The project is located at the east end of Vancouver, Washington, within the Columbia Palisades Mixed Use master plan, which is a site of a former basalt rock quarry along the northwestern boundary of the Columbia Gorge. Benched into a steep-sloped triangular site, the building steps up and embraces the grade as it rises to its height at the northeast corner.
An Amenity-Rich Design for a Unique Site
The exterior design consists of modern and clean lines, gently sloping roof elements at building corners, and is clad in ceramic-coated fiber cement siding. The ground level is articulated with generous storefront windows, brick veneer, and steel canopies and trellises. It has an open lobby lounge that includes formal seating areas centered on fireplaces, casual seating areas, and a bar bistro. A lushly landscaped garden court podium is at the second level with views to the south of the Columbia River. A horseshoe pit, yoga patio and BBQ’s round out the outdoor amenities. Large windows at the second level amenity spaces provide an opportunity to blend indoor and outdoor spaces. The south and west facing units have sweeping views of the Columbia River and the City of Portland to the south.
Located in Ridgefield, WA, this project is sited within a large mixed-use master plan that consists of commercial and residential uses that is adjacent to a large, protected wetland and green space to the east. The building is purposefully located up against this adjacent wetland to maximize views for the east facing units above and create a green edge to the ground level garden court.
A Modern Residential Design Within a Large Mixed-Use Master Plan
The exterior design consists of modern and clean lines, gently sloping roof elements at building corners, and is clad in ceramic-coated fiber cement siding. The ground level is articulated with generous storefront windows, stone veneer, and steel canopies and trellises. Large windows on the east elevation at the ground level amenity spaces provide an opportunity to blend indoor and outdoor spaces. There is also a pool patio that opens out to views into the wetland and has great exposure to the southern sun. Finally, the “rock ballasted” low roofs of the Porte Cochere and pool are designed with artistic rock patterns to enhance the view from to the units above.
Located on Block 77, between East 16th and 17th Streets and East D and E Streets, in the downtown area of the City of Vancouver is an addition of affordable housing in the commercial city center.
Adding Affordable Housing to the Commercial City Center
Consisting of 83 dwelling units in 2 buildings with 56 parking spaces provided through planning adjustments such as additional secure bike storage. The project includes live/work units on the ground floor and a multiple of unit types that will be designed for a mixture of 50% median income and market rate clientele. The buildings are designed to be a three-story wood framed building with tuck under parking and ground floor Live Work units and an amenity space, and a four-story wood-framed building with an elevator as well as ground floor Live Work units with tuck under parking and amenity spaces such as community kitchen, exercise facility and leasing office. Otak provided earlier phases of development including land use, preliminary design, Civil Engineering, Landscape Architecture and traffic study.
Historic preservation often entails restoring and rehabilitating old structures. However, for Otak’s Jasmine Tower project in Seattle, Washington, the goal for preservation is instead to maintain the location’s use as a public gathering space—one that captures decades of memories while offering the opportunity to build new ones.
Jasmine Tower sits in the Chinatown and Asian District of Seattle and was the former site of a community building that was first constructed in 1942 as a one-level brick building. Two levels were later added and the site became home to a restaurant and lounge called Bush Gardens. Through the years, the location was the site of numerous weddings, parties, and significant events that many in the community now remember fondly.
With this history as the backdrop, Otak was contracted to create a design reflecting the site’s former uses, while adding new housing opportunities and helping rejuvenate this area of the district. The client, Vibrant Cities, has offices next door to the site, as well as family history tied to the neighborhood, making this a personal legacy project for both the clientand Otak. Getting the formula for this endeavor just right requires numerous meetings with multiple project stakeholders, including Seattle’s International Special Review District board and the community to ensure the integrity and dignity of the neighborhood remain intact.
The Jasmine Tower project was adjusted based on community input.
“Our clients have trust in Otak. Our design team had previous experience working through these kinds of challenging processes. We have experience with that type of building and we can take charge and guide it through the design process. There are lots of meetings with the community as well as the board, and if we’re not paying attention to that large constituency group, then we’re not going to be successful,” says Gary Reddick, the project’s Director of Design. Gary was joined on the Otak team by Li Alligood, Senior Planner, Casey McKenna, Senior Project Manager, and Ron Dean, Senior Designer.
