broadleaf arbor affordable apartments

DESIGN FOR EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES

Broadleaf Arbor is in Columbia County, with a population of almost half of all households classified as low-income. With 239 affordable, accessible, and sustainable apartments, Broadleaf Arbor is a crucial development for the local community. Broadleaf Arbor meets critical housing needs for rural St. Helens, provides comprehensive support services through a partnership with EngAGE Northwest, and integrates thoughtful design and sustainable practices. Broadleaf Arbor’s design emphasizes the mutual benefits of intergenerational living. Designers created healthy homes woven together by strong connections between them, where individuals of all ages can thrive together.

SITE AND BUILDING DESIGN

A large, preserved wetland on the site’s eastern edge inspired the site planning, along with the main highway and commercial district to the west. The project designers created outdoor spaces with characteristics distinct to each area. To foster community, wellness, and a connection to nature, Broadleaf Arbor includes grass fields, picnic and BBQ areas, a kid’s play area, a bocce ball court, a library, a biodiverse landscape, and a trail system along the site’s edge that borders the lush wetlands.

Visitors enter this large site along a tree-lined street that brings you to the heart of the campus at the junction of the Commons Building and the wetland – immediately connecting and orienting you to nature. The site is divided into three zones, each with a unique building typology and character. Each building type encloses outdoor courtyards made permeable with breezeways and porches to foster connections.

SENIOR APARTMENTS

The apartment for older adults is a simple and elegant elevator-served building. To foster an intergenerational community, MWA worked closely with EngAGE Northwest to program community spaces in senior apartments for people of all ages. At the lower level, the building encloses an active courtyard with a bocce ball court, outdoor seating, and a community garden, all adjacent to the largest community room on the campus. Accessible from the breezeway at the upper level, a large inviting porch at the entry corner of the site connects to a library intended for use by all generations.

FAMILY TOWNHOMES

Across the way, the three-bedroom family townhomes have inviting large front porches and dynamic roof forms that animate the street and contrast the simplicity of the senior apartments. Back patios at the family townhomes congregate around a landscaped courtyard on axis with the Commons Building.

FAMILY APARTMENTS

The family apartments, comprised of large 2- and 3-bedroom flats with large kitchens and flow through breezeways, surround the oval lawn and play area. Designers integrated decks into the breezeways as a transitional outdoor space between public and private. The canted walls at these decks open the breezeway to light and air.

THE COMMONS BUILDING

At the connection of these three zones is the Commons building, the jewel box of Broadleaf Arbor Apartments. Shifts in the building massing create large overhanging porches punctured by a wide breezeway, acting as a four-way connector to indoor and outdoor spaces. This breezeway directly connects you to the townhouse courtyard across the street. The other side invites you to the protected oval courtyard in the center of the family apartment buildings.

At the Commons Building, the wood-washed ceiling comes together at the apex of the breezeway and community room at an oversized skylight. As light fills the space, it creates a glowing center as the heart of the community. Within the Commons Building are spaces to enhance residents’ quality of life – a large communal kitchen for meals and social events, study spaces for students, and conference rooms to support professionals. Outside the Commons Building is a painted street intersection that residents can use as temporary festivals or market spaces.

COMMUNITY INPUT

The project team collaborated with the Center for Public Interest Design (CPID) and used a capacity-focused Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) model. This process identified existing community assets central to livability in St. Helens that were fostered and integrated into resident services programming to provide a thriving and inclusive community for all ages. Designers incorporated ABCD site planning and placemaking elements to celebrate connections with the greater St. Helens community.

SUSTAINABILITY

Broadleaf Arbor integrates sustainable living and environmental stewardship. Abundant biodiverse landscaping, integrated walking paths, and a trail system along the site’s edge inspire health and wellness. The senior building is certified Earth Advantage Platinum, and the 10 other buildings are certified Earth Advantage Gold. The project is 100% electric, featuring a central Sanden heat pump hot water system and a solar array. The project utilized incentives from the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) to install eight EV charging stations. To maximize building performance efficiency, designers integrated enhanced insulation and air sealing, LED lighting, Energy Star appliances, and low-flow plumbing fixtures. These sustainable measures improve indoor thermal comfort and air quality while lowering energy consumption and costs for residents.