Beech Street Apartments
A mixed-use development in NE Portland, the Beech Street Apartments provides 48 units of family housing and support services for women recovering from addiction.
Project Details
Location
Portland, OR
Clients
Home Forward & LifeWorks NW
Year Completed
2014
Project Size
61,500 sq. ft.
48 units
Certification
LEED Platinum
Sustainability
Occupant health and comfort were of the utmost importance for this project. The LEED Platinum certified building features a green roof, on-site stormwater treatment, high-efficiency lighting, locally sourced materials, and no-VOC paints and finishes.
Land Recognition
We have a responsibility to not only acknowledge but also elevate Native communities and their needs. This project sits in the area currently known as Portland, which encompasses the traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River.
Educating ourselves is an important action. We encourage you to explore the stories of these communities through Native-led resources like David G. Lewis, PhD’s The Quartux Journal and Leading with Tradition.
Supporting Women in Recovery
A collaboration between Home Forward and LifeWorks NW, the building provides short-term addiction treatment services and long-term recovery support. In the east wing of the project, LifeWorks NW’s Project Network program has 16 temporary units that can house 36 women and their children while receiving substance abuse treatment. The west wing of the project provides 32 permanent family apartments reserved for substance abuse treatment program graduates, where they can live and receive ongoing recovery support.
Creating a Stable Environment
One of the biggest barriers for people leaving treatment is a lack of permanent housing to transition to. A stable environment across the courtyard provides consistency for residents and ensures they can receive ongoing recovery support.
Essential Amenities
To provide holistic support, the building features an on-site child development center, a library, a community room, administration spaces, and a courtyard. The courtyard features playground equipment for children to enjoy in a safe environment. It also provides access to fresh air and sunlight.
Welcoming Exterior
A lighter brick exterior on the top floors to make the building feel less imposing. Darker brick on the first floor grounds the project and creates a connection to the earth. Cumaru wood at the entries and for the fences securing the courtyard brings warmth and beauty while softening the brick and metal façade.
Cultural Connections
LifeWorks NW Project Network, the on-site treatment provider, primarily serves African-American women. They received broad support for the project from the surrounding community, which is also predominantly African-American. Through a series of neighborhood meetings, the design concept for the façade was inspired by West African kente cloth, invoking ideas of color, pattern, quilting, and craft. While kente cloth is typically vibrant and bright, the project uses warm, subdued colors that complement the nearby mid-century bungalows and the surrounding historic neighborhood.
This innovative collaboration provides a treatment facility and permanent housing that helps families to build a solid base of recovery, maintain a crucial support network, sustain the success of their treatment, and remain in their local community.— Mary Monnat, PRESIDENT/CEO, LIFEWORKS NW