The community originally wanted to preserve the building and Otak set about surveying the property to see if rehabilitation was possible. Unfortunately, the building proved to be structurally unsound and nothing was salvageable. “What we’ve really heard at the meetings with the public is that they want the legacy of Bush Gardens to continue. Our job has been to show that the happy memories were more about the experience than the building. There are so many memories embedded in the site and we know if we keep a part of the new building as a community gathering space, those memories can be retained and new ones created,” Gary comments.
That input from the public has reshaped the original design for the first two floors which were initially intended to be mostly residential. Now, that space will be occupied by a restaurant and retail on the first floor and office space on the second. A large community event room will also occupy much of the second floor and serve as the new place for building memories. In a nod to the history of the space, old photos and artifacts from the site’s days as Bush Gardens will be featured throughout. The remaining fifteen floors will be residential and there will also be a three-level parking deck underground.
Along with capturing the history, the design of the building is also the first in the district to take full advantage of the 170-foot zoning heights. Strategic massing, where the ground levels will be given more weight than the upper levels, will help maintain the neighborhood feel of 3 or 4-story buildings. “Otak is experienced as the first development group to take advantage of height increases in other areas (see Hyatt Place). Being the first to reach for those heights requires additional explanation and meetings to build comfort,” Gary comments.
With at least three more meetings to go, Gary says construction is not likely to begin for another year or possibly two. But he knows the end result will be a building that embodies the community spirit. “It’s not the building, it’s the container for the memories. We’ve honored the container in our design and the building will add value to the whole district and bring people back.”
Located on the former site of City Hall in Wood Village, Oregon, The Byway adds 184 multifamily units and retail development across 135,000 square feet. The mixed-use project at the corner of NE Halsey Street and NE 238th Drive includes 8,400 square-feet of leasable retail space.
Regionally Inspired Design for Multi-Use Development
The overall design highlights a Cascadian architecture style, prevalent on the path to the base of Mount Hood, and is highlighted by a signature tower element and pedestrian plaza that anchors the street corner flanked by retail buildings. The remainder of the site consists of seven multifamily buildings, a clubhouse, pool amenity spaces, and playgrounds. The Otak-led design and planning takes advantage of the topography by incorporating stepped three and four-story buildings into the slope. Buildings at the low end of the site include top floor “townhouse” units with views of Mount St. Helens and the Columbia River.
Master planning, including the reclamation of a 98-acre quarry, and layout design for numerous residential and mixed-use buildings form HQ Plaza. In leading the planning and refinement of the quarry, Otak also prepared building concepts and site renderings to be consistent with the envisioned redevelopment of the site.
Master Planning and Building Design for a Reclaimed Site
The HQ Plaza master plan includes over 2,000 multi-family residential homes, numerous mixed-use buildings of office, retail, hospitality, residential, and light industrial uses. Due diligence in the refinement and reclamation plan for the quarry involved a number of teams, including planning, urban design, civil design, and landscape architect team members. The architecture team contributed to the site plan and roadway layout from a building layout and design perspective, and prepared concept building and site renderings.
Overlooking the bank of the Columbia River, the Renaissance Boardwalk represents a cornerstone connection for a revitalized Vancouver waterfront. Close collaboration between the City of Vancouver, Department of Ecology, and multiple design disciplines of Otak contributed to the design of this iconic waterfront project.
Designing a Dynamic Mixed-Use Waterfront
In linking Waterfront Gateway and Terminal 1 to the east to Waterfront Park to the west, reestablishment of the boardwalk also serves as a center for cultural activity along the water. The waves of the nine-story residential building reflect the current of the river below, while commercial uses line the boardwalk, anchoring the development to the riverbank. This 400,000+ square foot mixed-use project provides 217 residential units along with 100,000+ square feet of commercial space including entertainment, restaurant, hospitality, and office uses.
Helping Hands Bybee Lake Hope Center opened its first phase as a shelter serving up to 150 men, women, and families affected by homelessness and COVID-19 in fall of 2020. The center offers a safe environment to support reentry to the community.
Repurposing an Abandoned Campus for a Vibrant Community Asset
Planning for the facility include programs designed to address issues related to mental health, addiction, and abuse-related trauma. Included in that effort is providing volunteer opportunities, life skills training like credit maintenance, construction and cooking classes, a program to give back by building tiny houses, self-sustaining fruit and vegetable gardens, and even employment opportunities with neighboring businesses like Columbia Sportswear. A second phase of the project offers nearly 200 more people a place to live, including three meals per day via a fully staffed commercial kitchen, where they can receive the comprehensive support to work through the issues of homelessness using programs to provide life skills for successful re-entry back into our communities. Otak owner’s representative and architecture teams serves partnered with Helping Hands Re-Entry Outreach program for over two years to repurpose this abandoned campus in North Portland as a vibrant community asset.
