BREITUNG BUILDING
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR VETERANS
PDX | OR
Client
Northwest Ventures
Size
16,000 SF | 28 Units
Key Partners
Do Good Multnomah
Built
Completed 2020
Sometimes you just need to find somewhere with people that get you, a place to feel sustained as you sort out the challenges of life. The Breitung Building is the kind of place that lets veterans rest easy knowing they have a place to call home in a cool modern apartment; with supportive community all around. Friendships are formed here with others sharing similar struggles – you can sit in the community room and have a cup of coffee with new friends - or make your way to the nearby rose garden for a bit of exercise and head clearing. With support from Do Good Multnomah, this is a place to find rest, healing, and the path forward in a context of safety.
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• Trauma-informed multi-generational design; accessible and affordable to people navigating difficult life circumstances including the long-term support they need
• 7,000SF community building and abundant outdoor landscape provides extensive amenities designed to support holistic health and connection to nature
•Family size units up to 4 bedrooms
• Local, natural, and certified healthy materials to improve occupant health and reduce environmental impact
• LLFI zero energy certification (in process) meaning no energy bills for all residents
• Increased insulation, air sealing, and high performance windows
• All electric heat pump water and space heating with heat-recovery ventilation
• 529kw photovoltaic solar panel system offsetting all energy use on a yearly basis
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When life gets too hectic, there’s nothing that brings the soul back to peace like breathing clean air on a mountain trail. This place tries to bring a slice of that feeling to everyday life, offering safe refuge for folx coming from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences of trauma. With spaces that offer escape into quiet, with calm colors and natural materials alongside places to find connection and revitalizing activity; a place like this can help remind you of who you are, offering a steady holdfast amid the many challenges of living a human life.
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Collaboration, partnership. I know we architects say that a lot, but for real in this case, the magic is truly a team effort requiring a creative and visionary client, dedicated owner group, collaborative contractor, fantastic community engagement, and a most excellent design team. Everyone involved shared a vision that prioritizes inclusion and equity, along with the flexibility and determination necessary to tackle many complex issues. Our team simply owns the role of coordinator and compass, reminding ourselves and others of our shared goals and providing a constant creative drive to do what it takes to make the best kind of home possible for every single person who finds a place in the Timber Ridge community.
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Distant from most community resources, the project creates its own to serve residents as well as the surrounding neighborhood.