The St. Johns Library is a historic fixture of its North Portland neighborhood, and Multnomah County’s renovation and addition was needed to serve the community without losing what makes the building beloved. Based in St. Johns ourselves, Convergence played a key role in engaging in the County’s robust community engagement process. We helped the County work with Community Design Advocates drawn from the neighborhood, attended community events to gather input on the design, and reported what we heard back to the design team and the County.
As a subconsultant to Bora Architects, Convergence focused on the exterior detailing for the historic structure. We provided waterproofing and envelope detailing, helping ensure a durable, high-performing building for decades of library service ahead. The project pursued a LEED v4 Gold certification goal. Convergence also worked closely with the contractor through the course of construction.
The County also engaged artists to create pieces that represented the local community, including a series of outdoor sculptures by Victor Trejo; a mural for the kids area by Carson Ellis; and a series of wood panels painted by David Rice.
