Originally built in 1967, Ya-Po-Ah Terrace is a modernist concrete and glass structure. “Ya-Po-Ah” means a very high place in the language of the Kalapuya Indians who inhabited the Willamette Valley before the arrival of the Euro-American settlers. Ya-Po-Ah was the name used by the tribe for what is now called Skinner Butte. WALSH joined the team to replace the building exterior window wall on sixteen floors, add a new storefront system on the two lowest levels, perform voluntary seismic upgrades, replace existing domestic water supply lines to units, HVAC systems and ventilation, add insulation and apply a new roofing system. Expansive interior improvements included upgrades to all 222 units and community areas. Site renovations included accommodations for accessible parking and reconfiguration of existing units to achieve 12 accessible units. The building remained occupied during construction, with apartments temporarily vacated in phases throughout construction.
