The McMenamins Elks Temple, built in 1915 and listed as a historic place on the National Register, underwent a seven-story renovation that features a restaurant, bars, 45 hotel rooms, event spaces, game rooms, a fully operational brewery, a commercial kitchen and a theater.

Exterior work repaired the existing structure, undoing previous remodels and restoring architectural elements lost over time. The project team referenced architectural and structural drawings from 1915 to gain insight into corners of the building that were not visible or easily accessible. Tools such as 3D scanning, drones, borescope cameras and even selfie sticks were used to poke and prod into every square inch of the building and help guide the renovation.

Unlike typical projects where drawings provide a majority of the details, much of the Elk Temple’s design was not captured on paper; it was verbalized by the owners during weekly walk-throughs. Many key building components were created via conversations, onsite meetings and teamwork among the designers and the trades.

Related Article: ENR Northwest's 2019 Best Project Winners Highlight Regional Diversity