Douglas Meadows 2003 tour

Nestled into a slim 1/3-acre rectangular lot near SE 122nd Avenue and Division Street, Douglas Meadows creates its own mini-community. A path meanders past the eight two-story three- or four-bedroom Craftsman-styled units, community garden beds, bioswales and children's play area. Mature trees - carefully protected during design and construction - shade the site and provide wildlife habitat. There's even a straw bale garbage/recycling building nearby.

Douglas Meadows is owned by Human Solutions, a Community Development Corporation that provides a variety of services to homeless families in the area between the Columbia River, SE 82nd Avenue, Clackamas County, and Hood River. According to Dorene Warner, Human Solutions' Housing Development Director, providing long-term affordable, attractive and livable housing for their clients is crucial. Like other Human Solutions projects, Douglas Meadows also is intentionally green.

As Linda Barnes, project architect, noted, the site and limited budget made it especially challenging to meet the project's goals:
· providing apartments with smart floor plans and an exceptional amount of natural light and ventilation
· incorporating energy-saving features and green building materials
· creating a homey environment and edible landscape
· saving the trees.

The team had to make compromises due to the tight lot and limited budget. Development costs (including site development) for the eight units totaled $1.2 million, or about $150,000 per unit. Rents run from $422 to $900 per month, depending on the family's income and the size of the unit.

Despite the budget, Barnes incorporated passive solar and "green" features. Energy efficiency was a focus. "We're very aware of how 'on-the-edge' the families we serve are," Warner said. "Keeping energy costs down makes a big difference." The lowest income families receive an extra allowance of $57 per month for utilities.
Fortunately, the site runs east-west, which maximizes solar exposure. In each unit, a single gas water heater provides hot water for washing and hydronic space heating system with thermostats in every room.

In addition, a small grant from the Office of Sustainable Development and Northwest Natural allowed Human Solutions to upgrade to Energy Star appliances.

Other energy-efficient features include: wastewater heat exchangers, compact fluorescents, water-conserving showers, "tight" construction, high-performance windows, overhangs and insulating window shades.

Warner and Barnes also worked overtime to find recycled and remnant "green" building materials, including:

· recycled-content playground surfacing, P.E.T. carpet, gypsum wall board, fiberglass batt insulation, exterior paint, plastic lumber, steel fence posts
· salvaged/reused lumber and concrete pavers
· low-toxic materials.

Kathleen Baughman of GVLA created a water-conserving and edible "permaculture" landscape. In a few years, the apple trees, kiwi vines, blueberry bushes will bear their fresh, flavorful and money-saving harvest for residents of the Douglas Meadows community.

The team definitely met their goals - and the residents appreciate their efforts. "I love it!" said Lisa Parrish, whose family was the first to move in after the units opened in April. "Our three-bedroom duplex is spacious and open. It has great storage. And my two kids love it, too."

However, Warner anticipates that some clients, two-thirds of whom are Hispanic or Eastern European/Russian, may adapt the American floor plan to their cultural norm. For instance, they often break great rooms into smaller spaces, and add several layers of drapes and rugs. She added that, "Explaining the features to tenants will be the fun part! We'll produce an 'owner's manual' for them. And we're looking for volunteers to help them with gardening, composting and landscaping."

Human Solutions also is seeking a partner to buy the Oregon Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC) for which the development qualified.

Warner plans to build similar projects for other Human Solutions' clients. "We're in this for the long haul," she noted. "Douglas Meadows will be solid and function affordably for at least 60 years. And we'll absolutely do this kind of design in other developments."

Features
· Multifamily apartments built in 2003
· Passive solar design
· Stained concrete floor
· Overhangs and trellis shading
· Energy efficiency-advanced framing
· Low toxicity materials
· Recycled materials-Rebuilding Center
· Affordable housing
· Formaldehyde-free cabinetry
· Recycled content carpet
· Natural linoleum flooring
· Straw bale recycling center
· Permaculture/bioswales
· Rainhandler
· Energy Star appliances

System Details

Owner: Human Solutions

System Type: Passive solar design

Apartments: Built in 2003

Size: 8 units, 3 - 4 bedroom 1,232-1,438 sf

Cost: $880,000, $84/sf

Architect: Robertson, Merryman Barnes Architects

Contractor: Seabold Construction

Landscape Architect: GVLA

Straw Bale Workshop: solar7.83 design studio