Honoring the Region’s Maritime Heritage and Identity

Campus Enhancement

As only the fourth building on the Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station (MERTS) campus, the siting of the building is of high importance. SRG’s design integrates the building into the existing campus and its natural surroundings, while also creating a unique destination and arrival point for the campus that strengthens the sense of place and the maritime identity and brand.

As the portal to campus and the first structure people encounter, the transparent atrium invites views in for arrivals and views out for students and staff completing training courses. A large, graphic map of where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, made of perforated wood, celebrates the identity, scope and purpose of the rigorous program.

Siting

Located adjacent to the Columbia River, the MERTS Campus sits on land that was dredged from the riverbed. The soil is sandy and silty, creating a high risk of soil liquefaction in a seismic event, a key challenge for the project. By limiting the square footage of the main floor, less of the necessary foundation of 1,100 rock pierces drilled 60-ft down to bedrock is required to support it. To accommodate the rest of the program a large second floor cantilevers over the site, tying back to the structure and taking advantage of the deep piers’ strength.