Urban CenterOften described as the gateway between Portland State University and downtown Portland, the Urban Center is the first project of a revitalized part of downtown Portland’s transit corridor. It is the only place in Portland where the Streetcar and the Green Line Max will cross. Construction for the Urban Center started in 1998 and was completed in March of 2000. Housing the entire College of Urban & Public Affairs for the first time in PSU history, and with two major public transportation transits at its front door, the Urban Center has become a hub for students and Portland residents alike. Located on the first floor retail space are the PSU Bookstore, Pizzicato and Seattle’s Best. Set in such a prime location, both Pizzicato and Seattle’s Best welcome a wide variety of students, faculty and staff of PSU, as well as the downtown Portland community. Not only is the Urban Center contributing to the economic sustainability of PSU and the Portland community, but the building itself also boasts achievements in environmental sustainability. With the redesign of the HVAC and electrical systems, the overall energy costs are reduced by $23,000 per year. This new system includes 21 energy-saving measures involving air handlers, chillers and boilers. In addition to HVAC and electrical system energy-saving measures, upon entering the building there are several eye-catching green design features. Placed inside the entrance doors, walk-off mats minimize dust pollution to create better indoor air quality. Stainless steel doors opening to the stairwells contain recycled content. The building is floored mostly by polished concrete to conserve resources which otherwise would have been used in carpeting. Classroom windows are designed to maximize daylighting inside the rooms and clear story windows filter natural light throughout the hallways. Occupancy lighting sensors are placed in conference rooms and classrooms and VendingMisers are placed on vending machines to also minimize energy usage usage.
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