The Glass Lab

Tryba Architects completed the renovation and adaptive reuse of The Glass Lab, a 46,000-square-foot former glass factory in the Portland Innovation Quadrant (Portland IQ). The team collaborated with Portland-based owner ScanlanKemperBard (SKB) and Lorentz Bruun Construction to turn the vintage two-story industrial building into a community-oriented creative hub for the next generation of creators and innovators. The team’s integrated approach balanced respect for the building’s 1950s warehouse-style architecture with the area’s forward-thinking ethos.

Original building elements were restored and revealed, preserving the building’s historic character within an open, flexible work environment. 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.

Open collaborative design provides space for meaningful peer interactions

Renovations focused on highlighting unique building features like an abundance of natural light, keeping the entire space bright and airy.