Tryba Architects Completes The Glass Lab in Portland


Tryba Architects, a Denver-based architecture and design firm nationally recognized for transforming buildings and sites into active, vibrant places, recently completed the renovation and adaptive reuse of The Glass Lab, a 46,000-square-foot former glass factory at 350 Mill St. in Portland, Oregon. 

Tryba’s Architecture, Interiors, Branding and Experiential Design teams collaborated with Portland-based owner ScanlanKemperBard (SKB), and Lorentz Bruun Construction (LBC), to turn the vintage industrial building into a community-oriented creative hub for the next generation of creators and innovators.

“Reimagining old industrial properties like The Glass Lab allows us to breathe new life into places that have been overlooked,” said Dylan McQuinn, project manager at Tryba Architects. “SKB recognized the history and opportunity in the property, and through a principled approach to its adaptive reuse, the Tryba team was able to create a strong sense of connection between the building’s industrious past and the makers of the future.”

Ideally located in the Portland Innovation Quadrant (Portland IQ), The Glass Lab offers 13 flexible office suites ranging from 2,000-5,400 square feet. Since its completion earlier this summer, the offices have attracted tenants in the arts and craft manufacturing space.

Tryba’s integrated approach balanced respect for the building’s 1950s warehouse-style architecture with the area’s forward-thinking ethos. In addition to creating an open, flexible work environment, the building team took care to restore and reveal the building’s historic character. Original building elements, including two overheard cranes and several intricate etched glass features, serve as a reminder of Portland’s historic culture of innovation and pay homage to the original Morehouse Glass Company, which operated on the site for 46 years.

The combination of exposed concrete, old-growth timber beams and tongue and groove wood floors helps to maintain a raw, authentic feel throughout the building while extensive window lines, soaring ceilings and large skylights keep the space naturally bright. A ground floor gathering area, common kitchen and glass conference rooms further support opportunities for collaboration among tenants.

“The Glass Lab is a valuable addition to Portland IQ’s dynamic and growing innovation ecosystem,” said John Olivier, senior vice president of acquisitions and development at SKB.  “From the beginning, Tryba Architects brought exceptional creative vision and expert project management to this adaptive reuse project. The result is a one-of-a-kind creative workshop for Portland’s emerging entrepreneurs.”