News
(Portland, Ore.) June 22, 2011 – The recently renovated Lincoln Hall just received LEED Platinum certification. The revitalized building is home to the School of Fine and Performing Arts (FPA) and is Portland State University’s (PSU) first LEED Platinum building on campus.
“We aim for Gold on all of our new construction and renovation projects, and Lincoln hall will make our seventh LEED certified building on campus,” said Wim Wiewel, president of PSU.
Located in downtown Portland, Lincoln Hall was built in 1911 as a high school before it became the first building of the current PSU campus in 1952. The renovation of this almost 100-year-old building was made possible with $31 million in appropriations by the Oregon Legislature and government stimulus money. The results are an extensive upgrade of the facility's public performance space and rehearsal, classroom, and lab facilities.
“It’s a complete overhaul that allowed us to reclaim the best features of the old building,” said Barbara Sestak, dean of FPA. “Our team of Ron Blaj, BOORA Architects, Howard S. Wright Construction, and all the subcontractors did a wonderful job with this project to restore structure and functionality to Lincoln Hall in the most sustainable manner possible.”
Some quick facts about Lincoln Hall:
1. Oldest surviving high school in the city (1911)
2. 100-year-old building
3. Referred to as Old Main, the first building of PSU downtown campus
4. Many prominent Portlanders went to Lincoln High School, including the Schnitzers
5. 324 new, custom, energy efficient windows produced in Oregon and paid for with $1.5 million in stimulus
money
6. This building would have cost $90 million plus to build from scratch. Renovation was $30.7 million achieved
by stretching a dollar
7. Solar panels on the roof supplement electricity needs
8. Over 100 people were employed on the project
About Portland State University (PSU)
Located in Portland, Oregon, PSU has about 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students. PSU’s motto is “Let Knowledge Serve the City,” and we provide every student with opportunities to work with businesses, schools and organizations on real-world projects. Our downtown campus exhibits PSU’s commitment to sustainability with green buildings, while sustainability is incorporated into much of the curriculum.
