2025 West Best Projects
Award of Merit, Office/Retail/Mixed-Use: Splash
Splash
Portland, Ore.
Award of Merit
Submitted by R&H Construction
Owner Security Properties
Lead Design Firm Mithun
General Contractor R&H Construction
Civil Engineer KPFF Consulting Engineers
Structural Engineer Swenson Say Fagét (SSF)
Mechanical Engineer Ocean Park Mechanical
Electrical Engineer Berg Electric
Plumbing Engineer Tapani Plumbing
As the first phase of the larger Pop Blocks master plan to reimagine a former Pepsi bottling facility, this project transformed an industrial site into a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented hub centered on art, community and sustainable urban living.
Scope of work included an eight-story, 335,000-sq-ft residential building with 219 units mixing live/work spaces, townhomes, affordable apartments and market-rate units. Two residential towers are linked via six sky bridges and share common underground parking, while an 8,600-sq-ft community plaza unites the complex.
The adjacent historic 1961 Pepsi Pavilion was also carefully restored. When structural analysis revealed significant rot in original glulam beams, the team decided to replace only critical structural points with custom steel connections and selectively replicate glulams. Each original beam had a unique radius, which the team matched at connection points to ensure seamless installation.
Deploying a reverse cycle chiller water heating system, rarely used in multifamily buildings, required extensive coordination for mechanical intake and exhaust sizing and electrical load management. Splash features an all-electric RCC system for domestic hot water, reducing energy use by up to 63%.
