Founded in 1909, Murphy is one of the oldest family-owned forest product fabricators in the United States.

TVA’s long association with the Murphy family and our love of locally sourced building materials were instrumental as we helped them expand their headquarters and develop a new public face. Sited adjacent to their existing production facility, the new administrative building is a light-filled environment that will support the next generation of growth for one of Oregon’s leading suppliers of architectural plywood veneers and structural LVL timber. Integrating seamlessly into the design and structure of the project, we incorporated Murphy’s products to highlight the incredible beauty and function of wood.

The industrial character of the surrounding warehouse district informed our choice of dark, ribbed metal panels for the exterior cladding. Organized along an east-west axis to maximize solar orientation, deep window recesses and vertical aluminum fins control sun exposure and provide shading. High glass relites at private offices allow transparency through the building, to the landscaping beyond. A modern, minimalist landscape was developed to provide visual interest throughout the year. Large drifts of low ornamental grasses, swoops of native plants, and an allee of Jacquemontii birch are key elements of the landscape.