Gallery: Inside Keen's green headquarters building project

"We're committed to the Pearl District and to being a part of the fabric of Portland," said Keen's Rob Fenty. From the basement of the Pearl Building to the Fifth floor up top, Keen is taking a green approach. 

Rob Fenty, who is managing the construction project, said Keen set out to restore the natural character of the Pearl Building, which was built in 1907 and sits at Northwest Glisan Street and 13th Avenue. 

Originally called the Simon Building, named for the builder, the Pearl Building used to house a warehouse for kitchen crockery and equipment. Keen will leave the lettering on the exterior of the building as a nod to history. 

Throughout the project, workers sorted materials for reuse and recycling. By the end of June, R & H Construction's superintendent on the project, Walt Bianchini, had already recycled 20 tons of wood, 24 tons of sheetrock and 3 tons of metal. 

To fit with Keen's collaborative company culture, R&H added a stairwell between the second and third floor. The floor decking removed to make way for the stairs will be used to build a "barn door" for the product showroom on the fifth floor. 

Stairwells between floors already show some Keen flair. 

R&H Construction printed banners to put on dumpsters for recycling. Walt Bianchini sweet talked recyclers to take on everything from used insulation to small pieces of wood. 

All of the original windows and office doors were saved during demolition and reinstalled. 

The before (white) and after (red) pictures of the brick tells a story. The project team tried a number of green chemicals and other methods — dry ice, recycled glass, walnut shells — to safely remove the white paint from the brick to restore its natural character. 

Open spaces between the fifth and fourth floors will open up the lines of communication between the design team and the sales folks. 

Railing on the fifth floor was build out of cubicle frames left behind by a previous Pearl Building tenant. 

Fitting with the green approach of the project, R & H selected eco-friendly insulation — called EcoBatt — where it was needed. 

The first floor of the building will house Keen's retail store and a "great room" that will be used for special projects and community events. The original fir floor is being patched and restored. 

The original leaded windows on the first floor will also be restored. The retail store is expected to be ready for business by November.