Argyle Gardens

...This journey began on Thanksgiving morning in 2015 when Tony Bernal and George Devendorf from Transition Projects gathered a group of colleagues that all believe in developing Low Income Single Adult Housing (or LISAH). The brainstorming we did that morning resulted in the framework of an idea. Build small and together, so that people can form bonds and support one another. Build modular, so that a kit of parts can be developed and deployed across a variety of jurisdictions and landscapes. Build resiliently, so that the triple bottom line of helping people, planet, and prosperity can be achieved. Build to last, so that the project is not only beautiful on day one but is able to be maintained both physically and financially for decades to come.

Part of the financial resiliency of the project includes reducing energy use and leveraging alternative energy resources where possible. Our team worked closely together to create a certified Platinum Earth Advantage project that is constructed with a highly efficient building envelope and gets about 1/3 of its electricity from the sun. In addition to saving the project money over time with utilities, this combination of low-energy usage and alternative energy sources provides for a more comfortable interior environment for the residents.

After four years of dreaming, designing, searching for funding, and then a very fast nine-month construction duration, Argyle Gardens is the first generation of LISAH. The 72 people now living in community across four buildings surrounding a common green are our neighbors that had formerly experienced homelessness. While every resident’s story is different, each person’s life has been touched and improved by the thoughtful design and construction of the project. This sentiment is well summarized by one of Argyle Gardens’ first residents, Delia, “Argyle Gardens is like heaven to me, because it gives me a chance to become somebody again.”

...Designed as a kit of parts that can be organized into various configurations, Low Income Single Adult Housing, or LISAH, is a dignified cohousing model designed to accommodate an optimum number of people to share community space and support. The modular system can be configured as formerly homeless, workforce, or student housing.

The Kenton neighborhood of Portland hosts the first buildout of LISAH—Argyle Gardens— on a city-owned, industrial site close to transit lines and commercial shopping areas. Argyle Gardens consists of four buildings containing 72 housing units oriented around central outdoor space. The largest building contains thirty-five studio apartments. A large community room, laundry facilities, and support service offices serve as a central hub and communal gathering space for all residents. Each of the three cohousing buildings features two units with six bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a large kitchen. The development opened in April 2020, welcoming formerly homeless and very low-income Portlanders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funded with low-income tax credits from the State, the design aims for maximum impact for minimal cost. Each building is composed of modular units constructed offsite. Gabled roof trusses, shingled roofs, and durable cladding make the modular construction imperceptible from the exterior. Each building takes a simple rectilinear form with a slice removed to reveal color and translucent polycarbonate panels that bring vibrancy to the composition. The site’s steep topography and existing vegetation provide privacy but challenged the design team to locate the buildings in a way that accommodates ADA access requirements, environmental considerations, and the maintenance of the large staging area required for modular construction. The resulting careful calibration of siting meets those needs while minimizing direct solar heat gain on the polycarbonate walls, enabling the main entry stair towers to remain unconditioned spaces. Argyle Gardens earned an Earth Advantage Platinum rating and incorporated numerous features to reduce the impact on the environment. Modular construction minimized construction waste and allowed for increased insulation between units. The buildings include low-flow plumbing fixtures, drought-resistant landscaping, low-VOC materials, LED light fixtures, and a rooftop photovoltaic array. The design team also took care to detail the tightest possible building envelope to minimize energy usage.

The co-housing module system works within the existing Portland Zoning code and can adapt to any area that allows duplexes or additional density. In Portland, six bedrooms and a shared kitchen constitute a single dwelling unit, so one cohousing module is considered a duplex that houses twelve people. Efficient construction techniques, prefabricated elements, a maximized efficiency of space, and an aesthetic typology can easily adapt LISAH to a variety of locales across Oregon—from city neighborhoods to the Coast to the Cascades.