The Foundation occupies what was originally conceived as Bodecker's creative home. He was always inspired by the sense of discovery that comes from travel and looking at things in new ways; his symbol was the labyrinth, and the Foundation's building is an embodiment of that. The warehouses have been combined, integrated, and reimagined by Skylab Architecture studio into a fluid mix of outdoor and indoor spaces
NM Bodecker Foundation. A dynamic mix of spaces for the creative community within 1950s warehouses
The NM Bodecker Foundation was established in 2017 by Sandy Bodecker to provide the creative communities with a dynamic mix of spaces for workshops, meetings, and collaborations. Located within a series of warehouses from the 1950s in northwest Portland
Taking inspiration from Gordon Matta Clark's "Building Cuts," the warehouses have been cut and modified while preserving the memory of their historical boundaries. By reassembling the roof of one and cutting into the other, the warehouses have been remixed and fused together around a new central core. The multi-story solution spanning 7,769 square feet blends the past with the future through the interaction of spaces, including various living areas, a series of informal performance spaces, a state-of-the-art recording studio, and an indoor skate park
The building features rooftop gardens and nearly 2,000 square meters of outdoor space, with one-third of the site preserved as green space to manage rainwater and connect the NM Bodecker Foundation with the natural dimension. From the street, the rectangular forms of the original warehouse are juxtaposed with new complex prismatic shapes, creating a visually rich composition
After Bodecker's death in 2018, the Foundation fully occupied the building, embracing its unique mix of spaces and making them available to both established and emerging artists, affiliated organizations, and the entire creative community. One of Bodecker's goals was to create an environment that inspired openness to explore, learn, and rediscover the endless curiosity of children. Developing the program around these ideas, the new multi-story central structure emerges as the functional core of the foundation. The primary spaces open onto each other on the ground floor: places for making art, recording music, performing, and skateboarding. The living spaces for the artist-in-residence program are located on the second and third floors
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