PDX: Greener By Design

Leadership is a core value at the Port of Portland. The Rental Car Center Project (RCC) is an example of how a functionally diverse building meets that mark. The first floor houses an expanded Rental Car Center for PDX, while the remaining floors provide office space for Port employees and tenants. The building also accommodates critical PDX operations and is designed to be resilient in the event of an earthquake or other catastrophic scenario.

The project prioritized operational and embodied carbon footprint reduction through the aggressive reduction of energy loads paired with integration of solar energy generation capacity, and the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits fully offsetting five years of energy use. The RCC building and the associated parking structure (P3) were also the first projects in the region to use an innovative reduced carbon concrete product (CarbonCure), which offset the carbon footprint equivalent of operating 116 cars for a year and demonstrated how this product can be successfully used on a large scale in other projects.

Social Equity in capital projects is another area of focus for the Port. The RCC project led by example in this area as well. 71 different MWVESB (Minority, Women, Veteran-owned Emerging Small Business) Trade Partners/Designers participated in development of the RCC Building and P3 Garage), for a combined contract value of approximately $30 million. The project exceeded apprenticeship goals for women and people from diverse backgrounds. This also extends to diversity in project leadership roles for both the contractor and Port of Portland. In addition, the RCC building is the first at PDX to have all-user restrooms for its three floors of office space to provide a safe and inclusive option for employees and tenants. This paired with the goal of maximizing daylight, views and optimized acoustics will create a welcoming and productive work environment.

Lastly, the Port is dedicated to creating a safe working environment during the construction and throughout the operation of all its facilities. The RCC Project Team used the Prevention-through Design (PtD) framework to “design out” hazards that would normally be encountered during construction and reduce on-going risks for maintenance personnel during operation of the building. Considering potential future risks and ensuring a safe working environment into the future further demonstrates the intent to deliver a thoughtful, forward-thinking, sustainable project.