IAE is thrilled to be a part of a coalition of environmental organizations launching The Confluence, a shared space office center the be constructed in Corvallis. The groups have been collaborating since 2014 on the project. A feasibility study was conducted to assess the shared space center concept in our community, identify potential sites, conduct a cost analysis, and outline potential shared services. In October 2018, ground was broken on Confluence, a 26,000-square-foot office space in downtown Corvallis, Oregon, in a public launch to fulfill this shared-space vision.
Through the feasibility study, we identified a unique opportunity with a like-minded builder to create a building that would have space to suit the needs of all of the partners (including potential sub-tenants also in the environmental field), be designed through a collaborative process with the partners and the builder, and provide a significant financial savings for partners. Alan Ayres owns the lot and will design and be the general contractor for the 1.5 million project, along with local engineer Pete Bambe. This is an unprecedented opportunity to work alongside a builder who is committed to the shared space center project, and who is strongly supportive of the environmental organizations involved. Ayres will retain ownership of the building, to be leased to our coalition of five not-for-profit groups including Greenbelt Land Trust, Benton County Soil & Water Conservation District, Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation & Development, Corvallis Environmental Center, and Institute for Applied Ecology.
Vision Statement of the Shared Space Coalition:
Co-locating and sharing resources increases the social and environmental impact of our network beyond what we could accomplish as individual organizations. Working together to carry out our missions will lead to a greater number and diversity of current and future residents engaging with and valuing the natural world around us. Our collective impact will mean better environmental conservation of mid-Willamette Valley lands, waters, and wildlife. We embrace the change this journey creates within our individual organizations and collaborative network and acknowledge that such change strengthens our ability to accomplish our goals.
Values:
We value collaboration to operate more effectively by leveraging our limited resources.
We value innovation to create a culture of creativity that accepts risk of failure as part of the process of innovation.
We value impact and our ability to demonstrate and measure how our efforts are creating meaningful change.
We value equity and diversity and the practice of equity among our clients, community, staff, and boards.
We value integrity, including authenticity, transparency, and honesty among all stakeholders.
The Confluence building team is committed to local & sustainable design:
- 75% of building materials sourced, grown and processed within 30 miles
- 80% of construction labor consists of workers living within 2 miles and commuting by bicycle
- 98% of construction waste & packaging material is re-used or recycled
- Zero solvent-based coatings used
- Solar panels
- Paintless exterior
- Low-flow plumbing fixtures
The long-term outcomes of this shared space center will reduce operations costs for tenants, create more formal working collaborations across partner program areas, and raise public awareness and support for the building's tenants - thereby enabling the partner organizations to deepen the impact of
their own missions and achieve greater ecological outcomes for their organization and our community.
Read more in the Corvallis Gazette-Times.
