Bud Clark Commons

Anything but common.

Holst approached the design of Bud Clark Commons with the attitude that addressing basic needs is not exclusive of design that dignifies the human condition. The mission of Bud Clark Commons is to provide permanent, affordable housing coupled with comprehensive services in an inspired environment to establish stability and wellbeing.

Bud Clark Commons achieves a perceivable balance between the rigorous programmatic requirements of a coalition led by the City of Portland, a progressive design approach, and sustainable building practices. Designing for individuals experiencing homelessness required a deft understanding of how to create warm and dignified solutions that also stood up to heavy use.

Accessibility, natural light, plentiful clean air, and durable materials were essential to the success of the building from both a sustainable and a functional perspective. The project is the first LEED Platinum certified shelter, featuring a customized residential gray water system that constantly collects the building’s discharged water, minimizing dependence on city water. The city’s largest solar hot water array adorns the roof, supplying nearly all the hot water for the building year-round, mitigating operating costs.

Homelessness is not sustainable for the individual or the city. The costs and impacts are significant and difficult to quantify. Holst maintained the utmost commitment to achieving sustainability in a second way: social sustainability, with great attention to immeasurable qualities of the human condition, safety, independence and health.

Located at the gateway to downtown Portland, near historic Union Station and bordering the Pearl District, and as a centerpiece of Portland’s Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, Bud Clark Commons represents a new approach to providing dignified housing and new opportunities to those experiencing homelessness. It sets a precedent for upholding the city’s pledge to support its most vulnerable citizens.