The Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences in Seattle opened last year at the right place, but unfortunately at the wrong time. Boasting 36 high-priced condos atop a four-star hotel with views of the Olympic Mountains and downtown, the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences has tried to sell condos at prices that even Seattle's wealthiest wouldn't touch: up to nearly $11. More »

Museum Proposal Begs Question of Private Use on Public Land More »

In some cities, the term acupuncture project might suggest the delivery of an ancient Chinese treatment to lower-income patients. That's true with the Oakland and Brooklyn Acupuncture Projects. But in the case of Portland, an acupuncture project will be something much larger in scale. More »

Washington State University this week released new renderings of its $35 million Global Animal Health Building, designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects. It is being designed to meet or exceed LEED silver standards. The Global Animal Health Building is the result of a 2004 master plan that identified building facilities that support WSU’s school for global animal health missions. More »

When Stefan Shemek learned what it would cost to build an accessory dwelling adjacent to his Portland home, he suffered a severe case of sticker shock. “We would have been grossly over-budget, or have to re-design the entire project,” Shemek said. Of the $100,000 estimated cost for Shemek's accessory dwelling unit, about $18,000 would have gone to city of Portland systems development charges. More »

Each day, Debbie Beck sets out to reduce the world's carbon footprint. From her Green Building Research Lab at Portland State University, Beck is researching ways to benefit the environment through the use of biochar. "The more work I do, the more excited I get about biochar," said Beck. More »

Although it measured 8.8, the earthquake in Chile on Feb. 27 could have inflicted much more damage. The quake demonstrated important lessons about how structural systems save lives. The quake was also a reminder that better building codes in countries such as Haiti are needed. More »

The city of Portland is looking to take Lents Park to the next level. While the park is used often and considered the heart of the Lents neighborhood, the city wants to make better use of the space. A recent request for proposals seeks a planning firm -- most likely specializing in landscape architecture -- to help the city decide how to move forward with the park. More »

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