After more than 30 years in downtown Portland, Bora relocated its studio to the Electric Blocks of Portland’s central eastside at SE 3^rd and Market. The 41,000sf core-and-shell renovation of a former electrical warehouse, known as Volta, includes light-filled, reinvigorated space for Bora’s new workplace as well as other tenants.

Celebrating the building’s industrial warehouse character, design interventions were kept minimal, expanding window openings and strategically reworking roof monitors to bring in abundant daylight and optimize downtown views across the Willamette. Envisioned as an open workshop where ideas are born, Bora’s new studio space balances our needs for creative exploration and collaboration, providing choices for spontaneous discussions and hybrid meetings alike while offering spaces to retreat and engage in focus work. The curated interiors, featuring chemically safe materials and the craftsmanship of local fabricators, spill onto a west-facing terrace as an alternative space to work, gather, or enjoy lunch.

With the core and shell certified LEED Platinum and Bora’s studio tenant improvement pursuing Net Zero Carbon, energy is mitigated by off-site photovoltaic paneling, daylighting strategies, operable windows, and active user monitoring. An accessible entry along the north side features a dynamic art installation of lights, illuminating the street corner in this growing neighborhood of workplace, restaurants, and public transit.

Volta opened in early 2023 and is pursuing Net Zero Carbon certification.