Portland State University Unveils New Mass Timber Art and Design Facility

Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, recently held a grand opening ceremony for the new home of the Jordan Schnitzer School of Art + Art History + Design, according to a feature by Tradeline (10-28-26). The four-story, 106,000-square-foot building occupies an entire city block and brings together previously dispersed disciplines to encourage collaboration. Construction began in September 2024.

The $90 million facility includes flexible classrooms, studios, technology labs, production and teaching labs, a dual-purpose lecture hall, meeting rooms, and faculty offices. Multipurpose common areas provide space for gathering, studying, and exhibitions, while the ground floor features a protected outdoor courtyard and street-facing galleries.

The building incorporates regionally sourced materials and off-site fabrication, including CLT floor panels and an exposed timber frame constructed from 520,000 board feet of Douglas fir. Its glulam column and beam system allows interior partitions to be reconfigured as program needs change.

Swinerton delivered the project, with additional contributions from KPFF Consulting Engineers, PAE, Samata Consulting Engineers, Timberlab, RDH Building Science, Once–Future Office, Project Pivot, Bielle Lighting Design, and PLACE.