Blue Lake Regional Park Office

The Metro Blue Lake Regional Park Office demonstrates how mass timber can support resilient public infrastructure while reinforcing a deep connection to place. Located at the northern edge of Blue Lake Regional Park, just below the Columbia River embankment, the new office building replaces outdated workspace with a highly efficient, low-impact structure designed to serve park operations staff while preserving the surrounding landscape.

From the outset, the project balanced a constrained site and budget with Metro’s ambitious sustainability goals. Rather than expanding the maintenance campus deeper into parkland, the team renovated the existing Curry Building for storage and repair and introduced a compact new office building strategically placed among existing trees, including three iconic giant sequoias. This strategy minimized site disturbance while maintaining the continuity of open park grounds to the south.

Mass timber was selected as the primary structural system for the new office building for its environmental performance and architectural clarity. Glulam beams and simple plywood roof decking form the structure and finished interior surfaces, eliminating the need for applied ceiling systems and reducing material redundancy. The dimensions of the timber elements directly informed the building’s modular planning, aligning structure, daylighting, skylights, window spacing, and furniture systems into a cohesive whole. The result is an efficient, legible building where structure and space are inseparable.

A gently sloped shed roof defines the building’s form and environmental strategy. The roof rises to the north, opening the open office area to 17-foot-high north-facing glazing that delivers generous, glare-free daylight while framing views to surrounding trees. Deep overhangs on the south provide solar shading and reinforce the building’s park-scale presence along the main drive. Exposed wood throughout the interior creates a warm, durable workspace that supports staff comfort and reflects the park's natural character.

The project served as a pilot for Metro’s adoption of ILFI Living Building Core Green Certification, shaping decisions around material sourcing, energy performance, and ecological responsibility. Responsibly harvested wood, rooftop photovoltaics, native landscaping, and low-VOC interiors work together to reduce environmental impact while making sustainability visible and educational.

At Blue Lake, mass timber is the framework that enables performance, longevity, and a respectful relationship between public buildings and public land.