Despite the bad reputation of public housing in the United States, organizations, planners, and architects in Portland, Oregon are determined to create affordable housing that does not sacrifice quality or aesthetic appeal. While Portland has developed a bad reputation regarding its homelessness problem, in the past four years resources have flowed in the right direction, and designers have taken this in stride to design livable and striking buildings, within very restrictive budgets. Through innovative and creative approaches to construction and design, these organizations and designers have utilized federal, state, and city resources to make these types of projects a reality.
The Louisa Flowers Affordable Housing / LEVER Architecture
Completed in 2019, it is the largest affordable housing development in the city of Portland. It was designed by LEVER Architecture and LRS Architects for Home Forward, a public corporation contracted with the federal government to administer housing programs. This twelve-story development comprises 240 apartment units for individuals or families earning at or below 60 percent of the median family income and includes a special provision for 20 units to be set aside for survivors of domestic violence.
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The facade of the project explores the lengths to which just color and texture can bring dynamism to a facade. It plays with different shades and textures of brick to create a dynamic woven pattern. Drawing from the gridded scale of neighboring buildings, the building facade uses two alternating thicknesses of matte and glazed brick to play with light and shadow creating an interplay of woven shapes. Its curvy exterior, mixed with the alternating of texture and color, makes for a memorable front in this central Portland location.
The Starlight / Works Progress Architecture
Completed in 2022, this 7-story building occupies a quarter of a city block in Old Town Portland. It was designed by Works Progress Architecture and was developed by Central City Concern, an organization addressing homelessness in Portland. It contains 100 units of deeply affordable housing, out of which 72 are SRO (Single Room Occupancy) units, which are restricted to extremely low-income households and have project-based Section 8 rent subsidies.
The site is adjacent to a light rail transit line and is located within a central downtown neighborhood. The site is close to parks, grocery stores, as well as health facilities. The project not only offers efficient apartment units, but also includes ample shared amenities, and gathering spaces such as a fitness room, community room, and resident art spaces. Additionally, it provides key supportive services within the building, granting residents immediate access to Central City Concern’s network of social and medical services within the Old Town neighborhood.
The facade manages to create volume and depth with few moves. It is detailed to look like dynamic elongated volumes that interlock at the main intersection of the site, creating projecting landscaped patios within which are the common spaces on each residential floor. The materiality also helps create depth, using a bright “ash” color ceramic-coated siding on the top six residential levels while using a dark brick veneer and storefront glazing on the ground level.
Argyle Gardens / Holst Architecture
Completed in 2020, it is a playful and efficient modular housing project located in North Portland. Designed by Holst Architecture for Transition Projects, it is the first to use LISAH (Low Income Adult Housing), a cost-efficient modular cohousing model that can be easily prefabricated. The development consists of 72 units of deeply affordable housing, specifically targeting individuals with very low incomes and those transitioning out of homelessness.
The project is located within the thriving Kenton Neighborhood, offering easy access to public transportation, including light rail and bus lines, as well as being near a public park and commercial areas. Consisting of four volumes with gable-shaped roofs, it features communal landscaped public spaces in between them. The development in total consists of one large building containing thirty-five 220 sqft studio apartment units, and three buildings holding SRO co-living units. It also contains communal gathering spaces, as well as support service offices.
This project makes use of affordable colorful materials to bring life to the efficiently put-together set of pieces. Each building uses a different set of bright-colored staggered composite geometries at each of their entrances, bringing a sense of identity to each of their structures. Large pieces of translucent plastic were also used at the front of each building, giving them a stunning glow at nighttime.
Good affordable housing design can not only provide a positive living experience for its residents but also enrich the broader urban landscape. Dispelling negative stereotypes that have often fueled NIMBY sentiments, and slowed the growth and further development of affordable housing in the United States. Through the adjustment of zoning legislation and the adoption of innovative collective housing models, designers can gain the freedom to craft beautiful mixed-income communities. Communities that not only offer solutions to the housing crisis but also challenge the stigma surrounding the aesthetics of affordable housing.
