LEVER Architecture

08/31/2026

Designed by LEVER, the Oregon Conservation Center renovated and expanded The Nature Conservancy’s Oregon headquarters, transforming a 1970s office building to better support the organization’s collaborative culture and connect staff and visitors to nature. The design incorporated plantings and materials associated with conservation sites across Oregon, including landscapes that evoke the Rowena Plateau, the Cascade-Siskiyou region, and western hemlock and cedar forests. The reimagined exterior used weathering steel, Juniper siding, and Cedar decking, while a new addition contained a community room and roof garden terrace.

The addition was one of the first in the United States built with domestically fabricated Cross-Laminated Timber panels certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The LEED Gold project retained and renovated the original building, with rooftop photovoltaics producing 25 percent of its electrical supply and building systems and fixtures reducing electric consumption by 54 percent and water consumption by 44 percent. New landscaping and a subsurface infiltration system managed all stormwater on site, while daylighting, operable windows, open-plan workspaces, and refinished exposed wood ceilings supported the building’s interior environment.

For more information about this project, please visit: https://leverarchitecture.com/projects/the_oregon_conservation_center

Photo credits: © Jeremy Bittermann / JBSA
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08/28/2026

Thank you to Architizer for featuring CASCADA, a hybrid mass timber development in Portland’s Alberta Arts Community that serves as a new urban model for an all-inclusive luxury hotel experience. The project combines hotel, restaurant, wellness-oriented health facilities, ground-level retail, and indoor and outdoor amenities. The building’s massing breaks down the overall scale to connect with the surrounding streetscape, while mass timber and low-carbon concrete contribute to reducing the carbon footprint.

The LEED Platinum design integrates biophilic elements throughout, including a green wall spanning two floors, greenery and plantings inside and out, and an abundance of natural light and ventilation. The wellness program occupies three floors and includes hammam-inspired bath and steam rooms, a swimming pool, reception, gym, and treatment rooms. The second floor features an indoor/outdoor dining terrace, workspaces, conference rooms, and an indoor bridge leading to the reception area for the spa and wellness center.

Photo credits: Ema Peter Photography
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For more information about this project, please visit: https://architizer.com/projects/cascada/

08/26/2026

LEVER’s Black Butte Residence is a family retreat integrated into a forested site in central Oregon’s high desert landscape. The split form creates three types of spaces that frame views of Mount Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, and Black Butte, which also informed the residence’s form. The house is lightly placed on a previously disturbed area of the site, preserving the family’s favorite spot for stargazing.

The design prioritizes natural and regional materials, balancing durability with energy efficiency. Dark-stained cedar siding and a black metal standing seam roof integrate with the forested environment, while large triple-glazed windows maximize natural light, reduce heat loss, and provide unobstructed mountain views. Interior materials include glulam columns, Douglas Fir ceilings, white oak floors, and custom millwork.

A 16.8 kW photovoltaic array is estimated to offset approximately 80% of the home’s annual energy consumption. Electric vehicle chargers and LED lighting further support the project’s approach to energy efficiency.

For more information about this project, please visit: https://leverarchitecture.com/projects/Black_Butte_Residence

Photo credits: © Jeremy Bittermann / JBSA
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08/24/2026

Designed by LEVER in collaboration with Field Operations, the NBCUniversal Campus Project transforms the historic working studio lot through new buildings, gardens, and outdoor spaces. A central green framed by existing structures, a new office building, and an employee commons provides space for gatherings and events, while a planted paseo connects the arrival commons to the plaza. Garden workspaces, outdoor dining, and flexible gathering areas extend work and social spaces across the campus.

The Commons is a circular building with a lenticular façade inspired by early zoetropes and the origins of moving pictures. Its ground-floor commissary opens to shaded courtyards and connects to the plaza and paseo, while additional spaces include a special events theater, screening rooms, and a top-floor events center with 360-degree campus views. At the far end of the paseo, One Universal responds to the site’s steep grade with a double-height lobby connected to the central green, shared meeting and screening spaces, and an exterior terrace overlooking the campus, the Valley, and the San Gabriel Mountains.

