CID BIO-SCIENCE HEADQUARTERS
ZGF has designed a new headquarters and production facility for CID Bio-Science, Inc. in a historic, wood-framed, former American Legion Hall on the brink of disrepair. Vacant for 10 years, the structure was a community eyesore with broken windows, leaking roof and rotting siding. The renovation restores the original lodge-like quality of the space and creates an open flexible work environment for CID Bio-Science — a company that designs and manufactures portable, precision instruments for agricultural and environmental research. This adaptive reuse develops 12,000 SF of office/production space, while saving an important piece of Camas, Washington’s history.
H IS t O ry
The American Legion Hall Bennett-Barnett Post #27 was constructed in 1934 by volunteer labor with wood purchased from the local saw mill. The two-story structure was designed by regionally famed architect D.W. Hilborn and featured a prominent ballroom used for dances and legion events. Over time the local chapter of the American Legion struggled financially to keep it going and in 1960 converted the upper floor into an indoor roller skating rink to generate revenue. Many area residents have fond memories of skating there, though it eventually closed and was replaced with a neon sign company. The building sat empty since the sign company vacated in 2002. It was gutted for another planned restoration and the interior was stripped to the bare studs – but this never came to fruition.
When Camas-based CID Bio-Science faced the expiration of its existing lease, the company had not intended to purchase its own facility. That is until President Leonard Felix looked inside. The old building reminded him of famous western park lodges and he had visions of creating a showcase building. “I was amazed and thrilled. We did the math and, with SBA financing and a full renovation, saw that we could acquire the building and actually reduce our monthly expenses,” Felix said.
D ESI g N
The design approach sought to marry influences from mid-century lodges with manufacturing warehouses Felix knew from his childhood in New York as well as incorporating the verdant and water-rich landscape of the Pacific Northwest. The lodge aesthetic was a key asset the design team worked to preserve, showcasing the expansive wooden trusses that provide volume and grandeur to the space. New interventions took cues from simple, industrial design influences, with careful attention to marrying the modern and historic elements. The conference rooms, entry and stairs are on the perimeter, respecting the original character of the hall and preserving its rustic design and detailing. Despite the loss of original windows, doors and the fireplace through years of neglect, the team succeeded in listing the building on the local registry for historic places.
P r OCESS
The team pursued a highly collaborative IPD-like process, bringing the contractor and MEP designbuild contractors on early in design. The collaborative team conducted early constructability reviews of the building, and encouraged the owner to replace the damaged exterior siding at an affordable cost, extending the building life. This also allowed the exterior of the building to be reclad to match the original architect’s design intent, based on drawings unearthed in local archives.
Su S ta IN a BI l I ty
New double-paned, aluminum-clad Douglas fir windows reflect the historical character of the building and significantly improve energy performance. The facility employs low-flow water fixtures and uses low-VOC paints and finishes. As much of the original materials were re-used as possible, including light fixtures, wood columns and beams, and other structural features. A bioswale was added on three sides of the building to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water. Native species were selected to blend with the local environment and eliminate the need for long term irrigation.
SI t E
The South building entry was reconfigured to provide a balcony off the break room, which functions as both an employee amenity as well as an outdoor test area for the company’s instrumentation products. In addition, 2,500 SF of lease or expansion space with a separate entry and the CID Bio-Science machine shop are located in the lower level. The site plan integrates parking, native landscaping and a restored flagpole and plaque honoring the history of the building. ZGF created a custom-designed sign for CID Bio-Science’s entry with sandblasted glass and embedded LED lighting.
r E u SE
Environmental responsibility and reuse of resources was a key component of the restoration. Reclaimed wood from a false ceiling (added when the building was used as a skating rink) was reclaimed for a custom reception desk, wall caps, sliding doors and stair treads. In fact, 100% of all dimensional lumber from the building was reused. Half of all new wood required was FSC certified. Also, the original wood ballroom floor had very little damage; it required sanding and limited patch work to restore it to the pristine character that once supported dancers and skaters. Original wood structure throughout the building was walnut blasted to remove paint and restore finish, oiled, and left exposed to view throughout the building.
IN t E r IO r IN t E r VEN t IONS
1. Removed lowered ceiling and refurbish / expose the trusses.
2. Replaced windows and light fixtures.
3. Created a clear entry with separation from workspace.
4. Created interaction space with flexibility for addition of staff.
5. Provided visible offices and borrow light from exterior with glass walls.
6. Used local and reclaimed materials, including wood from the ceiling.
l EF t Examples of reclaimed wood used. t OP r I g H t Reception desk made with reclaimed wood. BO tt OM r I g H t Employee breakroom with reclaimed wood slat wall.
g N
A world leader in plant analysis, CID Bio-Science designs and manufactures the world’s most portable instruments for agricultural and environmental research to meet the unique challenges of researchers in the field. The company is a strong believer in Lean Design, continually re-evaluating its production and office environment to reduce waste and loss of time. In the open work environment, CID Bio-Science wanted to dedicate each workstation to the assembly of one of its instruments for efficiency and quality assurance. The design team supported this by integrating storage space for personal belongings and developing interaction areas near the workstations to encourage collaboration.
l E a N DESI
ENVI r ONMEN tal r ESPONSIBI l I ty
This historic renovation would likely have qualified for LEED certification. However, the design team found it was cost prohibitive to pursue certification given the documentation costs of a project of this scale. With a construction budget of $1.2 million, the client and the designers focused instead on upgrades that have significant environmental impact such as high-quality windows, lighting controls and remilling the reclaimed wood.
C OMM u NI ty
The client has welcomed the local community, and specifically the American Legion members, to tour the building and curate a display of memorabilia provided by the Post. In addition, several Basswood molds from the city’s prominent paper plant are integrated through the space as tables and artwork, reflecting the role of manufacturing in the city’s history. The still operational paper plant dominates the city’s main street and as is true in many small cities – Camas has just under 20,000 residents – most everyone who lives there has a family member, friend or personal experience working at the plant. When the plant announced that it would be selling these Basswood forms used to sand cast disks, wheels and forms of machinery pieces that are no longer in use, CID Bio-Science was eager to buy a piece of Camas’ history. This is no surprise given the company’s ambitions to serve the community and the environment by rehabbing a derelict building by reviving and repurposing a landmark.
