News & Press Releases

 

The Inkwell Building also earns LEED Gold Certification for Core and Shell.

Chambers Construction completed construction on The Inkwell Building in Crescent Village Town Center, Eugene, Oregon, which has obtained the Pacific Northwest’s first Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification for Commercial Interiors as well as achieving LEED Gold Certification for Core and Shell. The Inkwell is a 37,000 sq. ft. professional office building that serves as the headquarters for Arlie & Company, the owner and developer of the Crescent Village Town Center, as well as other office and retail tenants.

Chambers Construction worked closely with Rowell Brokaw Architects and Arlie & Company to develop Lane County's first LEED Gold Certified multi-tenant, professional office building. The Inkwell’s stunning curved structure punctuates the northeast corner of Crescent Village Town Center, which is a City of Eugene Green Building Demonstration Project. The building’s Gold LEED Certification for Core and Shell is a status unmatched by any core and shell project in the state outside Portland.

“The combined skills, talents and vision of our partners have culminated in a masterpiece of green building that sets the standard for sustainable development in this area,” said Suzanne Arlie, the president of Arlie & Company. “We are very fortunate to collaborate with these outstanding companies who have grown up in the heart of our community, and have helped distinguish Eugene as one of the nation’s greenest cities.”

Quality project management and implementation by Chambers Construction helped pave the way to LEED Gold certification. “The design team asked a lot of The Inkwell project, and Chambers was always there to see it through,” said Greg Brokaw, principal of Rowell Brokaw Architects. For example, the Chambers team developed procedures to successfully divert more than 80 percent of construction waste from disposal in landfills and incinerators, one element involved in the LEED certification process.

“Reducing the environmental impact of our industry is imperative on a global scale, and it makes good business sense,” said Dave Hilles, president of Chambers Construction. “The Inkwell sets an example for methods of green building that other projects in our community can follow.”

The Inkwell integrates highly developed passive strategies for glazing, sunshading, orientation and envelope that fit seamlessly within the character of Crescent Village, a development that capitalizes on a mix of uses and higher housing densities to reduce environmental impact and enhance community. “The LEED certification of The Inkwell marks a permanent presence of sustainable design in our community, and sets a new standard by which others will be measured,” Brokaw said.

LEED is a rating system devised by the United States Green Building Council to evaluate the environmental performance of a building and encourage market transformation towards sustainable design. The system is credit-based, allowing projects to earn points for environmentally friendly actions taken during construction and use of a building.

 
The Garden of Earthly Delights reuses pieces of the Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge.

Chambers Construction continues to move forward on BRING Recycling’s Garden of Earthly Delights after placing four 3,500-pound pieces salvaged from Gold Beach’s historic Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge that will serve as garden walls. The ornate concrete rails were salvaged by Hamilton Construction during restoration and upgrading of the seven-span bridge in Gold Beach.

“The bridge rails add a sense of place to our new garden area,” said BRING director Julie Daniel. “They provide an opportunity to teach about Oregon history as well as the importance of salvage and reuse. We are thrilled to have found a use for these beautiful pieces of Oregon’s past.”

Named after Oregon’s governor from 1927 to 1929, the Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge was completed across the Rogue River in 1932. It was one of several coastal bridges along Highway 101 designed by famed bridge engineer Conde McCullough.

The 8,500-square-foot Garden of Earthly Delights, scheduled to be completed sometime in 2010, is being designed by Chambers Construction and will serve as an interactive outdoor learning space to teach sustainable gardening and living skills. It is part of BRING’s $2 million Planet Improvement Center that opened on Franklin Boulevard in 2007. Construction of the Garden of Earthly Delights was made possible through a $60,000 grant from the Collins Foundation in Portland, said Sonja Snyder, BRING’s capital campaign director. BRING is still seeking donations to complete the project.

Chambers Construction and BRING Recycling have completed previous projects together, including the recent renovation of a storage building. “We very much appreciate the hand-holding Chambers has given us, which really helps us get a handle on what it’s going to take to complete our site,” Daniel said.

