Currently all eyes are on the airport’s main terminal, which is set to receive a major facelift at a tab of around $1.5 billion. Architecture firm ZGF recently unveiled plans for the redesign, which celebrates the surrounding landscape in both its external facade and interior spaces.

“We’re taking the airport that has served the region well for the past 80 years and updating and upgrading it,” explains PDXNext Chief Projects Officer Vince Granato. “While the space will look and feel different, we are keeping the heart and soul of the airport that Portlanders know and love – easy to navigate; bright, open spaces; and local shops and restaurants – it will still feel like home.”

Portland sits in the northern part of a state that features mountain ranges, a full coastline, and forests in every direction. In honoring the region’s varied topographies, designers will install a wood roof made entirely from local, sustainably-sourced materials. Skylights incorporated into the wood layout will also help create an aesthetic geometry in the space.

“The roof design was inspired by the forests of the Pacific Northwest and the feeling you get while walking through the woods, the experience of light filtering through the trees, and the protection of the tree canopy,” ZGF partner and lead interior designer for the PDX project Sharron van der Meulen said in an official statement.

Further bringing the outdoors inside, a slew of plants will line the new terminal’s corridors. In addition, the interior will feature ample space for public art — another trademark of the famously “weird” city. Similarly, the shops and restaurants one would expect to find in a traditional airport will here be made to resemble a street in downtown Portland, complete with a space that replicates the sidewalks where café tables and customers overflow businesses.

With an eye on the future, the airport will also feature earthquake-proof construction and provide plenty of room to grow and adapt along with technology and travel needs. And of course, planning a project this scale in a state known for environmental initiatives means that although the terminal will be doubling in size, it will actually be using half of the energy per-square-foot compared to now.

The new roof will “break ground” in 2022, with the entire project expected to reach completion during the spring of 2025.

The post Portland International Airport’s $1.5 Billion Redesign Takes Flight first appeared on Dornob.

Today, as creativity and social commentary continue to push the boundaries across almost all genres, people’s interpretations of the event has become much more inventive, although many still prefer the classical interpretation of yore.

Here are a few of our favorite examples:

Barbie Nativity

In an effort to highlight the gaudy sense of consumerism that’s tainted the Christmas season over the years, Argentine artists Marianela Perelli and Emiliano Paolini created this Mattel-toy driven nativity scene called “Barbie, The Plastic Religion.” Ken and Barbie hog the scene in various costumes; the baby is the only original player.

Pork Lover’s Nativity

Back in 2010, one artistic Flickr user shared their bizarre take on the famous stable scene by making bacon and sausage the stars. The straw is made from sauerkraut, but the people and animals are 100-percent pork.

Vacuum Cleaner Nativity

If the spirit’s right, a nativity scene can be created from anything. A Brit with an appliance store in the UK’s Westcliff-on-Sea teamed up with his son to build this unique scene out of the line of Henry vacuum cleaners he sells to customers.

The Three Wise Aliens

Instead of bemoaning the commercialization of Christmas, artist Matt Henderson rewrote the nativity story altogether when he recreated the scene in a former church located in Portland, Oregon. Besides throwing an extra wise man into the mix (can’t have too much wisdom), he also invited Santa Claus to the party. The characters were hardly recognizable in the end, with the magi being portrayed by space aliens and Santa decked out as a shaman with antlers on his head.

Cats in the Cradle

Sisters Annette and Sue Amendola spent over a decade carefully building a traditional nativity scene on their lawn in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Then they added food to the display, and the local stray cats quickly spread the word, edging Baby Jesus off his perch for their own enjoyment of that cozy hay.

Hipster Nativity

When Casey Wright designed “The Modern Nativity Hipster Nativity Set,” he was thinking about how religions would be much more diverse if their hallowed texts and characters reflected today’s world. His details mirror his vision: Joseph has a man-bun, wears a denim shirt, and snaps a selfie with Mary, who’s holding a cup of coffee from a trendy shop. The Wise Men sport shades and cruise in on Segways with presents from Amazon. The event is shared on Instagram, and all the gadgets are powered by solar panels on the roof of the manger.

