We are always working hard at PTS, in and outside of the office and we like to share some of our hard work and developments from time to time. These are just a few examples of our most recent news.

  • Fire and Rescue Station Project

    PTS Architecture is happy to announce we have recently been awarded the architectural planning, design and construction administration of a new architectural and engineering renovation project for Portland's Fire & Rescue Station 19 located at East Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon. More Information

    The new planning and design effort will expand the existing fire and rescue facility’s current ancillary functions, enabling the firefighting and rescue teams to better serve the local neighborhood precinct and East Portland community at large. AIA Tom Holland and AIA Rich Hall, along with PTS' Business Development team, are pleased that this opportunity will provide more public works projects serving this and other communities in the Northwest, while in turn expanding the company portfolio. PTS’ talented and diverse staff from the Seattle and Portland offices will be acutely involved in this effort. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with Station 19 and PFR to bring forth a successful and functional planning and design solution that embraces concepts of sustainable design, and we strive to deliver on time and within budget.

  • Merger of Hall Architecture, P.S. and PTS

    Hall Architecture, P.S. officially merged its operations with PTS on September 1, 2007. Operating under PTS Architecture, a subsidiary of Pacific Telecom Services, the combined firm will have over 60 employees and will provide clients an even larger full-service capability of architectural and engineering design solutions. More Information

    This merger will enhance the depth of talent and resources at PTS and it will increase our services in the wireless and high tech facility design industry. “This merger brings exciting new opportunities into play for both PTS and our clients,” said PTS Principal Tom Holland. “It expands the range of services and capabilities available to our wireless industry clients now and in the future. It also provides combined expertise in building types that include data operation centers, health care and commercial facilities.” Hall Architect was established by Richard Hall in 2004 following Hall’s acquisition of W. Knox Fitzpatrick III, Architect & Associates, P.S. (established in 1995). The firm has provided architectural and engineering services to most of the major telecommunication network carriers serving the Northwest, Rocky Mountains and Texas. With focused local market expertise in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Utah, the firm has supported design efforts for large scale market launches, equipment overlays and technical site screening solutions. On many occasions PTS and Hall Architecture worked collaboratively during those years providing the foundation to ultimately decide that combining the talent pool and resources would enable them to better service their clients and the industry. PTS is a full service architectural and engineering company based out of Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1999, the firm provides a broad range of consulting services throughout the United States with a focus on effective project management, creative design solutions and full turnkey services.

  • Segelsen Ridge Project

    Segelsen Ridge was a tremendously challenging project for PTS, involving the design and construction of a Verizon Wireless Cellular Facility in the Mt. Baker National Forest at an elevation of 4,400 feet above sea level. More Information

    Site access for construction and maintenance to the site is impassable 5 months out of the year, as there is an average snow pack of over 15 feet between November and April. There is no electrical service to the site due to the costs and hazards of routing utilities to the location. As a result of these factors, the project required that the facility be powered locally with on-site generation that must sustain all radio and support systems through the 5 month period without refueling. On-site fuel capacity is limited to 1,000 gallons of propane by the US Forest Service. Typical genset systems providing primary power for a facility of this size have a maximum runtime of 2-3 months based upon a 1,000 gallon fuel reserve. In order to extend runtime by a factor of 100%, creative approaches to power management, energy conservation and thermal efficiency were applied. In close working conjunction with the genset, dc power plant, air conditioning and general contractor, many innovative approaches to passive and active energy conservation and control resolved the extension of runtime spanning the 5 month period. Resolution of design and permitting was compressed due to the limited construction window ending in November. Complex development and programming of black box systems orchestrating optimal operating synergies between the generator and dc plant systems were committed to early in project planning. US Forest Service requirements dictated a design reflecting alpine architecture, while the harsh environmental conditions drove the hardening of both architectural and structural systems. These factors complicated constructability, allowing a very short construction window of time. A 150' self supporting lattice tower and 3 separate building structures were required to support RF and support systems across a limited area constrained by a sheer cliffside location. Granite subsurface conditions further complicated the planning and design of foundation and grounding systems. Ice canopies spanning the roofs of all buildings were designed to protect the structures from falling ice. A multi-staged air conditioning system relies partly upon direct air cooling through the use of an economizer cycle that is precisely synchronized with indoor and outdoor temperatures along with genset and dc plant operations which were all carefully analyzed to project thermal curves in order to minimize parasitic heat loss and maximize benefit from heat recycling between all systems. The wall mounted air conditioners are protected by deep eaves and snow fences to ensure operation and optimum efficiency during periods when snow accumulation exceeds the height of the units. Out of the box strategies were employed throughout the project and team effort was extreme. One example illuminating this teamwork was the loss of the primary equipment building that was under fabrication midstream of the project. The shelter was two weeks from completion at a fabrication facility on the Louisiana coast when hurricane Katrina destroyed the fabrication plant and the shelter. Through tremendous team effort on our client's part, an existing shelter earmarked for another market was re-assigned to our project. Rapid assessments and redesign of the original system design and site layout were made to address the different design constraints of this new shelter. Without the flexible attitude and fluid design approach committed by all project team members, this remedial design effort would never have been attempted.

  • PTS Participates in the Post Katrina Wireless Rebuild

    PTS was recently selected by Parsons Corporation to aid in performing file and physical site audits for seventy-five Sprint-Nextel sites to be hardened with generators along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Mississippi. More Information

    PTS is now in the process of performing site development services to include site acquisition, land use planning and architecture/engineering design for site hardening. The purpose of this work is to better prepare wireless sites for subsequent hurricane seasons and to provide for responsive wireless telecommunications in emergency situations. The project started in late 2006 and is expected to run through Second Quarter 2007.

  • PTS Concludes Delta Power - Power Upgrade Project

    PTS was an instrumental player in upgrading DC power plants for over 6,000 sites in 30 states. More Information

    This upgrade was a necessary step for installed systems to stay current with power plant technology and required capacity. The scope of work included project management, architectural and engineering services to update site drawings, construction management, and technical Services such as equipment change-out, installation and test. PTS also provided technical training for on-site staff. This project demonstrated PTS versatility and expertise in telecommunications power plant equipment as well as its ability to integrate systems into a live network and manage large-scale projects.