See More of What Our Clients Say

BRING RECYCLING
“We wanted to let you know how pleased we are with the work Chambers did for us on our storage building. With Dave Hoffman’s help, we were able to renovate the building at a much lower cost than we’d originally thought, and it looks great. The work was under budget and on time — we’re thrilled! It’s a real win for us. A building that wasn’t earning its keep can be fully utilized, and we’ve performed some major long-deferred maintenance that will ensure that we get value out of it for many years to come.”

Julie Daniel, Director
BRING Recycling

 

Company recognized for sales and performance in 2007 as well as accumulative sales.

Chambers Construction was recognized for both sales and performance at the National Butler Conference’s 2007 Awards presentation held this month in Orlando, Florida. Chambers was presented with the 2007 $1 million Sales of the Year, the 2007 Western Region Volume Builder of the Year, and the 2007 High Performance Builder awards. The company also was recognized for its $35 million in accumulative sales on the West coast (California, Oregon, and Washington) since 1974, when Chambers acquired the Butler franchise.

Butler Manufacturing Company is a building-solutions company that provides the design, manufacture, and marketing of metal building systems for commercial construction. The company's products are primarily sold, installed, and serviced through independent dealers (Butler Builders®) in the United States and throughout the world. Butler Steel Building products are custom-designed and engineered one-to eight-story steel buildings for use as offices, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, schools, shopping centers, agricultural buildings, and more.

Chambers Construction also is a four-time Butler Builder of the Year awardee, receiving that designation in 1993, 1997, 1999, and 2006. The company is honored to be recognized by both its clients and Butler Manufacturing for exceptional results using pre-engineering metal building systems.

For more information about the awards or the Butler Building System, please contact Dave Hoffman.

 

Chambers Construction Project Engineer becomes certified for Green Building Practices.

 

Chambers Construction announced that Christy Loew, a Project Engineer with the company, recently became a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional (AP), demonstrating her thorough understanding of green building practices as well as the principles of LEED requirements, resources, and processes. The LEED AP credential represents knowledge of the LEED Rating System and its application in practice. As a LEED AP, Christy will facilitate the integrated design process and streamline the LEED Certification process.

 

The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED Professional Accreditation distinguishes building professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully steward the integrated design and LEED certification processes.

 

Multimillion dollar urban village is a Green Building Demonstration Project for the City of Eugene.

Arlie & Company announced that Chambers Construction has been named the new general contractor for the multimillion dollar Crescent Village development in north Eugene. Chambers has assumed management of the project from the previous general contractor, Roberts Construction. Chambers plans to move quickly to maintain the momentum and keep the landmark project on schedule, said Dave Hilles, president of Chambers Construction.
“We have good management systems in place and new project managers and supervisors on site, and we are using a mix of Roberts’ former employees and employees of our own,” Hilles said. “We’re prepared, and it should go pretty smoothly.”
Crescent Village is a Green Building Demonstration Project, one of only three projects chosen by the City of Eugene. The program was created to collect information about the design, development, and construction of innovative new green building projects. The City of Eugene then plans to use the information gathered to develop policies and programs that will encourage future green building projects and better support the organizations that build them.

Crescent Village will be a pedestrian-friendly community defined by a Town Center. Featuring a mix of shops, restaurants, lofts, and offices, the Town Center is designed to be a destination for the entire community as well as a place where residents can conveniently take care of life’s necessities just steps from their own front doors. The project incorporates mixed-use buildings with diverse retail storefronts on the street level and will have more than 100 apartments on the upper floors. The design includes inviting outdoor seating areas, lush landscaping, and wide sidewalks will create a safe and interesting street scene that will encourage people to walk, relax, and socialize rather than drive in and drive out.
The development will incorporate energy-efficient systems, non-toxic low- and no-VOC emitting interior finishes, and on-site water management. The residential buildings will be EnergyStar and EarthAdvantage certified, and the architects and engineers on the project are using LEED for New Construction guidelines to direct the design of the commercial buildings. Chambers also is using local and renewable building materials whenever possible as well as a construction waste recycling program.

Chambers is currently completing Buildings A and B at the Crescent Village site and is scheduled to start completion of Building D very soon. Building D will meet the standards for LEED New Construction, Gold Rated. This designation includes certification in LEED for Core and Shell and LEED for Commercial Interiors (applicable for commercial interior fitouts by tenants).