During an equity and design conversation held within the PLA group this summer, Alex Padgett and I chose to discuss the inequities within the existing homeless crisis, calling to action the need to focus on communities of color for affordable housing projects. During our conversation, many designers brought up nuances and complications with affordable housing policies and design, and it became apparent that while many of us within the field of planning and design may understand the need for affordable housing, our clients and communities may not. Stigma surrounding affordable housing often leads to opposition within communities, leading to questioning surrounding “the type of people” who will be living in affordable units. Furthermore, so many people in our conversation were shocked to hear how heavily impacted communities of color were by homelessness that I felt compelled to help provide some resources so that we can all be on the same page in identifying the problem at hand. During my research, I was curious to help formulate a current snapshot of where housing affordability stands right now by seeing how much the pandemic may have worsened housing disparities or exacerbated numbers of houseless individuals, particularly in Portland. I believe that in order to properly address the housing crisis, we need to extensively educate ourselves on best practices for navigating policies, advocating for change and designing for our clients. I hope the information provided here will give you a similar interest in learning more about how we can solve this problem at hand.
What is affordable housing?
Affordable housing is a term that causes a lot of misconception within our communities. Many assume that affordable housing is only for those in the lowest income bracket, and while that group is most impacted by increased housing costs, we all have a threshold for what is considered “affordable”. The department of housing and urban development defines affordable housing as the cost for housing and utilities that does not exceed a percentage threshold of the occupants’ gross income. In the 1940s, federal subsidized housing set the affordable rent rate at 20% of gross income. This number rose to 25% in 1961, and 30% in 1981, where it has become the standard indicator of affordability for housing, whether it be rented or owned. Households that spend more than this are considered cost-burdened, and those who spend more than 50% of their income on housing are considered severely cost-burdened.
Who can’t afford housing?
As housing costs have risen more rapidly than wages since the 1960s, the issue of cost burdening has become ever more prevalent. In 2019, 30.2% of all households nationwide were cost-burdened and 14% were severely cost-burdened. Renters face higher cost burdening, at rates of 46% moderately cost-burdened and 24% severely cost-burdened, compared to homeowners at 21% and 9% respectively. By contrast, in 1960, only 12% of renters were considered cost-burdened. The primary reason for this is that housing costs have risen faster than the median wage, especially among renters. For the past eight years in a row, the median sales price of single-family homes rose faster than median household income.
Due to high housing costs, homeownership has been in a steady decline for over a decade. High expenditures of income towards rent make saving to purchase a home much more difficult. To combat severe cost burdens, those seeking housing often have to look further away from where they work, overcrowd their families into houses that are too small, and reduce spending in other areas such as transportation, health care, food, and education. Households that are cost-burdened are also much less likely to have sufficient savings for unexpected events such as illness, unemployment, or disaster.
Who is most impacted by housing cost burdens?
The U.S. has a long and recent history of discrimination against African Americans, stemming from lasting impacts of the Jim Crow era, and filled with redlining policies and systematic displacement of black communities. From 1933 to 1964, public policies denied housing, mortgages, and insurance to black Americans and segregated black families into urban housing projects with little access to community infrastructure. Meanwhile, white middle- and lower-class families were able to purchase housing at state-sponsored rates and have continued to reap the benefits of owning that property as it gains value, passing down that accrued wealth through generations. Once communities of color were established in segregated areas, many were displaced for developments intended to benefit white communities. One example is Portland’s Albina district, which suffered resident displacement and tearing down of homes during the ‘60s and ‘70s to build the I-5 freeway and expand a local hospital.
Even today, implicit bias and racism among banks and realtors results in fewer black families being approved for mortgages. According to 2020 data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, lenders deny mortgages for black applicants at a rate 80% higher than that of white applicants, further immobilizing black families on the path to homeownership. Racism, segregation, redlining, and further displacement of black communities have resulted in only 43% of black households owning their home, compared to 73% of white households. People of color (POC) are twice as likely to live in neighborhoods with concentrated poverty and 5-12% more likely to have cost burdens than their white counterparts. The lack in homeownership has only increased the wealth gap between white and black families, thus perpetuating a cycle of black households bearing a larger and larger portion of housing cost burdens.
