New member welcome: Yost Grube Hall Architecture

CBE would like to welcome to its industry membership Yost Grube Hall Architecture (YGH), a 50-person Portland, Oregon, firm providing architecture, interior design, and master planning services for clients in the Pacific Northwest and internationally. Founded in 1964, the firm’s work is diverse, ranging from university buildings and embassies to corporate headquarters and commercial facilities. Each of their projects share YGH’s commitment to design that is in harmony with the environment, community, client values, and user needs.

Sustainability is a core value at YGH which affects every choice they make, from how they design buildings to how they manage their own office. Their expertise in sustainability is founded on over 35 years of experience designing green building projects based on project-specific research, leading to innovative solutions. Somewhat unique for a mid-sized northwest architectural firm, YGH has a 35-year history of work in the developing world, where minimal resources are a reality. YGH projects for USAID, the US Department of State and a number of US multinational firms in developing nations of Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia have honed their understanding that the best solutions start with passive, simple, and efficient designs that utilize local resources and respond to local culture and climate.

Central Oregon Community College Science Building, Bend, OR.
Photo: C. Columbres.

As leaders in sustainable design, YGH developed the State of Oregon’s current sustainable design standards for new construction and designed the first LEED Gold buildings for the State of Oregon, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, the California State University system, and for the US General Services Administration (GSA) Region 9. YGH also designed the first LEED Platinum higher education building for the State of Washington.

YGH was an early signatory to the AIA 2030 Commitment and remains committed to project energy and water metrics as design targeting tools. The firm is also an early supporter of Health Product Declarations and a sponsor of the International Living Future Institute. They regularly work with their clients to understand how projects are performing and to build on that knowledge through their next project together.

Joining the Center for the Built Environment was a natural addition to YGH’s arsenal, explains YGH Sustainability Director Lona Rerick, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. “YGH is a learning organization that emphasizes project-based research as the foundation for sustained design excellence. CBE membership gives us access to a proven set of post occupancy surveys, robust design tools, growing project performance databases, and invaluable opportunities for peer to peer sharing. YGH is excited to join this group of thought leaders to share what we learn with our staff, clients, consultants and other partners to enrich our collaborative process going forward.”