Those who are following the construction progress at the corner of Franklin and Congress streets will have seen Verdante’s steel frame “flying” up, literally and figuratively. While we love seeing the building structure reach quickly to the sky, speed is not the primary reason we chose steel for Verdante (and do not be surprised when construction seems to slow to a snail’s pace after the frame tops out; the next steps—framing the walls, and laying up the brick façade, are labor intensive and will take some time). Steel has many advantages over wood.
Verdante at Lincoln Park did not need to be steel. Just a few years ago, a six-story building could not be constructed using typical wood framing, but techniques, building materials, and codes have changed. In fact, Luminato, our most recently completed building, is seven stories (one is technically a basement) with five floors of wood over two floors of steel and concrete.
So why did we choose to spend the extra money to construct Verdante out of steel? First, Verdante’s site is an irregular shape, and as a result, the building footprint is unconventional. Second, the India Street Form Based Code requires step backs at both 45 feet and 65 feet in height. Both of these conditions make designing the structure in wood more difficult. But beyond that, NewHeight Group’s signature large, column free spaces, and oversized windows are a challenge for traditional wood framing. To create the building and unit layouts we wanted, steel and concrete was the answer – and the primary reason we chose these building materials.
With this construction approach, there are other advantages: there are no structural or sheer walls, not between units, within units or on exterior walls. As a result, units can be combined; walls within units can be moved, and windows can be as large as NHG wanted, representing real benefits to the future owners.
Verdante’s final building layout put this flexibility to good use: among its 29 units are 23 unique floorplans, something unheard of in typical multifamily buildings where developers “stack” as many identical units as possible to minimize construction costs. This provides another significant benefit to owners – when and if the time comes to sell, each will have a unique property to offer to the market. There cannot be three, four or more identical units for sale at the same time, creating a possible bidding war that could bring the price down for a hurried seller.
With Verdante at Lincoln Park, NewHeight Group is making every effort to develop a building that will exceed the expectations of initial buyers, while maintaining its quality and value for decades to come, as it makes a positive contribution to Portland’s 21st century skyline.