In Portland, homelessness disproportionately impacts communities of color, with POC accounting for 39% of the homeless population. In particular, Portland recorded a 48% increase in unsheltered African Americans from 2013-2015 and saw increases in homelessness among Native Americans, Latinos, and Asians. While Portland’s homeless shelters are consistently overcrowded, half of Portland’s homeless population remained unsheltered in 2015. Nationwide, African Americans comprise 13% of the general population and 40% of the homeless population. Native Americans represent 1% of the general population and 4.2% of the homeless population. Those who share the highest housing cost burdens are also most likely to face housing insecurity and homelessness.
How has COVID-19 impacted the housing crisis?
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the housing market and housing crisis in multiple ways. For those already living in a cost-burdened situation, COVID presented as an unforeseen and uncontrollable disaster. Overcrowded homes prohibited quarantine in the case of infection, disproportionately impacting Hispanic, Asian, Native American, and African American households. Many people lost their jobs, and in the summer of 2020, 25% of renters failed to make a rent payment in full or on time. Many cities saw an increase in homeless individuals during the start of the pandemic due to evictions and loss of income, and systems in place to provide aid faced the additional stress of maintaining safe measures to protect this particularly vulnerable population. Data has shown that loss of income from the pandemic and failure to pay rent and mortgages has disproportionately affected POC.
In order to protect renters who were unable to pay rent due to COVID’s impacts, the federal government put a moratorium on evictions. This, however, has only been a temporary solution to what will likely be a long-term issue. As we see the moratorium expiring, many tenants will be expected not only to resume paying regular rent, but also promptly pay backlogged rent from previously missed months. Some states, such as Oregon, have enacted extensions on paying backlogged rent and are requiring renters who take advantage of this system to apply for rent assistance. These systems have been confusing and difficult to navigate for tenants, and it is not known if these programs will be enough to combat the disparity in rent payments, or if we will still be seeing evictions increase once government protections expire.
Not only has COVID created additional strain between renters and landlords, but it has heavily impacted the market value of homes. Between quarter 1 of 2020 and quarter 1 of 2021, housing prices increased by 16% on average nationwide, with some metropolitan areas, such as Boise, ID, seeing 28% increase in housing values. Portland saw a slightly less, but still precipitous, increase of 14%, with the highest increases seen among homes below median market value. This was due to a restricted housing market with fewer homes selling during the pandemic and increased buyer demand driving up the market value. This growth is unsustainable and further exacerbates the affordable housing gap, decreasing the likelihood of those looking to get out of the renting cycle being able to purchase their first home anytime soon. Homes being built during the pandemic with increased costs of materials will likely further increase market value for new homes for purchase.
Conclusion
People of color have consistently faced greater barriers to acquiring affordable housing, and despite U.S. policy no longer explicitly allowing segregation and redlining, the structural racism of the Jim Crow era remains in the housing market to this day. The pandemic has only further exacerbated existing disparities in housing affordability and homelessness among people of color, with people of color experiencing higher rates of layoffs, more difficulty paying rent on time, and higher exposure to COVID-19 itself. The challenge of providing affordable housing for all is greater than ever, and it requires careful and considerate planning and design to be successful and avoid further alienation of the communities of color who need it most.
“2020 State of the Nation’s Housing Report: 4 Key Takeaways for 2021.” Cost of Home. Habitat for Humanity. Accessed 2021. https://www.habitat.org/costofhome/2020-state-nations-housing-report-lack-affordable-housing.
Balasubramanian, Sai. “The Covid-19 Pandemic Has Fueled a Crisis in the Housing Market.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, April 27, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/saibala/2021/04/27/the-covid-19-pandemic-has-fueled-a-crisis-in-the-housing-market/?sh=4d8cb60a5928.
Bloom, Ester. “A Shocking Number of Americans Live in Housing They Can’t Afford, According to Harvard Study.” CNBC. CNBC, July 13, 2017. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/13/harvard-study-heres-how-many-americans-cant-afford-housing.html.
“COVID-19 Homelessness Response.” A Home for Everyone. A Home for Everyone, February 2, 2021. http://ahomeforeveryone.net/covid-homelessness.
“Defining Housing Affordability: Hud User.” Defining Housing Affordability | PD&R Edge. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Accessed August 18, 2021. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-featd-article-081417.html.
