Designed for Human Solutions, a Portland-based non-profit that envisions vibrant, healthy neighborhoods that all people can share, Stark Family Housing maintains the feel of a residential building while providing a maximum number of family-oriented units at SE Stark Street and 160th Street in East Portland.
Contrasting light and dark brick colors and the grouping and framing of windows within a vertical coursing pattern create visual dynamics. A reveal with depth causes the lighter panels to appear to float above the darker mass. Goldenrod painted metal accents on the ground floor along Stark brings warmth at the pedestrian scale. The massing of the building recedes along the narrower and more residential 160th Street.
The building’s location on the site of Human Solutions’ former homeless shelter is positioned close to transit on a designated Civic Corridor. The five-story building’s efficient floor plate and fully wood frame minimizes cost while accommodating 93 one, two, and three-bedroom units. Its L-shape protects an interior courtyard and provides parking for staff and some residents. Related community services, rather than retail, anchor the ground floor spaces on Stark.