There are some things in life that are merely a given. Slide behind the wheel of a BMW 6 Series Coupe and you’re driving a finely crafted German automobile. Sip a glass of Don Perignon Champagne and you’re toasting with the best. Book a room at the Ritz Carlton and you’re at a five-star hotel. And walk into the lobby of AmeriTitle and charm, class and elegance surround you.
Whether you’re closing an escrow in Medford or Central Oregon, there’s no mistaking the professional look and feel of AmeriTitle’s offices and it holds true for the company’s 41st office in the Pacific Northwest at the South Y in downtown Redmond.
Once again, architects Phil Doza and John Kvapil of DKA Architecture & Design have superbly created a professional atmosphere deep in traditional and rich wood accents mixed with Bonnie J. Davidson Interior’s exquisite taste for antique furniture that gives AmeriTitle its unique look and feel.
Start with a strong blend of brick, mortar and masonry on the exterior and then continue with an extraordinary lobby setting reminiscent of a fine resort home in Eagle Crest and you get the idea that subsidiary of Jeld-Wen Inc. is a timeless monument with a strong sense of history.
“The most important transaction of a family’s life is buying or selling a home, and we feel our building should reflect a strong sense of professionalism while honoring our employees and community,” said Linda Stelle, president of AmeriTitle.
“For four years we’ve been named one of Oregon’s best companies to work for. Why? Because from the very beginning up and the very top down, it’s important to us that what we do, we do right because we’re dealing with people’s homes.
“The most important thing in everybody’s life and in America is the right to own a home and to own it and know that you own it, feeling assured that everything was taken care of appropriately. And that’s really what AmeriTitle does well. Our mission goes to doing that very well to being good citizens in the communities that we serve, from things as little as building beautiful buildings so that people understand that we’re here to stay.”
There can be little doubt that AmeriTitle is here to stay in Redmond. The 11,370 square foot building includes two levels and a basement with elevator located on the corner of Highland Avenue and Sixth Street.
Three distinct columns on the north face of the building with “A” logos embedded in the masonry face motorists on busy Sixth Street and the façade of brick and masonry with a neutral sandstone cap and exposed beams under the roof line are great features.
After passing through double doorways, guests will be delighted to see a formal lobby complete with bookshelves, a large desk with detailed wood etchings where receptionist Roberta Durighello greets clients and a mix of antiques and new furniture that gives the building a sense of history.
Six escrow offices and two conference rooms surround the centrally located communication room that serves as the hub of the first floor. The communication room is the lifeblood of any escrow office with volumes of documents being sent and received, some loan packages numbering hundreds of pages.
The east side of the first floor is home to escrow assistants who help prepare documents, checks and pay off loans before transactions are completed.
Accessibility to the second floor or basement is convenient via elevator. The second floor includes 2,200 square feet of Class A office space for lease plus another small reception area, a big conference room for large closings or meetings and a continuation of Jeld-Wen IWP products and doors that give the building a strong sense of elegance.
General contractor SunWest Builders, under project manager Mark Maxwell and superintendent Jon Page, spent nearly three months blasting and excavating the site for the large basement where escrow records are stored for a minimum of six years and a title plant has been expanded for permanent records.
Stelle said company officials looked at many sites in Redmond for the building before deciding that the existing site of its smaller office was the right place to start anew.
“We knew from our existing building that this was the ideal site,” she said. “What we tried to do was find a location and create a landmark building for the community—something that everybody can look to with pride and say, ‘Gosh, that’s a beautiful building. It’s a great addition to our downtown, and again, reaching out for that community piece that we think is all-important.”
Stelle also praised both DKA Architecture & Design and SunWest Builders in forming a great team that understands AmeriTitle’s needs.
“SunWest was absolutely incredible,” she said. “Everyone from their office who touched this project was a pleasure to work with. There wasn’t a subcontractor on the project who didn’t do quality work.
“This is our 12th building designed by DKA, and they have been a great supporter to us. “I had a visitor walk into the lobby the other day and he said, ‘Yeah, this is AmeriTitle.’ I couldn’t have said it better.”
Editor’s Note: CBN staff writer Sarah Lawrence contributed to this story.
