Portland architecture firm TVA plans move to Goose Hollow
By Andy Giegerich –
Managing Editor,
Portland Business Journal Aug 12, 2024 Updated Aug 12, 2024 3:11pm PDT
One of Portland's most-established architecture firms is moving from downtown to a rising Southwest business district.
TVA Architects will move into a street-level space in the Canvas Building at the Press Blocks, in Goose Hollow. The Providence Park-area building, at 1750 S.W. Yamhill St., has lately welcomed several new tenants, including the footwear company Hoka and a Migration Brewing rooftop spot.
The move is expected to be completed in October.
TVA, a majority women-owned firm, is marking its 40th year. It's the state's 16th-largest architecture firm, with 17 metro-area architects who'll move from the Power & Light building, at 920 S.W. Sixth Ave..
The firm has worked on Park Avenue West in downtown Portland, the new Advantis headquarters in Oregon City, the Oregon Institute for Technology's Center for Excellence in Klamath Falls and Matthew Knight Arena and the Ford Alumni Center at the University of Oregon.
“The new space is designed to be flexible and collaborative, becoming a laboratory for us as we develop new ways of working together as a firm," said Pam Saftler, the firm's principal, in a release. "We’re field-testing some of the concepts that we are also using for our clients. We imagine that we’ll learn some things as we begin to use the new space and we’re committed to making adjustments and trying new things along the way.”
The firm chose a street-level suite as it furthers the notion "that Portland’s creative community can take a forward-looking, pro-active role in re-energizing the city," according to TVA Principal Tim Wybenga.
"We love the idea of creative professionals animating the streetscape rather than relocating to spaces further from downtown," he said. "We love this city, we love our history here and we want to be a part of its growth and development over the next 40 years as well.”
Urban Renaissance Group and Security Properties developed the Canvas, the first building of the two-phase, three-building Press Blocks project. The site of the
Oregonian's printing facility will eventually be fully transformed into a 23-story, 342-unit residential tower and a 30,000-square-foot commercial building.