The post 6 Nativity Scenes You Probably Won’t See Around The Neighborhood first appeared on Dornob.

Like many cities, Portland has suffered some growing pains over the last decade, falling prey to waves of homogenous new development that wipe out longstanding institutions and local favorites and replace them with cookie-cutter nonsense. If someone blindfolded you and dropped you into a series of the city’s newer bars and restaurants with all signage removed, you’d be pretty hard-pressed to identify your location.

For better or worse, depending on your perspective, stepping into wine bar Enoteca Nostrana in the Buckman neighborhood feels a bit like teleporting yourself into a whole different city. There’s no sign of the elements that make so many other spots blend together. The interiors take the bar in an entirely different direction, one that feels distinctly Modern European in flavor.

Opened by Cathy Whims in 2018 beside her existing Italian trattoria Nostrana, the bar is brighter and more contemporary than its sister, intending to offer a stylish and comfortable setting for discovering new wines with friends. Working with local architect Rick Potestio and Nostrana director of operations Nicholas Suhor, Whims envisioned a space that referenced Italy without the use of any cliches or Old World style.

In place of those elsewhere-omnipresent old-fashioned bulbs are gooseneck lamps, which are actually far better for examining menus. Retro geometric graphics on the floors and behind the bar nod to the iconic 1980s postmodern Memphis Group design tradition, which originated not in Tennessee, as you might imagine, but Milan, Italy.

All of these elements come together into the city’s “most excitingly designed restaurant,” earning it the 2018 Design of the Year Award from Eater Portland.

The publication says of the wine bar: “Contemporary and funky, the bar sports massive Champagne-cage cork stools, which somehow mesh with rich design touches that would feel equally at home in a 19th-century Milanese hotel. The walls and floor boast bold patterns reminiscent of the Saved By the Bell intro. There is a gently 90s mix of colors, and unexpected textures pop beneath counters and above sumptuous leather booths.”

“Then, a few steps in, there’s the hidden heart of the bar: a glowing, two-story wine fridge, futuristic and formidable with its stacks of backlit acrylic fixtures and row after row of bottles. Between the booths and glowing cellar, the place feels like a pizzeria on a 1980s album cover. There’s not a white wall in sight; those looking for the customary devil’s ivy or succulent in a tucked-away corner will find nothing of the sort.”

None of this is to say that Portland as a whole should follow in Enoteca Nostrana’s footsteps and embrace postmodernism at the expense of its own identity. But it sure doesn’t hurt to be shoved out of your comfort zone every once in a while.

Photos courtesy of John Valls

The post In Portland, a Bold Graphic Wine Bar Breaks the Mold first appeared on Dornob.

Yes, the “O2 Haus” encompasses design elements that not only make it cozy and inviting as a vacation rental, but also net-zero in energy consumption. That’s not an easy feat to accomplish — especially when you consider the massive amounts of energy that other vacation homes burn through while heating, cooling, and supporting the overall electronic load.

Heated mostly by the sun and energy produced by daily household activities, the O2 Haus system is backed up with solar panels to gather power for the limited energy that it does consume. A heat-recovery system collects heat, filters the air, and disperses it equally throughout the home to offer a comfortable environment in every room without any hot or cold pockets, while a highly-efficient heat pump accommodates the water heating needs.

The house is built on a concrete slab installed over nine inches of EPS foam insulation (R-36). Inside, the walls are framed with 2 x 8s and packed with blown-in cellulose, though they are also insulated on the outside with four inches of rigid polyisocyanurate foam insulation (R-52). Triple-pane windows add to the insulation value for maximum efficiency, with remote-powered exterior shades further helping with temperature management. Custom exterior doors with Vacuum Insulated Panels complete the framework for this ultra-efficient space, which boasts an impressively low heating load of only 4,500 Btu/h.

