3 Things with Chris Burroughs
Portland has an amazing sustainability community, and we want to highlight the people and work that shape our unique city. We’re sharing their answers to questions we posed.
Meet Chris Burroughs. Chris is an experienced Product Manager with more than a decade of expertise developing innovative, sustainable HVAC solutions that improve both energy efficiency and indoor air quality. At Price Industries, he oversees the advancement of systems including Chilled Beams, Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD), Displacement Ventilation, and VAV Diffusers, technologies designed to meet the evolving needs of commercial and institutional buildings.
Throughout his career, Chris has led initiatives that have contributed to LEED-certified projects, informed ASHRAE testing guidelines, and supported a wide range of industry research efforts. He brings together deep technical knowledge and strategic insight to expand product portfolios and respond to changing environmental, performance, and occupant comfort requirements.
Dedicated to sustainability, Chris is passionate about advancing practices that drive innovation, operational efficiency, and long-term performance across the built environment. His work reflects a commitment to practical solutions that help build, and the people who use them, perform better today and in the future.
Now, we’ll hand it over to Chris to share his perspective on advancing sustainability through high-performance building systems and thoughtful HVAC design.
1. What does sustainable mean to you?
Sustainable building design to me means taking a deliberate, long view approach to HVAC and architectural systems, using energy and materials efficiently while creating healthier, more comfortable indoor environments that can easily adapt to future changes in layout, occupancy, and technology.
2. Name a Portland (or Oregon) project or collaboration that has inspired you, and tell us why you are inspired by it.
Buildings constructed with mass timber inspire me, not only in how warm and natural they feel as you move through the space, but also in the inherently sustainable nature of timber construction. A great example is the Portland International Airport, whose mass timber elements many travelers notice as they fly into the city; I often find myself wanting to linger there just to take in the view. I also had the opportunity to work on several mass timber projects, thanks to the strong synergies with underfloor air distribution systems. One such project was the First Tech Credit Union headquarters in Hillsboro, OR, and it was incredibly rewarding to watch that building come together and become such a clear success. Last March, I attended the International Mass Timber Conference in Portland, and I was truly impressed by the rapid advances in the industry and the breadth of innovative projects currently underway.
3. What can Portland (or Oregon) be doing better to be more sustainable?
As someone who doesn’t live in Portland, I find it difficult to pinpoint where the city could further improve sustainable building design. I genuinely appreciate the mission Portland has embraced around building sustainability and hope that its momentum continues. I’m excited to see more sustainable HVAC systems implemented to help achieve Oregon’s broader sustainability goals, and I look forward to being part of those conversations.