The World Forestry Center is located in Washington Park, and includes three iconic octagonal buildings designed by renowned Northwest regionalist architect John Storrs. Originally constructed in the 1970s, Storrs’ original buildings were a beautiful showcase of timber construction, and the campus' expansion aims to honor this legacy of craftsmanship and innovation.
At the heart of the expansion is the new Experience Center, a wood-clad Mass Timber cultural center that extends the campus to the street, reconnecting the World Forest Center to the transit and pedestrian routes it shares with the neighboring Oregon zoo. The updated arrival sequence includes accessible walkways that engage immersive demonstration gardens which recall forest succession in our native PNW forests. A new central plaza serves as an outdoor convening space, educational garden, and wayfinding hub that revitalizes connections across campus.
Ground Workshop is proud to be part of a collaborative team that includes Lever Architecture, KPFF, and Turner Construction.
Ground Workshop team: Tommy Solomon, Andrew Schneider, Tom Wortman, Hayley Chung