BEST Award winner, 2010 – Products and Services
We seek to build model community-oriented, green, affordable and energy-efficient housing developments that inspire other developers, architects and community-builders to steer their own projects in a similar direction. We build small homes with great attention to detail, and whimsical themes that put local artists to work. We also work closely with minority-owned firms in the construction process and with community groups to keep the homes affordable in the long term. People are thinking about housing in a new and different way as they strive to live their values and minimize environmental footprints. They are looking for models to learn from. We’re doing our best to get them built.
About the company:
- A housing development company, general contractor and consultant with a mission to pioneer new models of community-oriented, affordable, green housing developments in Portland
Current project:
- Woolsey Corner consists of eight homes and a shared common unit in a one building. All units will be affordable to low income, first time homebuyers.
Recent projects:
- Peninsula Park Commons is the conversion of a seven-unit courtyard apartment building into six homes, a “common unit,” and a shared courtyard. As a second phase, Orange Splot LLC constructed three additional homes plus a bike storage barn, guest house and second courtyard.
- Sabin Green is a mini co-housing community consisting of four small homes. Common areas include a circular courtyard where residents share weekly meals in fair weather, a straw/clay/cob tea house, garden space, and a covered bike storage shed.
- Ruth’s Garden Cottages are two garden cottages to the side of a little house. These “detached bedrooms” have full baths and a loft. All residents share the kitchen in the small primary house.
Sustainable features:
- Homes are built with garden spaces or nearby community gardens to encourage residents to grow their own food
- Sharing items allows residents to reduce their material consumption and accompanying waste stream
- At Peninsula Park Commons, nine households (21 people) generate a single roll cart of trash every week
- Residents reduce their carbon footprints by having smaller homes
- Homes have advanced building envelopes, efficient heating systems and other green building technologies
- Create more spaces for bicycles and less for cars by converting garage spaces into bike storage
