ARTS HALL AND FIELD EVENTS
Port Angeles, Washington
BEST PROJECT, CONSTRUCTION SPECIALTY
Sent by: mortenson
OWNER: Port Angeles Waterfront Center
LEADING DESIGN COMPANY: LMN Architects
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: mortenson
CIVIL ENGINEERING: ESM Consulting Engineers LLC
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING: Swenson Say Basset
MEP ENGINEERING: Stantec
This cultural center for the Port Angeles community is revitalizing the downtown waterfront, with public spaces from the street to the second level and a design that offers panoramic views of the city. Features of this 41,600 square meter facility include a state-of-the-art 250-seat conference and event space enclosed with a 270-degree floor-to-ceiling surround curtain wall system, as well as a 500-seat multipurpose performance . room
After the team broke ground in 2019 and completed the basic structure of the building, the pandemic hit and the project was put on hold when the owner was unable to secure funding to continue. The team worked closely with business partners to efficiently receive and store materials, ensuring the break did not exceed the project budget. Work resumed in 2022 after the team worked with the owner to obtain the remaining funds. Thanks to the team’s foresight and preparations prior to closing the job site, crews were able to restart construction smoothly and complete the project on time and on budget in June 2023.
Lara Swimmer’s photo
Maintaining the aggressive schedule required careful sequencing. Several trades worked simultaneously in the auditorium; to eliminate the hazards of crews working on top of other crews, the contractor installed a dance floor scaffolding in the upper area of the space. This created a temporary intermediate floor, allowing work on the roof to be carried out safely and eliminating all fall hazards while work continued below.
To maximize the project’s economic impact, the team turned to locally sourced materials that reflect the city of Port Angeles’ long history as a major logging and timber center. For the facility’s structural components, for example, regionally sourced Douglas fir glue was used.
Photo by Adam Hunter/LMN Architects
Given the site’s remote location, finding enough skilled labor to handle the scale and complexity of the project proved difficult, as local contractors lacked similar experience and more experienced out-of-town contractors were they faced substantial travel costs. To solve this problem, project leadership maximized local labor when possible and collaborated with tribal business partners, successfully recruiting 40% of the workforce from the nearby community. The team modified construction sequencing and work hours to help reduce costs for remote contractors in the Seattle area. Mortenson also mentored several local businesses through construction.
Lara Swimmer’s photo
Material availability was another challenge, mitigated with the help of a centralized purchasing system and strategic partnerships with suppliers to ensure on-time deliveries. Teams expanded on-site storage capacity and pre-fabricated certain components to limit supply chain disruptions where possible.