Project manager for Chambers Construction will advise government officials about program development to create or enhance sustainable practices within the community.

Chambers Construction proudly announced that Brian Erickson, a project manager with the company, was chosen to serve on the City of Eugene’s Sustainability Commission. The new commission, which comprises 12 members chosen from a pool of 73 applicants and one city councilor, will advise the city council and the city manager on the development of programs to create or enhance sustainable practices within the community.

Referring to the high level of public interest in the new commission, City of Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy said, “This is a real indication of the enormous passion people have for pursuing sustainability in this community. We are grateful to all the excellent individuals who stepped forward.”

The advisory group will make recommendations on policy matters related to sustainable practices, businesses that produce sustainable products and services, City of Eugene building design and infrastructure, and related issues that directly affect sustainability efforts considered by the city council. The commission is charged with actively working with regional partners on sustainable solutions to shared issues as well as keeping all interested parties informed and involved.

“To be successful in creating a sustainable Eugene, we need to involve everyone,” said Felicity Fahy, City of Eugene sustainability manager and staff representative to the commission. “We look forward to working across the entire community to help create a place of greater social equity with a healthy environment and a prosperous economy.”

Erickson will serve with his fellow Sustainability Commission members: Lisa Arkin, Shawn Boles, Howard Bonnett, Josh Bruce, Dave Funk, Lorraine Kerwood, Tim Laue, Kip Much, Rusty Rexius, Will Shaver, Josuha Skov, and Alan Zelenka.

 

130,000 sq. ft. distribution center and office renovation is slated for completion in January 2008.

Chambers Construction announced that Thursday, September 27, 2007, marked the beginning of a new construction phase for the Lumber Products Company’s distribution center and office renovation. Crews used a crane to stand the 65 Concrete Tilt-up panels for this $8.5 million, 130,000 sq. ft. building. The project is slated for completion in January 2008.

Concrete Tilt-ups are panels comprising large slabs of concrete, which are poured at the job site. The panels are raised into position to form the exterior walls. Chambers Construction has used Concrete Tilt-up construction for office buildings, retail centers, warehouses, distribution centers, call centers, manufacturing facilities, and other structures. The Concrete Tilt-up construction method provides speed, safety, and construction cost benefits when compared to traditional masonry construction projects.

Chambers Construction serves as the General Contractor for the renovation, located in the business area off of Bertelsen Road in Eugene, Oregon. The architect for the project is Pivot Architecture.

 

 

Chambers Construction completes 54,000 sq. ft. pre-engineered steel building in Bandon, Oregon.

Hardin Optical will host an Open House for its recently completed 54,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility on Saturday, October 20. The $6 million pre-engineered steel facility, which was recently completed on time and under budget by Chambers Construction, includes approximately 15,000 sq. ft. of space reserved for office space, laboratory testing, and inspections.

Located in the coastal community of Bandon, Oregon, Hardin Optical manufactures high quality optical components and systems for research and industry. Chambers Construction provided construction management for the project and served as the General Contractor. The architects on the project were McSwain and Woods Architects and Butch Schroeder.
 

 

Chambers Construction incorporates green building practices in construction of state-of-the-art broadcasting studio.

 

Chambers Construction announced the completion of KOHD-TV ABC affiliate television station construction project in Bend, Oregon. The project was highly ranked in the 2007 Top Commercial Projects in Central Oregon by Cascade Business News magazine. The state-of-the-art studio includes Central Oregon's largest television studio and the latest in high definition video production equipment.

 

Chambers Construction built the 11,000 square foot studio to be environmentally friendly and energy efficient. The facility includes roof solar-panel electrical operation systems, parking lot bio-filters to reduce emissions, green-certified post-consumer recycled pad and carpet, recycled wood flooring, low-energy fluorescent lighting, recycled paperstone reception and bath countertops, and low-water landscaping with indigenous plants.

 

KOHD-TV is owned by Chambers Communications, which is also the parent company of Oregon ABC affiliates KEZI-9 in Eugene, KDRV-12 in Medford, and KDKF-31 in Klamath Falls.

