CYRK Building

The “CYRK” project is a 14,500 square foot live-work building in southeast Portland designed for a family committed to living a more sustainable lifestyle. The family’s primary residence is located on the top floor with offices for their development company below. An additional 1,200 square feet of retail space fills out the ground floor. The building is certified LEED Platinum and employs a series of simple active and passive strategies. A variety of exterior decks and gardens on the north and south sides provide a fluid relationship between inside and out and accommodate a range of activities from small intimate gatherings to larger social events. The interior of the residence is organized around a central gallery connecting the main entry stairs, dining room and living room. The space is divided by two partial-height, clamshell-shaped walls made of polished plaster and is daylit by a continuous band of north facing clerestory windows. Translucent rolling panels allow the adjacent kitchen and guest quarters to be opened or closed to the central gallery. To extend the useful lifespan of the building, the residential level is designed to be easily converted to four smaller living units should the owners decide to move or downsize in the future.