2015 Archives

WALSH is enjoying the teamwork on our third successful project with Project^ and Daniel Childs, project architect with THA Architecture, Inc., on Hayashi Rowhomes currently under construction in North Portland.  Japanese for “woods”, Hayashi’s unique approach is “a meaningful relationship with the outdoors, superb craftsmanship, and thoughtful consideration of a home’s impact on the environment.” Slated for Earth Advantage Platinum certification, each home is being built with the highest environmental standards including low VOC paints, formaldehyde-free cabinetry, tankless water heaters and 95.5% energy efficient gas furnaces in each home.

Link to the article in the DJC.

Expected to be completed in fall 2016, the Town Center Greens by the nonprofit Central City Concern, will be a three-story apartment building that provides affordable housing, plus social services, to 60 families. The one- and two-bedroom apartments will be rented to those who earn between 30 percent and 60 percent of the area’s median income.

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Basecamp, the first Central Oregon project for the Portland urban developer called project^, will cluster the 25 townhomes in eight different buildings on about 1.7 acres of land near the Colorado Avenue Bridge and the new Bend Whitewater Park.

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Built on re-developed land previously occupied by an old gas station and a vacated restaurant, Marvel 29 has received the top Platinum level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S Green Building Council. This is the highest award and Marvel 29 is the first ever project in the US to receive this award executed under a HUD 221(d) (4) loan program. In addition it is the only residential building in St Johns to receive any LEED certification.

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Haven’t had a chance to visit Orchards? North America’s largest multi-family Passive House building is complete. The Orchards at Orenco blends deep green building technology with urban design to drastically reduce energy consumption and support REACH’s  goal of providing affordable living opportunities. Check out this great project video, compliments of Ankrom Moisan Architects, Inc.

WALSH had a great time co-hosting a booth with Mercy Housing Northwest at the Othello Park Festival in Seattle, Washington on Sunday August 16th! The 23rd annual Rainier Valley Heritage Parade included nearly 60 local groups representing more than a dozen cultures that call Southeast Seattle home. The annual Othello Park International Music and Arts Festival, hosted by the Othello Park Alliance, featured authentic music, dance and food from East Africa, the South Pacific Islands, the Filipinas, Latin America and more. The Othello Park Alliance works to assure that Othello Park is retained, enhanced, and integrated into a vibrant, multi-cultural, pedestrian-friendly Othello Town Center and residential community.

Link to images from our photo booth!

Meeting the Airtightness Challenge

This is Part 5 of a blog series describing construction of the Orchards at Orenco project in Oregon. The first installment was titled Building the Largest Passivhaus Building in the U.S.

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Rosewood Plaza, a joint venture between Human Solutions and The Wallace Medical Concern, is a mixed-use project that combines community revitalization with new development to bring 45 units of quality affordable housing and low-cost dental and medical services.

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Quad Inc., a nonprofit organization that serves the disabled community, has plans to open a new facility to serve seniors and those with special needs in wheelchairs.

The organization, Quadriplegics United Against Dependency Inc., is expected to go before Gresham’s design review commission later this month for the final vetting of plans to build the 44-unit affordable housing project at 306 S.E. 162nd Ave.. Called Station 162, the facility will be funded with low-income housing tax credits.

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LINK to the PDF file of the blog-post.

An ultra high performance enclosure is the heart of the passive house concept. The enclosure should be airtight and highly insulated, with limited thermal bridging. Additionally, the enclosure should be designed to mitigate potential durability issues related to moisture. Design for moisture management is important at all construction types but becomes even more critical when wood frame construction is used due to the moisture sensitivity of wood-based building materials. In previous posts, I’ve addressed the context and design of the Orchards at Orenco and the construction of the building foundation.

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