One North – Karuna East and West Buildings

The 85,540-sf Karuna at One North project includes a five-story Type IIIB building and four-story Type VA building, both with retail space on the ground floor and offices above. Both feature heavy timber post-and-beam construction over a concrete podium. The primary structures consist of glulam columns and beams, and the architect and contractor worked closely together to ensure that the complex framing geometries were accurate and achievable. Chosen for sustainability and aesthetics, the use of wood helped moderate swings in humidity over time (in concert with dense-packed cellulose insulation), and minimize thermal bridging to meet energy efficiency goals. In terms of operational energy, the buildings perform 50% more efficiently than a typical new building in Oregon. Their unique curves are complemented by equally striking western red cedar exterior cladding, the selection of which involved a trip to the forest to better understand the supplier’s processes and ensure sustainability. Estimated construction cost: $384/sf