to be 36% better than ASHRAE 90.1 baseline, whereas measured performance is 56%, significantly better than what was predicted.
The building totaled 80,000 SF of Mercy Corps offices, the Action Center, the Lemelson Foundation and a small retail space. Within the Global Action Center, rotating exhibits using up-to-date information, photos and video from field offices bring Mercy Corps’ mission to life, educating visitors and encouraging them to take action long after they leave.