The need to work within a sprawling, disjointed collection of properties helped Northwest Housing Alternatives fully appreciate how to create a community atmosphere at its Milwaukie, Ore., campus. The new home for NHA also allowed the group to consider a range of factors in providing affordable housing in Oregon and the only family shelter in Clackamas County.

Sustainability was paramount in designing the five-building, 50,000-sq-ft campus, including an 11,000-sq-ft development and management office designed to Passive House standards. The goal was to achieve net-zero-energy use in the eight-unit, 8,400-sq-ft family shelter and in the 20 affordable-housing units that range from one to three bedrooms. The campus sits on a 1.7-acre site that includes a community room, resident services, property management, parking, an outdoor terrace and a playground.

The operations center occupies a sloping site in a light-filled, split-level building, the first net-zero structure in Milwaukie. The high-performance envelope maximizes efficiency and insulation. When the sun shines through the triple-glazed windows, daylight-responsive lighting reduces energy needs. A roof-mounted solar array provides more than 38 KW of energy, while passive and active ventilation ensure constant fresh air flow. The connective design fosters community and efficient systems, and plug-load efficiency decreases energy consumption.

Affordable housing units occupy the perimeter of the site, enclosing the courtyard to create an intimate campus community.

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