Portland airport’s remodel rooted in Willamette’s forest

Have you hopped a plane at the Portland International Airport (PDX) lately? If so, you have Willamette University to thank, in part, for the stunning remodel and expansion.

The Port of Portland's ambitious $2 billion project, completed in 2024, was designed by ZGF Architects under the leadership of managing partner Bob Packard BA'73. The extensive renovation, which doubled the airport's capacity, transforms each traveler's experience with new skylights, video walls, and its showpiece: a striking nine-acre wooden roof that showcases the Pacific Northwest's connection to its forestry heritage. Materials for the wavy timber structure were sourced from small, local landowners, sovereign tribal lands, and community forests, including from the university's educational forest, Willamette University at Zena.

Willamette University at Zena is a 300-acre forest property owned and stewarded by the university. The property includes 150 acres of sustainable forestry and 150 acres of ecological restoration focused on the oak savanna and oak woodland ecosystems. This bounty of natural resources made the property an obvious choice for sourcing sustainably certified building materials for the PDX project.

Joe Bowersox, Director of International Education and Dempsey Chair of Environmental Policy and Law in the Environmental Science department, said that Willamette students played crucial roles in both the harvest and the subsequent reforestation efforts, gaining invaluable hands-on experience in forest management.

Students helped implement careful harvesting techniques that minimized soil disturbance and preserved hardwood trees such as Big Leaf Maple and Oak for shade. A number of Douglas Firs were left as seed trees to minimize ecological impact. "Even in the case of this harvest, the focus was on restoration," said Bowersox.

Students replanted the entire harvest in coordination with Trout Mountain Forestry, an ecological consultant Willamette has worked with since purchasing the forest in 2008. Instead of following traditional post-harvest practices, the team took innovative approaches to enhance the forest's resilience such as leaving woody debris on the forest floor to enrich soil nutrients rather than burning it.

Prior to the PDX project, the harvesting area at Willamette University at Zena was mostly a monocultural site, consisting entirely of 60 to 80-year-old Douglas Fir trees. The reforestation effort introduced greater biodiversity through the planting of Valley Ponderosa, Coastal Redwood, and Cedar trees alongside Douglas Firs. "As we look at continued impacts of climate change, Douglas Fir is going to be under increased stress, so our goal was to increase the climate resilience of the property," said Bowersox. "We're planning for the future."

This care taken with all aspects of forest management has contributed to Willamette University at Zena's continued flourishing. "It has always been our goal to demonstrate sustainable forestry, as well as to show how people can manage their forestlands in a way that improves them ecologically," Bowersox shared.

The site has earned recognition as a leader in forest management education, securing over $400,000 in state and federal grants for its ecological restoration work. It holds the distinction of being Oregon's first educational institution to conduct prescribed burns, and serves as a living laboratory for students across diverse disciplines - from Biology to Theatre to History. Bowersox said Willamette is in the process of hiring an associate director for land-based education who will expand the use of the property and learning opportunities for students.

Willamette University at Zena is one of the most unique resources available to students as a part of their Willamette education, and the forest exemplifies the university's dedication to environmental stewardship and hands-on, experiential learning. As millions of travelers pass through PDX's renovated terminal, they will experience firsthand the successful marriage of sustainable forestry and innovative design and see one of the ways Willamette University makes an impact in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.