 

 

Subcontractors and suppliers on the project included:
Advanced Energy Systems Advanced Fireproofing Bell Hardware Carlson Testing Collins & Collins Construction Comfort Flow Heating Creative CMCL Environment Dannick Corporation Deschutes Concrete Construction Farwest Steel Gene Springfield Building Materials Green Thumb Industries Guarantee Glass & Mirror Hathaway's Insulation Kleinfelder McKenzie Waterproofing		Metal-Some Fabrication Mike's Fence Center North Country Building Specialties Omlid & Swinney Peter Winberg Construction R.B. Masonry River Roofing-Eugene Solid Painting Stedman Sheet Metal Surface Renewal Surveying Unlimited The Carpet Co Tomco Electric Twin Rivers Plumbing Weyerhaeuser

 

 

Project financier for Mill Casino/Hotel project comments on Chamber’s workmanship and commitment to its clients.

 

Chambers Construction recently received high praise from Umpqua Bank’s building inspector regarding his interactions with Chambers employees during the construction of the Mill Casino/Hotel in North Bend, Oregon.

“I think it's important for you to know what a wonderful job both contractors are doing,” said Roger E. Smith, building inspector with Umpqua Bank. “I have inspected over 400 projects for Umpqua Bank, and your project ranks at the top in my opinion. Chambers moves along with such ease, and Scott Partney’s workmanship is excellent.

As the project financier for this $20.012 million hotel addition, Umpqua Bank frequently conducts inspections during the construction process. 

 

 

Chambers Construction headed the $20 million expansion project in North Bend, Oregon.

 

Chambers Construction announced that its expansion project for The Mill Casino/Hotel in North Bend, Oregon, ranked 40th out of 131 projects listed in DJC 2007 Top Projects. Eligible projects included those in Oregon/Southwest Washington valued at $5 million or higher that broke ground in 2006. The projects are ranked by construction value.

The $20.012 million hotel addition consists of a seven-story post-tensioned concrete structure with service areas on the new lower floor, room for future meeting rooms on the second floor, and 92 rooms in the upper floors. The Mill Casino/Hotel is owned by the Coquille Economic Development Corp.

Chambers Construction served as the General Contractor for the expansion project. The project’s architect was Crow/Clay & Associates, and the engineers were Endex Engineering, KPFF Consulting Engineers, PBS, and Systems West Engineers. Subcontractors on the project included Brock Construction, Chambers Construction, Hap's Masonry, Harvey & Price Co., Jet Industries, Kyle Electric, Marion Construction Co., Schindler Elevator Corp., Umpqua Sheet Metal, and West Coast Contractors. 

 

 

Outing with families of Chambers and Omlid & Swinney employees leads to one big catch.

 

When Omlid & Swinney, a fire protection subcontractor, recently invited a group of Chambers Construction employees and their children on a guided tour with 5 River Guide Service at the Big K Ranch, no one expected more than a pleasant day on the river. But 7-year-old Brendan Erickson turned the day’s events into a classic fish tale when he caught a smallmouth bass that looks to be nearly half his size in length. Brendan proved he had the right stuff by landing the big fish without any help from his father, Chambers project manager Brian Erickson. However, his dad did help him hold up his impressive catch for this photo.

 

Project team saves time and money on upscale Patterson Street apartment complex by preassembling wall forms

Chambers Construction announced that their project construction team solved a tricky problem with the site for the Patterson House apartment complex project currently under construction near the University of Oregon. Because of the urban density of the surrounding neighborhood, Frank Travis, Chambers project manager, needed a creative solution to form the walls of this upscale apartment building while working within the limited space between the adjacent buildings. He found it in a one-sided wall forming system.

“One nice option using this system, which differs from a normal high wall forming system, is we can preassemble the wall forms while the other work was being completed on the wall assembly,” Frank explained. “We were able to prefabricate wall panels approximately 12’ tall and 20’ to 30’ long. Once the other trades were done, we simply used a boom truck to place them. The only remaining work was to tie the panels together and brace them off.”

Chambers partnered with Egge Sand & Gravel to excavate the garage and drive in the piling to act as a shoring system. Chambers then installed 4x12s to hold the bank up while the project team formed the footings and the one-sided wall. After installing a bentonite wall waterproofing system, project team partner Ridge Construction tied the rebar. After the rebar was completed and inspected, the Chambers team installed the wall form system.

