Post by Robin Koch
While there is not one blanket solution to the problem of houselessness in Portland, some of those in need are finding relief in self-made villages. Communitecture's involvement with this effort dates back to the early days, when our principal designer Mark Lakeman was involved in creating Dignity Village fifteen years ago. Today, new iterations such as Hazelnut Grove are growing in to refuges for self-organized groups of people who desperately need a safe place to rest.
Earlier this year, Mark began collaborating with the Village Coalition and the Center for Public Interest Design to engage architects from all over Portland in building new solutions. On October first, a vibrant room full of creative and hopeful minds got together to brainstorm design ideas to shape sleeping pods ranging from 48 to 80 square feet. Architects, activists, and homeless people sat down together with pens and paper to share ideas. From this charrette, fourteen design teams formed and were each awarded a $2,000 grant by the mayor's office to build their designs.
Earlier this year, Mark began collaborating with the Village Coalition and the Center for Public Interest Design to engage architects from all over Portland in building new solutions. On October first, a vibrant room full of creative and hopeful minds got together to brainstorm design ideas to shape sleeping pods ranging from 48 to 80 square feet. Architects, activists, and homeless people sat down together with pens and paper to share ideas. From this charrette, fourteen design teams formed and were each awarded a $2,000 grant by the mayor's office to build their designs.
Photos by Julian Dominic
Many of us worked late in to the night over the last three weeks to build our structures in a big old warehouse on the river. As the roof leaked rain drops on to our table saw, and temperatures dropped, City Repair volunteers made sure we had coffee and pizza and encouragement to get us through the long hours. Our friends as well as volunteers we've never met showed up to lend a hand, simply to be part of this important effort.
Since yesterday morning, the pods have been making their way downtown to be publicly displayed over the weekend. Snow and sleet fell as they were unloaded from the truck as a perfect reminder of how important basic shelter is to our fellow Portlanders.
The Communitecture design team consisted of Mark Lakeman, Dylan Thomas, and Robin Koch, joined on the construction site by builder Elwood Johncox. Our design--known as the "doorplex"--exhibits at least three unique characteristics that set it apart from the other pods. Firstly, it's largely composed of repurposed materials including hollow-core doors as walls, metal construction site signs as roofing, and cabinet doors fitted with plexiglass as windows. Secondly, we carved two separate living spaces out of one 64 square foot space by stacking sleeping bunks, each with their own entrance. There are so many people needing shelter this winter that we wanted to push the envelope and shelter more than one. And last, the curved roof shows just how much we care about making this structure special.
See all 14 of the pods arranged in a village layout this weekend at the north end of the NW Park Blocks (511 NW Broadway Ave.) They will be on display all weekend, with a panel discussion at PNCA on Saturday at 11am. A closing reception will be held the following Saturday, December 17th, 11am - 2pm at the same location.
Following the display the pods will be moved to a new homeless village to shelter those who need them most.
Following the display the pods will be moved to a new homeless village to shelter those who need them most.
Photo by Priti Shah
Photos by Dylan Thomas and Robin Koch except where noted. Rendering by Dylan Thomas.
Photos by Dylan Thomas and Robin Koch except where noted. Rendering by Dylan Thomas.
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