October 9, 2024

Suspended Ceiling (acoustical) Oregon

Photo by Paul Adelman

The torsion spring ceiling is a highly engineered product with a very specific “erector set” of parts. This complex process took detailed coordination of the work and safe separation of the workers due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

11 West Mixed Use Tower

Location: 1140 SW Washington St., Portland

Contractor: Performance Contracting

Architect: ZGF Architects

Team: International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters

Building out interior construction of 11 West during Covid-19 presented a unique set of challenges for Performance Contracting. The 24 story, multi-use building in Portland’s West End has approximately 8,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, 107,000 square feet of office space, 213 apartments, separate amenity spaces for office and residential users and four levels of underground parking.

The owner, Downtown Development Group, developed the property with architectural firm ZGF Architects and Turner Construction as the general contractor. Performance Contracting’s scope included framing, drywall, finishing, insulation, synthetic plaster, acoustical wall panels, metal ceiling panels and linear wood ceilings.

Performance Contracting began work in January of 2021 in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. This highly infectious disease required Performance Contracting to use expanded safety precautions focused mainly on social distancing. Performance Contracting developed a scaffold with an acrylic barrier so two workers could work in the same space safely. In small, cramped areas like the stairwell, the size of the gypsum board sheets was reduced, so one person could safely hang them.

Material lead times during Covid became abnormally extended, leading to delays in the completion of the exterior. Performance Contracting helped advance the schedule for the interior by working closely with the design team, offering suggested solutions to design decisions thereby allowing materials to be ordered much more quickly than would have been the case prior to Covid.

The torsion spring ceiling is a highly engineered product with its very specific “erector set” of parts. The engineering did not allow for other trades to attach to its grid thereby creating more ceiling congestion and more workers 30 to 40 feet in the air on lifts to complete the ceiling and other ceiling attached work. This complex process took detailed coordination of the work and safe separation of the workers.

Although less complicated, the still delicate work of design, layout and construction of the linear wood ceiling was accomplished with a minimum of wasted material and time.

This attractive addition to the Portland skyline achieved occupancy on schedule.

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