Portland’s new affordable housing development includes units for families transitioning out of homelessness

Located in Portland, Oregon’s Pearl District, Vibrant! is a new affordable housing, high-rise development. Salazar Architect designed the building shell and interior common areas in collaboration with LRS Architects, which led the overall project management and design of the apartments.

Vibrant! includes 93 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, including 40 units that are set aside for families transitioning out of homelessness. The building’s exterior design forgoes the brown brick tradition of the district and instead opts for a combination of neutral and brightly colored metal panels.

Interior common areas were designed with a minimalist approach and simple materials including natural concrete floors and ceilings. The lobby’s flooring is stained in a blue hue that contrasts with the reclaimed oak wood walls that wrap around interconnecting management and social services offices, casual seating, mail boxes, and a bike room. The second floor features a playroom, a community room, a kitchen, and a computer room. Glazed garage doors lead to an outdoor playground. The building also includes a number of sustainable features such as a rooftop PV solar array, native plants, and a roof terrace.

Also on the build team: KPFF (structural engineer), Shapiro Didway (landscape architect), A3 Acoustics and 3J Consulting (civil engineer), Bremik Construction (general contractor).

Across the country, multifamily rents have skyrocketed. Year-over-year rents are up by double digits in nine of the top 30 markets, while national YoY rent growth is up 6.3%. Emerging from the pandemic, a perfect storm of migration, enhanced government stimulus and a hot housing market, among other factors, has enabled this extremely strong growth.