In a one-sided wall forming system, the forms are attached to the I-beam shoring system, which is driven 4’ on center. Holes are cut into the I-beams to bolt in coil rod and support the pressure of the concrete. Then the walls are preassembled with aluminum whalers and strong backs, hoisted into place, and bolted up to the coil rods. Once bolted to the coil rod, the wall is checked for plumb and then braced.

This one-sided wall form system ensured that the Chambers project team stayed on budget and on time for the completion of this modern apartment complex located within walking distance to the University of Oregon campus. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2007.

Brian Erickson and Rob Braziel now certified for Green Building Practices.

Chambers Construction announced that Brian Erickson and Rob Braziel, both Project Managers, recently became LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professionals, demonstrating their thorough understanding of green building practices as well as the principles of LEED requirements, resources, and processes.

Additionally, the company recognized the efforts of six other Chambers Construction employees who attended a recent LEED New Construction Workshop: Mark Richardson, Dave Bakke, Chris Boyum, Brent Shjerve, Don Brockmann, and Beau Myrick. The workshop included preparation materials for taking the LEED Professional Accreditation Exam.

The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED Professional Accreditation distinguishes building professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully steward the integrated design and LEED certification processes.

 

Jack Makarchek announced as winner of the 2006 AIA Craftsmanship Award.

 

Chambers Construction announced that the company nominated two of its Superintendents for the 2006 Southwestern Oregon Craftsmanship Award: Randall White and Jack Makarchek. At the awards ceremony earlier this year, Jack Makarchek won the 2006 AIA Craftsmanship Award, which is given to individuals who have mastered the ideals of craftsmanship. The award recognizes contractors, supervisory personnel, suppliers, manufacturers’ representatives, and other industry individuals who have contributed to craftsmanship by their extra effort and superior skills. Of the 23 nominations, nine finalists were selected and acknowledged at the award ceremony.  Randall White was one of the nine finalists.

 

Company recognized for its achievements in the construction of steel building systems.

Chambers Construction recently received the 2006 Western Region “Butler Builder of the Year” Award. Butler Building Systems designs, manufactures, markets, and sells steel building systems. This division's products are mostly custom-designed and engineered one-to eight-story steel buildings for use as offices, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, schools, shopping centers, agricultural buildings, and more.

 

Dave Krull and Jon Baugus complete seminar at World of Concrete 2007.

Chambers Construction announced that Dave Krull and Jon Baugus, two of the company’s field superintendents, recently completed a training seminar about Concrete Tilt-up construction methods at the World of Concrete 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada, earlier this year. Dave Krull and Jon Baugus are responsible for forming crews and developing the procedures for any Chambers Construction project that requires Concrete Tilt-ups. Chambers Construction recognizes their achievements and their dedication to refining their skills, thereby ensuring projects are completed safely and professionally.

 

In August 2007, Jon Baugus applied this Concrete Tilt-up training by achieving his certification as an ACI Tilt-Up Supervisor. Chambers Construction extends its congratulations to Jon for his dedication and hard work.

 

Concrete Tilt-ups are panels comprising large slabs of concrete, which are poured at the job site. The panels are raised into position to form the exterior walls. Chambers Construction has used Concrete Tilt-up construction for office buildings, retail centers, warehouses, distribution centers, call centers, manufacturing facilities, and other structures. The Concrete Tilt-up construction method provides speed, safety, and construction cost benefits when compared to traditional masonry construction projects.

 

Chambers Construction employee attends lecture on method to prevent mold, fungus, and insects in wood.

A recent National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) lecture discussed the use of BluWood treatment methods for addressing problems with wood during the construction process. Tana Baker, administrative assistant, attended the meeting as a representative of Chambers Construction.

The discussion revolved around BluWood’s water-repellent, semi-vapor permeable film, which interlocks with wood fibers to control topical and subsurface moisture absorption. The technology is specifically formulated to resist mold growth. BluWood also incorporates a preservative to provide protection from fungi and wood ingesting insects, including termites.

Chambers Construction is committed to providing the latest technological advances in construction to our clients.