For more information about this project, please visit: https://leverarchitecture.com/projects/nbcuniversal_campus_project

Photo credits: Ema Peter Photography
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08/21/2026

Designed by LEVER in collaboration with Multnomah County Library and Noll & Tam Architects, Albina Library combines the restoration of its 1912 Carnegie building with a major addition. A full seismic upgrade preserved the historic structure, which now houses the children’s reading room and connects directly to expanded library spaces. The addition’s brick exterior responds to the surrounding historic district, while its angles and material palette draw from the Carnegie building’s original terracotta tile roof.

The design uses the sloping site to connect the Carnegie building’s ground floor with the addition’s second level. The adult reading room overlooks the courtyard and neighborhood, with views along Russell Street and toward the green roof, while a ground-floor community room opens directly to the courtyard. Additional spaces include small group study rooms, open book stacks, elevators, an open stair connecting the two levels, and nine new community spaces.

For more information about this project, please visit: https://leverarchitecture.com/projects/albina_library

Photo credits: © Lara Swimmer / Esto
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08/19/2026

Designed by LEVER, Alta House is a three-bedroom seasonal residence in Alta, Wyoming, with direct views of the Teton Range. The design balances indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, while public areas and bedrooms are oriented toward the mountain landscape. Contrasting volumes clad in weathering steel and Accoya shift in response to views and privacy, while white oak interiors maintain an emphasis on the surrounding landscape.

In response to Wyoming’s extreme climate, the house uses durable materials and energy-efficient systems. A flat roof limits dangerous snow slides, while the steel and timber façade is designed to withstand harsh weather with limited maintenance. Wood fiber insulation, triple-pane doors and windows, and an energy recovery ventilation system support thermal comfort and energy efficiency.

For more information about this project, please visit: https://leverarchitecture.com/projects/alta_house

Photo credits: © Lara Swimmer / Esto
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08/17/2026

LEVER integrates biophilic design into several projects, including 843 N Spring Street and the NBCUniversal Campus Project, both developed in collaboration with Field Operations.

The renovation of 843 N Spring Street in Los Angeles incorporates a central public garden, open-air circulation, courtyards, private balconies, and a shared rooftop deck. A tiered vertical garden courtyard between the office wings connects the building’s levels and culminates in a roof garden, while outdoor work and social spaces provide access to the landscape throughout the building.

At NBCUniversal’s historic studio lot, new buildings and landscapes draw inspiration from Southern California. A central green, planted paseo, plaza, gardens, outdoor workspaces, and gathering areas connect the campus and bring people closer to the outdoors. The Commons opens to shaded outdoor courtyards, while One Universal connects to the central green and incorporates indoor-outdoor work and gathering spaces, an exterior terrace, and views across the campus, the Valley, and the San Gabriel Mountains.

For more information about these projects, please visit: https://leverarchitecture.com/projects

Photo credits [images 1–3]: © Jeremy Bittermann / JBSA
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Photo credit [image 4–7]: Ema Peter Photography
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08/14/2026

House Hallovi, located in Portland, Oregon, is a renovation of a 1920s prairie-style home. Designed by LEVER, the project balances the home's original character with a modern addition, including a cabana made from regional cross-laminated timber. The cabana offers an open-air living space overlooking a landscaped yard, reflecting the owner's Florida roots. The design emphasizes natural light, airy interiors, and the integration of nature indoors, creating a calm and functional environment.

For more information about this project, please visit: https://leverarchitecture.com/projects/house_hallovi

Photo credits: © Jeremy Bittermann / JBSA
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08/13/2026

08/12/2026

Designed by LEVER, Albina One is a 94-unit affordable housing development in Portland’s Albina neighborhood and the first built project in the Albina Vision Community Investment Plan. The design reflects Albina Vision Trust’s vision of connecting a sense of place, culture, and community through communal balconies, courtyards, and shared spaces. The deep blue façade incorporates artwork developed by local artists and a series of gold screens that step through the garden.

A park runs the length of the building and provides accessible circulation across a full level of grade change. A plaza connects to the primary entry and a double-height community space, while additional commons areas, classrooms, a communal kitchen, and an outdoor playground connect to a larger private courtyard.

Careful attention was paid to daylighting the corridors at each end of the building. A series of large double-height terraces face west with views of the river overlooking the future Albina development, giving the building its distinctive formal identity.

For more information about this project, please visit: https://leverarchitecture.com/projects/albina_one

Photo credit [image 1]: Justin Cordova
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Photo credit [images 2–4]: Lara Swimmer / Esto
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