Portland Courtyard Housing Design Competition

COLLABORATORS: Caroline Toth

Although this proposal was not realized, demonstrates a strong commitment to housing affordability, accommodating the needs of diverse users and integrating ecological concepts into housing developments.

The competition called for the proposal of innovative courtyard housing designs that engaged a variety of households – especially those with children – and created a meaningful public realm known to Portland. The proposed was to fit within its surrounding single-family context, on a standard 100ft x 100ft lot.

The proposal entered defines a process – more than a final product – for creating meaningful high-density courtyard housing. Firstly, it relates the various desired households to specific house types whose spatial attributes are clearly defined. Simultaneously, the limited number of courtyard housing patterns for the site were analysed. The study of house types, households and potential organizations were then combined and explored in conjunction with one another and in relation to the open space pattern – with the strongest pattern being chosen for further development.

The more finished iteration includes finer considerations of passive- and active-design strategies (such as natural ventilation, shared geothermal heating, stormwater infiltration, and photovoltaics) as well as the provision for home subdivision