Killingsworth CEC Hub

Portland, OR
2026

The Killingsworth CEC HUB is a community resilience business hub that showcases earthquake resilient building technology. Sitting within the historic greater Albina neighborhood of Portland, the home of a thriving African American community following World War II, this area suffered from many of Portland’s discriminatory lending practices and lack of investment through the latter half of the 20th century and is now a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) HubZone.

Overview

Idea

Create an earthquake resilience hub to house the Community Economic Coalition (CEC), a collaborative effort of four culturally specific chambers of commerce: the Northwest Native Chamber (NWNC), the Black American Chamber of Commerce (BACC), the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber (HMC), and the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon (PACCO).

Implementation

Utilizing “CLT rocking-wall technology,” this building can rock and recenter after a major earthquake with little-to-no damage, serving as a demonstration of advanced technology to exceed code and provide a cost-effective seismic solution for buildings between three and twelve stories.

Results

Adre is developing a three-story community building as a hub for small, and often marginalized, businesses to ensure resources, training, and education necessary to succeed and fully build and participate in a more robust, equitable economy.

The Killingsworth CEC HUB

Mass Timber Structure

Main Lobby with View to Community Room

Community Economic Coalition (CEC) and Adre

CLT Rocking Wall Structure

Second Floor Lobby Space

Highlights

First U.S. commercial building to use mass timber “Rocking Wall” technology
Working collaboratively with City of Portland for new earthquake-resilient building pathway via a peer review and Performance-Based Design process
Secured two federal grants for wood innovations
Working with four culturally specific chambers to support economic development and business incubation