Co-Ho In No-Po: The Encouraging Trend of Tenant-Driven Mutlifamily Housing

Recently a Portland Architecture reader sent notice of a new co-housing project in the Overlook neighborhood just west of Interstate Avenue in North Portland.

The project is called Daybreak and endeavors to create a space not just for multifamily housing, but a strong community to go with it. That's what co-housing is all about, with private dwellings giving way to large common areas for both children and adults. The other strong guiding principle (besides sustainability - a core component in Daybreak) is that residents take a participatory role in the design.

Daybreak is designed by Schemata Workshop, a small Seattle firm and (as its site defines it) architectural collaborative. Local partners like planner extraordinaire Marcy McInnelly of Urbsworks (and SERA Architects more recently), engineering giant Arup, and local landscape architect Lando and Associates. (So that's what Mr. Calrissian did after the Empire was destroyed.)

  "Our primary development goal is to execute our community vision and represent our values where appropriate in our physical space," the Daybreak website explains. "We are striving to create a physical environment that enhances our experience of community. We wish to live in a place that values multi-generational living, namely, being kid and aging-in-place friendly. We wish to incorporate sustainable materials and systems to the extent our budget allows. We are working to integrate with and welcome our neighbors to our community through our design."

The enclosed exterior rendering of the project doesn't seem too impressive architecturally in my mind, kind of like an old motor hotel. The architects also caution that this isn't the final design. But actually, motor hotels are a long tradition on Interstate, so perhaps that's somewhat intentional. Even so, I think what's more crucial to understand here is that this is not design intended to be flashy or win awards. Instead, it's pragmatic creation of community, a gathering of people who want to know their neighbors and live in a high-density environment that still is choc full of families and elderly as well as young singles and affluent retirees. Even if the final design never really floats our collective boat, it's hard to argue with what Daybreak's set of values and motivations.

I think there's a lesson in Daybreak, too. A smaller-scale condominium project, not a Pearl or South Waterfront tower but one of two or three stories in an existing neighborhood, often only consists of a couple dozen tenants. What if more groups of these people, these interested condo-buyers, got together and acted as developers for themselves? Why must almost all multi-family housing projects be conceived by those who will only turn around and sell the building for a profit? I'd like to see more groups of motivated buyers join together and, with the architect's help, make buildings for themselves.

Comments

[Cassandra]

Are there other pre-existing co-housing complexes in Portland?

[Dave]

Cassandra, there are several co-housing developments in town. Check out this site:

http://directory.cohousing.org/us_list/all_us.php

[Raines Cohen]

Thanks for writing about cohousing!

There's actually a regional group, the Northwest Intentional Communities Association (NICA -- click on my name for a link), supporting the creation of cohousing neighborhoods and other intentional communities in the area, esp. Seattle/PDX.

I've met with some of the Daybreak Cohousing folks and I'm very impressed with their process and the urban, transit-friendly site.

I've also visited the built communities around town and hope that you'll get a tour going up there sometime... each has its own unique flavor, representing the neighborhood and the site's unique history, as well as the needs and characteristics of its members.

I've been involved in the movement for a decade and visited about 75 of the nearly-100 communities across the U.S., but I keep coming back to the ones in Portland, between events there, friends, and great community.

Raines Cohen, Cohousing Coach
Planning for Sustainable Communities
At Berkeley (CA) Cohousing

Boardmember, Fellowship for Intentional Community
Volunteer, Cohousing Association of the U.S. (Coho/US)

P.S. Typo in your article title on "multifamily"

P.P.S. I promise not to move up there, I know you've got enough Californians.

[kolas]

somophoric design solution.. plan looks promising.. exterior character not so much.

[crow]

i think solutions like this are more promising than the crap infill we are getting in the inner eastside. I think if you could pair a social solution such as this with some green concepts you could have something very interesting and unique. co-housing has a broad range of participation by the residents, so at times that can turn some people off, but if done as a development by the future residents as suggested, then all the better. In the end the solution of community will survive the dissolve of the quick-buck infill we are seeing so much of.

[Double J]

This one's in my neighborhood. The exterior could be improved (right now it reminds me of the already mntioned motor hotels and the Interstate Lanes bowling alley). Design quibbles aside, this is the sort of thing I'd like to see more of. Ill go take a walk past the site tonight.

Brian, you definitely get extra points this time for the Billy Dee Williams references... I hear the leftover imperial walkers on Hoth are being condo-ized as well.

[spin]

i like the social concepts when i read the project narrative, but i don't think that's any reason to give the actual design a free pass. the plan doesn't show enough detail (beyond big labels) to understand how people will live there, although i agree that the outdoor space looks promising. the rendering is what really scares me. it's too bad - in the right hands this could be a fantastic project.

[Elizabeth Lamback]

I am also a neighbor (4 blocks away) to this project and admittedly, I am personal friends with one of the couples involved in its development- so I have the inside skinny.

That said, I think this community will be a wonderful contribution to our neighborhood.

Though the straight line architecture may seem imposing on paper, in reality this space will be brought to life by the constant activity that the inhabitants and the beautiful landscaping will provide along the street.

The parking counts will be offset by the many bike-commuting inhabitants who have designed extensive community bike storage and a bike shop into the project.

Our new neighbors will add a vibrant, young eye to a street that has long been neglected. I am very appreciative that a group of positive thinking, progressive and sustainable young adults and families see enough potential in our quirky little neighborhood to join our small yet very cool community.

So Welcome neighbors- BBQ's at my house on Sundays all summer long- Kristin and Rich know the way...

[kolas]

i'm not knocking down the social aspect of the project.. it is wonderful and exciting to see this type of development. And the design could be worse... but i think this blog,,thanks to Brian, is one of the vehicles in raising the bar of design in portland..to have an open discussion about architecture. This design for a luck of a better word.. is not quite there yet.. and need major refinement.. first and foremost, it is an inward (courtyard plan) looking building--does not address the street succesfully. and the extior view provided is banal and unsophisticated.

[Dan]

Does anyone know the interstection where this project is going to be built? The website is kind of vague other than saying it's on N. Killingsworth near MAX. I live off N. Killingsworth near MAX, so am curious to check the site out!

Nonetheless, it's great to hear that N. Killingsworth is getting some long deserved development (whatever happened to Killingsworth Station?), and a unique one at that.