We chose the name 38 Davis for its auspicious meaning: The number 8 in Chinese is a homonym for “wealth” and “fortune,” appropriately summing up how fortunate we felt to be creating 38 Davis from an owner's perspective and our aspiration for the district. As the first building raised in the district in over a decade, 38 Davis was an opportunity to bring together the architectural styles and art of both Old Town and Chinatown in a modern reinterpretation. The exterior architecture of the six-story midrise is an elegant nod to the area’s rich historical forms. The interiors continue the experience using honest materials like brick, wood, metal, and cast iron. Brand is the thread that weaves them both together, translating the language of nearby historic and natural elements into accessible moments at a human scale. Eight artifacts from the Eric Ladd Cast Iron Collection are an invitation to the building's most public, eastern face. Pedestrians heading to and from Tom McCall Waterfront Park can walk among salvaged iron columns, arches, and other decorative pieces from the Italianate-style and cast-iron buildings of Portland's Skidmore/Old Town historic district. Along Davis Street, the 38 Davis logo signals the building’s main entry. An abstraction of an infinity sign, the logo follows the shape of the river, inspired by the fluidity of Chinese calligraphy and the layers of a brush stroke. It alludes to the layers of community and experiences within. Along with our offices, the mixed-use building houses retail on the ground floor, office space on the second through fourth floors, and workforce housing on the fifth and sixth floors. Students, our staff, residents, and guests—they all converge in the communal ground floor lobby, where a back-lit metal art wall serves as an abstract representation of the Willamette River.