Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 59
Location Portland
and Los Angeles
Founded 2009
A native of Santa Barbara, California, architect Thomas Robinson founded LEVER in
2009 after having worked as a Senior Architect on cultural projects for Herzog & de
Meuron and Allied Works. The firm's early projects in Portland, such as Union Way
and TreeHouse, gained national attention for their transformation of local and
commonplace materials into unexpected designs, built for modest budgets.
Researching materials plays an important part of the firm's approach. More
recently, LEVER's interest in materiality has led to pioneering work with engineeredwood products, such as Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) and Mass Plywood Panels
(MPP). The LEVER team completed Albina Yard, the first building in the U.S. made
from domestically fabricated CLT, and their design for Framework, a timber highrise, was a recipient of the U.S. Tall Wood Building Prize. Research and development
for Framework included more than 30 tests to demonstrate the fire, structural,
seismic, and acoustic performance of tall wood building assemblies. This year, the
firm completed The Nature Conservancy's Oregon Headquarters, a project that is
one of the first to use CLT that is both domestically fabricated and FSC-certified.
LEVER advocates for mass timber because it is a low carbon way to build, and an
economic catalyst for rural economic development in the Northwest and beyond.
Typologies
After 10 years in practice, the 32-person firm is at an inflection point where
they are transitioning to larger-scale and institutional work. This is reflected in a
180,000-square-foot, 240-unit affordable housing development in Portland called
The Louisa Flowers. Soon to be completed, this project will be the city's largest
affordable housing project in 50 years. They are also in construction on a new
headquarters for Meyer Memorial Trust, one of the largest private foundations in
Oregon, and are currently designing a major renovation of Portland's Artists
Repertory Theatre.
At a very basic level, LEVER is fundamentally interested in creating great
experiences for people. Thomas Robinson compares his firm's approach as being
not so different from the farm-to-table culinary movement that has evolved in
Portland and elsewhere over the last 20 years. "Chefs know that fresh local
ingredients make great food. We use the best local materials to make great
buildings," Robinson explains. "We've worked directly with forest owners, lumber
mills, and regional manufacturers to create innovative architecture with beauty and
a high level of craft. The experience of the architecture is enriched by the use of
local materials. When you are in one of our buildings, the materials connect you to
the regional landscape." The Nature Conservancy is a great example: It
incorporates flora, juniper cladding, and cedar decking sourced from the
organization's preserves, and CLT that is made in Oregon using regionally
harvested wood.
If there is one challenge of building in Portland, Robinson points out that
construction budgets are lower in comparison those in larger cities, like San
Francisco or New York. But he sees these constraints as something that has made
the firm's work better, which calls for a focused process that is highly collaborative.
"To make great architecture, we innovate at the level of building technology and
construction," Robinson says, pointing out that the firm's partnerships with local
manufacturers and fabricators are instrumental to this. "People in Portland are very
interested in working together to innovate, to create something better. Ironically
though, we are a Portland firm but half of our work is in L.A.-another city we're
passionate about. The spirit of our work in Portland and the approach informs all of
our projects."
contract
Contract Magazine - October 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract Magazine - October 2019
Contract Magazine - October 2019
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
The List: Fall Releases
Product Briefs: Textiles & Acoustics
Designer You Should Know: Atelier Cho Thompson
Trend Page: Office Accessories and Animals
emerging talents Designers doing breakthrough interiors
71 Collective Brooklyn, New York
Bianco e Bianca Timișoara, Romania
Boxx Creative London, United Kingdom
Casework Portland, Oregon
Craft & Bloom Tel Aviv, Israel
ETC.etera Los Angeles, California
Fettle Los Angeles, California, & London, United Kingdom
Islyn Studio Brooklyn, New York
LA-Más Los Angeles, California
LEVER Architecture Portland, Oregon, & Los Angeles, California
Matthew Goodrich New York, New York
Menard Dworkind Montréal, Canada
Oswaldo Ortega Chicago, Illinois
Roar Dubai, United Arab Emirates
ROY San Francisco, California
Standard Architecture Los Angeles, California
Studio Boscardin. Corsi Arquitetura Curitiba, Brazil
Studio Modijefsky Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Uufie Toronto, Canada
Wiercinski-Studio Poznań, Poland
Product Preview: Healthcare Design Expo (HCDE)
Product Preview: Boutique Design New York (BDNY)
Matrix: Education
Matrix: Maison&Objet Paris
Designers Select: Flooring
Exhibition: Sheila Hicks: Secret Structures, Looming Presence
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Contract Magazine - October 2019
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Cover2
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 1
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 2
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 3
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 4
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 5
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Contents
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 7
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 8
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 9
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 10
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 11
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 12
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 13
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Editorial
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 15
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 16
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 17
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Industry News
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 19
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 20
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 21
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - The List: Fall Releases
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 23
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 24
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 25
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Product Briefs: Textiles & Acoustics
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 27
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 28
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 29
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 30
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 31
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Designer You Should Know: Atelier Cho Thompson
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 33
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Trend Page: Office Accessories and Animals
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 35
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 36
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 37
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - emerging talents Designers doing breakthrough interiors
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 39
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 71 Collective Brooklyn, New York
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 41
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Bianco e Bianca Timișoara, Romania
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 43
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Boxx Creative London, United Kingdom
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 45
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Casework Portland, Oregon
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 47
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Craft & Bloom Tel Aviv, Israel
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 49
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - ETC.etera Los Angeles, California
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 51
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Fettle Los Angeles, California, & London, United Kingdom
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 53
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Islyn Studio Brooklyn, New York
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 55
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - LA-Más Los Angeles, California
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 57
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - LEVER Architecture Portland, Oregon, & Los Angeles, California
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 59
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Matthew Goodrich New York, New York
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 61
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Menard Dworkind Montréal, Canada
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 63
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Oswaldo Ortega Chicago, Illinois
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 65
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Roar Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 67
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - ROY San Francisco, California
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 69
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Standard Architecture Los Angeles, California
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 71
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Studio Boscardin. Corsi Arquitetura Curitiba, Brazil
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 73
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Studio Modijefsky Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 75
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Uufie Toronto, Canada
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 77
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Wiercinski-Studio Poznań, Poland
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 79
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Product Preview: Healthcare Design Expo (HCDE)
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 81
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 82
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 83
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Product Preview: Boutique Design New York (BDNY)
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 85
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 86
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 87
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Matrix: Education
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 89
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 90
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 91
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Matrix: Maison&Objet Paris
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 93
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Designers Select: Flooring
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 95
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Exhibition: Sheila Hicks: Secret Structures, Looming Presence
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Cover3
Contract Magazine - October 2019 - Cover4
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