Gartland, Erik. “2019 Income-Rent Gap Underscores Need for Rental Assistance, Census Data Show.” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. CBPP, September 18, 2020. https://www.cbpp.org/blog/2019-income-rent-gap-underscores-need-for-rental-assistance-census-data-show.
“Homelessness Statistics.” Homelessness Toolkit | City of Portland. The City of Portland, February 12, 2016. https://www.portlandoregon.gov/toolkit/article/562207.
“House Price Index Datasets.” Federal Housing Finance Agency. FHFA, 2021. https://www.fhfa.gov/DataTools/Downloads/Pages/House-Price-Index-Datasets.aspx#qat.
Olick, Diana. “A Troubling Tale of a Black Man Trying to Refinance His Mortgage.” CNBC. CNBC, August 19, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/19/lenders-deny-mortgages-for-blacks-at-a-rate-80percent-higher-than-whites.html.
“Oregon Eviction Moratorium FAQ.” Portland.gov. City of Portland, Oregon, 2021. https://www.portland.gov/phb/rental-services/helpdesk/oregon-eviction-moratorium-faq.
Parker, Njeri. “The Link Between Racism and Homelessness.” JOIN. JOIN PDX, July 23, 2020. https://joinpdx.org/the-link-between-racism-and-homelessness/.
Rep. America’s Rental Housing – Meeting Challenges, Building on Opportunities. Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, 2009.
Rep. The State of the Nation’s Housing 2020. Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, 2020.
Roos, Roy. “Albina Area (Portland).” The Oregon Encyclopedia. The Oregon Historical Society, May 15, 2021. https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/albina_area_portland_/#.YRrGSYhKiUk.
The City of Wood Village is one of three cities east of Portland, OR (Fairview and Troutdale are the others), that have been working together since 2017 to create a shared vision for Halsey Street, specifically where it runs from Fairview Parkway to downtown Troutdale. Entitled “Main Streets on Halsey,” the Halsey Corridor Plan seeks to create a neighborhood feel with boutiques, apartments, restaurants, community buildings, and plazas lining the street, along with improved pedestrian pathways, colorful awnings and signs, artwork, and murals. The Byway, a new mixed-use development in Wood Village, is one of the first Main Streets on Halsey sites to be completed.
The iconic tower at The Byway is a new landmark for the City of Wood Village.
Otak, working with developer Williams & Dame, collaborated with the City to create a vibrant community center at The Byway. This accomplished both the goal envisioned for the Halsey Street Corridor and the goal of the City to create a sense of place. As Casey McKenna, AIA, project manager and Otak Mixed-Use Studio Leader, states, “The project was really a placemaking effort and the completed Byway, with its iconic tower and amenities for both residents and visitors, has done just that.”
Situated on approximately three acres at the corner of 238th and Halsey Street, the former site of the Wood Village City Hall, The Byway encompasses eight buildings in total with ten thousand square feet of retail space, 170 apartment units, shared community space, a fitness center, and a pool. The Byway also features a blend of modern amenities and Pacific Northwest style, designed to enhance and embrace the outdoor spirit of the City, which is a gateway to Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. A large tower in the heart of the development is reminiscent of forest service lookout towers and has become a landmark for the City.
Casey remarks on some of the finer details in the overall project, including how the design enabled maximum density and site efficiency: “We were able to squeeze enormous yield per square foot in each of the buildings, netting more than ninety percent efficiency.” Some of the apartment units were designed to provide flexibility to tenants through multi-purpose spaces and separate living quarters which, as Casey explains, “can serve families, roommates, or someone working from home who needs that extra space for a home office.” The different areas of the development also provide for different experiences with various gathering spots, outdoor grilling stations, and other amenities all designed to serve the residents. A dog wash and nearby walking trails will add to the overall enjoyment of the place.
Retail space is slated to include a coffee shop, pub, boutiques, and professional services to serve both residents and visitors.
Otak provided complete project management for The Byway, as well as architecture, land use planning, civil engineering, survey, urban planning, landscape, and water and natural resources services. Structural engineering was provided by Froelich Engineers and the contractor was Deacon Construction.
A ribbon-cutting was held on August 10th, with City officials, including the city manager, the mayor, and residents all in attendance. Casey says, “the strong sense of community pride was evident. It was great to see, and for all of us at Otak, it is rewarding to know our work is making a difference in the communities we serve.”
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experience, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
