unit design down to each stud and sheet of plywood
zoning requirements of varying facade depths were at odds with the cost containment goals of the project
WY'EAST PLAZA
ROLE
Project Architect
Design
PROGRAMS USED
Revit 2018
SketchUp
Enscape
InDesign
Illustrator
Photoshop
Newforma
BlueBeam
WY'EAST PLAZA is a place for second chances and life transitions. With 175 units, this affordable housing project provides safe, dignified housing while also being an exercise of efficiency, constraint, and collaboration.
The client saw this as a prototype for affordable housing, looking to make each residential unit a standard module that could be used throughout future projects. Cost containment strategies challenged our architects and interior designers to develop new solutions that would provide housing for more families, per dollar spent. The entire architectural, engineering, and construction team operated under lean design principles, collaborating early and often about things like how to configure window alignments in order to maximize plywood placement and reduce framing cuts.
Ultimately, we were able to deliver the building at $111k / unit, which was below cost of any other Portland-area affordable housing project built at the time.
Completion: November 2020
Type V construction
99,100 square feet
4 stories
175 units – studios, one-beds, two-beds
entry concept sketch
entry and cladding embellishment
superlap design
standard window plan detail
courtyard side superlap
ground floor
entry and ‘superlap’
superlap design process
courtyard
tatami mat inspiration
typical upper floor
entry wall section
standard window bay
courtyard