ACCRETECH OFFICES AND PRODUCTION FACILITY

This new facility for Accretech SBS is a manufacturing and office building, as well as a reflection of the collaboration and shared values that made it possible. Accretech, a Tokyo-based company specializing in precision measurement equipment for the semiconductor industry, manufactures much of that equipment here in Oregon.

The project continues a regional tradition of blending Japanese and Western design. Here, Northwest Modern style is adapted to an industrial context. We use a mix between modern mass timber construction and traditional timber frame building techniques, reducing costs and shortening the construction timeline. The result is a building that heavily features natural wood elements, enhancing aesthetics and employee well-being. The frontage along Nicolai Street features Japanese maples and a stone walkway—elements common to both Portland landscapes and Japanese garden design.

The building site itself is representative of the long-standing cultural connection between Japan and Oregon. The site was once home to the Japanese Village, a prominent exhibit at the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition. Japan’s contribution to the Expo was a major draw among the 1.5 million visitors—remarkable for a state with only 400,000 residents at the time.

In collaboration with Accretech, we developed a design that balances form, function, and wellness—not as competing priorities, but as essential components of a unified vision for quality and longevity.

This facility connects the region’s history with its future, reinforcing the cultural and economic foundations of the Pacific Northwest.