Natural materials fill the house to further support the sustainable design. All its counters are quartz, while flooring materials include reclaimed hardwood and concrete. Tile backsplashes and translucent glass cabinets add to the organic aesthetic.

All of these thoughtful earth-friendly systems enhance the upscale home without sacrificing an ounce of comfort. The O2 Haus also houses three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a single-car garage, and 1,650 square feet to maneuver. The landscaped front yard features a paver stone patio surrounded by a thoughtful design incorporating native, drought-resistant plants that are watered by a rain chain. Other features include a sunset balcony, a lofted dining and living room, a modern kitchen with an induction stove, heated towel racks, a charcoal barbecue, broadband Wi-Fi, and a private backyard.

Designed by PDX Living, the Portland house sold before it was even built, and it now offers a private room for rent through AirBnB, making it the perfect solution for the sustainable traveler. The nightly rate averages $65 and includes access to the shared spaces in the house and a light breakfast.

Thanks to its reclaimed materials and solid floorplan, the O2 Haus has earned Passive House certification as one of the most energy-efficient homes in the world, having been recognized by a slew of publications for the achievement.

“The 7 Best Airbnb Rentals in Portland, Oregon” — Travel+Leisure

“10 Amazing New Homes” — Portland Monthly

“The Houses That Could Save the World” — Politico

“Net-Zero Success Story” — Solar Oregon

“15 EcoFriendly Airbnbs for under $150” — GlobeIn

“Best Portland Airbnb Rentals” — News Ledge

“Houses that Matter: Inside a Bold New Era of Portland Architecture” — Portland Monthly

“It’s Easy Being Green” — Airbnb Pick

The post Critically-Acclaimed O2 Haus Offers Sustainable Design in a Vacation Rental first appeared on Dornob.

While all of this has been undertaken to distance society from the idea that smoking cannabis is a bad thing, it’s also created friendly and relaxed environments that first-time shoppers can quickly feel at ease in. Serra, a self-proclaimed “modern druggist” in Portland, Oregon, is one such place.

Located in the heart of Portland’s historic old town, Serra was specifically designed to have a strong link to the city’s cultural atmosphere and contribute to the resurgence of the surrounding area. Branding gurus OMGFCo were put in charge of crafting the company’s identity, taking a name from the Italian word for “greenhouse” and giving the dispensary a voice and character unlike any other. With taglines like “Feel all the Feelings” and “Quality Drugs,” Serra comes across as familiar, sensitive, and trustworthy. These qualities are similarly reflected by the shop’s physical design.

In the process of creating a physical space for Serra to operate out of, principal designers JHL Design completely restored an old building from the 1880s, giving the entire structure a much-needed update and bringing it into the 21st century. The resulting aesthetic is pared back and minimal. The dispensary’s facade was painted a color called “Black Beauty” because the company wanted to be careful not to outwardly allude to the sale of marijuana. Subsequently, you won’t find any green or references to pot leaves anywhere in this design.

Upon entering the building, customers are greeted by a reception area and ID’d to verify that they are above the age of 21. Afterward, they can enter the store’s main room, which is where the marijuana is actually sold. Equipment and paraphernalia including pipes, bongs, edibles, and oils are displayed in glass cases that resemble tiny greenhouses, connecting the merchandise to the store’s name.

Serra partners with local craftsmen, chocolatiers, and growers to ensure that only the finest-quality products are sold in their shop. A Portland-based sculptor even produced the modern light fixtures that hang down from the store’s 16-foot high ceiling. The company is a firm believer in “the art of smoking” and aims to help its customers incorporate cannabis consumption into their daily lives.

Serra is raising the bar for marijuana dispensaries everywhere by creating an experience beyond that of simply going to a pharmacy. The shop’s minimalist design is intoxicating even before you smoke or consume anything. While the team says that staying on top of pot’s legal status is one of the most challenging parts of their enterprise, their innovative branding and design is sure to help them weather whatever storm might come their way.

The post High Design: Check Out This Luxurious Cannabis Dispensary in Oregon first appeared on Dornob.