Skylab Architecture has worked on a number of buildings in downtown Portland, including the Doug Fir Lounge

and the Weave Building, which is still in the design phase. But the one at 537 S.W. 12th Ave. is the firm’s baby.

The company designed, built and now owns the two-story, mixed-use building, which has been rebranded as 12th + Alder. There isn’t a better home office for Skylab, said Jeff Kovel, the firm’s founder and lead designer.

Before Skylab entered the picture, 12th + Alder had been a squat, grubby and crumbling building in the West End, an underserved area near downtown. That was in 2001. A lot has changed in the neighborhood in the years since. For instance, methadone clinics are being replaced by boutique clothing shops.

Kovel considers Skylab’s presence the main reason the West End has attracted more business tenants.

“Without that presence there, the neighborhood wouldn’t be much,” he said.

12th + Alder has approximately 2,977 square feet available to lease. Urban Works’ Dan Bozich, the broker for the building, said the space could be divided in two, with one of the spaces totaling about 1,905 feet and the other about 1,072 square feet.

Kovel said the building best suits a retail user, such as a hair salon or a restaurant. He added that the legwork has already been done to increase the neighborhood’s appeal, and that there’s always room for more creative users.