Fortis Construction, Portland Headquarters at the Water Tower Building

Due to consistent, fast-paced company growth, Fortis needed a new office—one which would provide more capacity as well as better serve the collaborative and tech needs of its modern and mobile workforce.  After a site search that even included modeling the drive times for all local employees, the choice was the historic Water Tower Building.

The result is an 18,800sf workspace that embodies Fortis’ core values, aligns with its culture, and supports sustained growth. The creation came from a highly collaborative process with Woofter Bolch Architecture and Nossa Norman Design Studio; the design, amenities, technology, and art also incorporated extensive input from Fortis employees through workshops and surveys.

Highlights of the headquarters include:

• The space takes advantage of the unique opportunities of the historic building to create strong connections—both inside the office and with the adjacent outdoor areas—to meld a site-specific, modern office into an industrial building constructed in 1903.
• The office layout prioritizes orientation of workstations and public seating along the perimeter, to provide the strongest connection to exterior views and daylight.
• Meeting areas in a variety of sizes and types are provided throughout the space, ranging from individual phone booths to large conference and training rooms. This, combined with integrated technology platforms, allow for flexible collaboration and work styles.
• The food service area was built with the flexibility to host large-scale events with a direct connection to the courtyard and serve as a café-style space to support employee interaction.
• Custom murals that incorporate Fortis’ history and core values were painted by local artist David Rice, who has worked within other Fortis projects such as Hopscotch and the Multnomah County Operations Center.
• Reflecting a commitment to wellness, employee experience, and sustainability, the headquarters is pursuing WELL certification (with the potential to become the first Platinum certification in Oregon).