As the urban revitalization movement continues, developers and contractors alike are using nonstandard methods of construction to maximize the potential held within existing structures. The old warehouses of Portland’s Pearl District are a prime example of this trend.

This northwest-side business district includes many buildings from the early 1900’s, mostly multi-story units that formerly contained manufacturing facilities. By the end of 1999, a former cold storage building will be transformed into the artfully reconstructed home of advertising agency, Wieden and Kennedy.

Reconstruction plans included integration of old Douglas fir timbers, used inside the building during its original construction for various items within the six story facility. As the plans progressed, it was decided the best way to cost effectively re-use the century-old timbers with minimal damage or waste was to use a portable band sawmill.

For general contractor R&H Construction, this project represents the largest reclaimed timber job in the company’s 18-year history. “We’re a very diversified, progressive contractor in the Portland area, and we welcome the challenges from this type of renovation,” said R&H site supervisor Greg Mockford. During deconstruction, hundreds of old timbers were removed and stored under the Broadway viaduct bridge, awaiting their turn for reuse, while R&H began the search for a vendor who could handle the milling.

Unfamiliar with the process and unsure where to turn, the solution came to them when Endurawood called. “Actually, I had my eye out for reclaimed timbers,” said Endurawoods’ Ed Mays. “All of these beams were stacked under the Lovejoy ramp by R&H, so I contacted them about possibly purchasing them. I didn’t know it would land me a job.” Mays, whose company locates, processes, and sells reclaimed or ‘rediscovered’ woods as flooring and lumber, has worked with several portable band sawmill operators on other reclaimed wood projects, and was prepared to get to work. Kevin Kaster, manager of Kaster Cutting Company, Inc., has spent the last 3 1/2 years with his father and brother operating two WoodMizer portable band sawmills on a custom basis, primarily for the flooring industry. The mill brought to the Pearl District cutting site hydraulically handles a log up to 21′ long. “Much larger than we ever needed for these beams,” said Kaster. “We ended up cutting 45,000 bd.ft. for Endurawood, mostly 8″ x 14′ beams that will become bleachers in an auditorium for Wieden & Kennedy’s customer presentations.”

As with many of his reconstruction jobs, Mays feels that each project is an opportunity to educate his customers about the benefits of using old timbers for new uses. “R&H wasn’t familiar with the saw milling process and was concerned about the cut quality of the bandsaw mill, but after showing them the initial cut, they were pleased.” Mockford, who oversaw the cutting for R&H, agreed. “The mill seemed to do a very consistent job on cutting rough dimension. There aren’t any visible saw marks. It’s not a finished, planed product, of course, but if you’re looking for the rough-sawn look, it does a good job. And I had not seen something that portable before.” The bottom line was pleasing, too. Including Kaster’s sawmilling costs and the planer costs, finished pieces were ready to be installed in the building for less than $1 per board foot.

From the contractors’ perspective, making the decision to reclaim internal timbers means reevaluating your deconstruction methods. Because the building’s structure was originally divided into quadrants, deconstruction one quarter at a time was possible. This unusual method salvaged as much of the original material as possible. “A tower crane hooked onto a 16′ x 20′ bay of material, then flew it out of the building to the dismantling site,” explained Denny McIntire, assistant project manager for R&H. “This helped not only to salvage as many beams as possible, but also helped the crews in terms of safety and production during the dismantling.”

Kaster then selected the best beams for milling, with the remaining beams headed back to the building as replacement timbers for rotted materials or remodeling timbers in their rough state for items such as stair steps. Others were landfilled because of rot or damage, but most were millable with minimal preparation. “Even in the best timbers, there were nail heads to watch out for,” he said. Kaster’s crew uses a hand-held metal detector to locate as many embedded objects as possible, which are then removed by hand. “After nails were removed and we started cutting, though, things went pretty well.”

At first, Kaster was concerned that the cutting site itself would present issues due to his sawmill being operated in the heart of the city. Located seven blocks from the building, the site is in a busy area, right across from the horses livery used by the Portland police, and also the post office. “People stopped by and asked questions occasionally, and the horses were spooked a bit at first, but they got used to the sound of the mill. An R&H safety representative stopped by and kind of looked things over. He said that the sawmill was well guarded and safe, but we did have to use chaps when running the chainsaw,” continued Kaster. Additional insurance was a requirement for the job as well.

The sawmill’s thin blade minimizes the amount of sawdust produced, which is very fine in texture and was easily blown around by high winds during the last 2-3 days of milling. Other waste products produced by the mill process, such as the ‘rippings’ or external pieces, were put into dumpsters for recycling. Construction is expected to be completed by September 1999, with Wieden & Kennedy occupying all of the third, fourth, and fifth floors, as well as the penthouse and some of the second floor. Although one portion of the remaining space has already been contracted by the Portland Institute of Continuing Arts (PICA), additional retail space will be available as construction is completed. “PICA is a natural tie-in to Wieden & Kennedy’s creative business,” said McIntire. “This area of Portland is a natural draw for artists and creative people because of the space available and the beauty within these old buildings. Many of them are being refurbished into lofts and penthouses. It’s kind of coming back to life around here.” As urban revitalization continues, reclaimed timbers could be a local answer to the need for raw materials while addressing various environmental concerns. As McIntire puts it, “It’s encouraging to see the old timbers being used rather than going to was

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