Project Overview
Mt. Scott Community Center has served generations of Portlanders as a hub for recreation, wellness, and community gathering. When Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) initiated the project as a seismic retrofit, it quickly became clear that a larger-scale renewal was needed. Decades of piecemeal additions left the beloved center difficult to navigate and unable to support evolving programming needs.
FFA partnered with the PP&R to rethink the building as a modern, resilient, all-electric facility that honors its park setting and strengthens its role as a neighborhood anchor. The result is a transformative expansion that clarifies circulation, elevates user experience, and prepares the building to serve as both a recreational resource and an emergency community shelter.
2025
A Nature-Inspired Expansion Rooted in Community Needs
Situated within Mt. Scott Park in the Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood, the community center sits among mature evergreens on a well-loved walking route. The design draws inspiration from the site’s natural character— “a cabin in the woods”—using mass timber, sloping roofs, and deep overhangs to connect the building to its forested surroundings.
Protecting the park’s tree canopy, maintaining access from the parking area to the west, and creating a welcoming “front porch” entry were early drivers of the concept. The addition’s shifting rooflines and carefully stepped forms reflect the scale and rhythm of the residential neighborhood while staying rooted in Pacific Northwest modernism.
Challenge
The existing center, originally built around a 1920s outdoor pool and expanded over the course of 90 years, was undersized, inefficient, and structurally vulnerable. Much of the building was composed of unreinforced masonry, with limited adaptability as recreational trends shift.
At the same time, the community needed spaces that could accommodate multigenerational use, support cultural programming, and remain accessible and intuitive to navigate. The project also faced the realities of a public-sector budget, inflationary construction costs, and a design process shaped by late-pandemic conditions.
Approach
FFA began by completing feasibility studies and test fits to evaluate opportunities for modernization beyond the seismic scope. Together with Portland Parks & Recreation, the team established a design roadmap grounded in community priorities:
- Create a welcoming, intuitive entry sequence with visibility and daylight.
- Strengthen the building’s role as a civic and emergency asset, including all-electric systems and improved resilience.
- Modernize recreation, health, and wellness spaces to meet current and future needs.
- Honor the essence of the site by elevating natural materials and protecting mature trees.
The team used physical models and multiple concept options to explore relationships between new and existing spaces. Frequent digital workshops, a public open house, and farmers market outreach created a clear feedback loop with neighbors, staff, and community members.
Design
A Mass Timber Addition Rooted in Nature
The new addition highlights an extensive use of mass timber, CLT roof panels, glulam beams, and exposed wood surfaces, chosen for their durability, low carbon footprint, and inherent warmth. Timber becomes a unifying feature across the lobby, fitness center, classrooms, and event hall.
A Clear, Daylit Circulation Spine
A central circulation hall, illuminated by a continuous skylight, serves as the new heart of the building. This space offers intuitive wayfinding, opportunities for informal gathering, and a visible connection to surrounding programs. It also provides a safe, comfortable area for parents waiting for their children.
Inside-Outside Connectivity
Deep roof overhangs and covered exterior areas extend programming into the landscape. The lobby’s “front porch” establishes a welcoming civic gesture, while the Event Hall and Fitness Center open toward park views and outdoor activity areas.
Flexible and Multigenerational Spaces
Multipurpose classrooms allow the center to adapt as community needs evolve. Varying room sizes support preschool programs, senior activities, cultural gatherings, and future uses yet to be imagined. Technology, including projectors, digital signage, and in-floor power, was integrated with long-term adaptability in mind.
Sustainability & Resilience
Resilience shaped nearly every decision in the design. The project includes:
- All-electric systems
- High-performing mechanical systems sized to support the building’s emergency shelter role
- A 147 kW photovoltaic array generating renewable energy onsite, offsetting XX% usage
- Low-carbon mass timber as a primary structural material
- A roof-to-rain-garden water story, expressed visibly at the main entrance
With these strategies, the project is targeting LEED Gold certification and demonstrates the City of Portland’s commitment to climate leadership and sustainable recreation facilities.
Community Engagement
FFA worked closely with Portland Parks & Recreation to support a layered engagement process: virtual stakeholder meetings, community open houses, and tabling at the local farmers market. These interactions helped the team understand how neighbors use the center, how children and families navigate the site, and how community members envision the building’s future.
The design reflects these conversations through its inclusive and centralized circulation strategy, flexible multipurpose spaces, and improved accessibility. An upgraded elevator connection now provides equitable access to the lower-level Roller Rink, replacing a ramp that no longer met ADA standards.
Collaboration
This hard-bid project succeeded through strong collaboration across the full team. Bremik served as the general contractor, bringing proactive problem-solving and communications throughout construction. Carpentry Plus installed the mass timber structure with a high level of craftsmanship, preserving the clarity and warmth of the design intent.
Impact
Though the full impact will be assessed in 2026, early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Neighbors are excited about the renewed facility; Parks has championed the project as a model for sustainable civic infrastructure, and the community is eager to return to a space that has shaped generations of local life.
“Throughout the design process, FFA truly listened to the staff and public, providing warm, welcoming spaces that offer stunning views to the outside, and colors and materials that create a flow from the inside to the natural vegetation outside. The thoughtfulness that went into the design and construction of Mt. Scott Community Center has resulted in a community resource that will be a cornerstone in the Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood for generations.”
A Renewed Center
Mt. Scott Community Center represents a new chapter for a treasured neighborhood resource. Designed to be welcoming, intuitive, resilient, and deeply connected to its park setting, the renewed center will support health, learning, creativity, and community bonds for decades to come. As the building reopens and the community returns, we look forward to understanding how this modernized, mass-timber facility strengthens daily life for visitors, staff, and the broader Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood.
