Innovation and Collaboration Featured in PDX Airport
If you’ve ever traveled to the Pacific Northwest U.S. and flown into the Portland International Airport (PDX), you may have noticed the unique, undulating ceiling in the main terminal.
This eye-catching architectural detail is the result of a longtime partnership for innovation between Bakelite and our customer Freres, a family-owned company that recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Last year, Freres’ Mass Plywood Panels – which are featured in the PDX ceiling – won the Coolest Thing Made in Oregon Contest.
The Mass Plywood Panels, or Mass Ply, are a sustainable, veneer-based form of cross-laminated timber that can be used in place of steel and concrete; the panels are constructed of density graded wood veneers that are glued, then hot-pressed together then laminated to create master panels, then Computer Numeric Control (CNC) finished after pressing to fit any construction need. Bakelite’s adhesive is used to bond the base panels within their mass panels, for the majority of the adhesive within entire product.
“Freres Engineered Wood is proud to be featured in groundbreaking new Mass Timber projects across the U.S., such as the Portland Airport Terminal Core project,” says Tyler Freres, Vice President of Freres.
“Advanced engineered wood products would not be possible without the resins, chemical knowledge and collaboration with Bakelite. Bakelite’s in-plant assistance and manufacturing knowledge allows us the certainty that our products are bonded together well and perform at the highest level.”
“Mass Ply continues to gain ground in the marketplace,” says Jeffrey Otjen, Bakelite Technical Service Project Manager. “This product is a great example of our commitment to partnering with our customers to help them achieve their vision for innovation.”
