Location: Lebanon
Cost: Not disclosed
Completion: April 2023
Owner/Developer: Farmworker Housing Development Corp.
Architect: Pinnacle Architecture
Interior Designer: Pinnacle Architecture
Engineers: Ashley & Vance Engineering, Sazan Group
General Contractor: LMC Construction
Submitting Company: LMC Construction
Subcontractors: All Trades General Contractor, Authority Dock & Door, Basketball Hoops Unlimited, D&I Excavating, DDN Interior Supply, De-el Enterprises, Dennis 7 Dees, Duo-Gard, Eagle Striping Services, Frontier Metal Fabrications, Haier US Appliance Solutions, Halsey Design, Hartness Drywall, Hillebrand Construction, Home Insulation Contractors, Huntco Site Furnishings, J&S Masonry, Jet Industries, JGCM, KO Construction, Lanz Cabinet Shop, LaRusso Concrete, Luxurious Painting, Master Appliance, Medallion Industries, Nystrom Building Products, Pilot Development, Precision Countertops, Smith Glass Service, Smith Sheet Metal, Spike Builders, Stephen Waldroup Construction, Sterling Pacific, Superior Fence & Construction, VPI Quality Windows, Western States Fire Protection, WH Cress
Colonia Paz, translated to the “Community of Peace,” is a 140-unit, five-building affordable housing community near schools, social service providers, grocery stores and other businesses and is designed around a wetland in Lebanon.
Located on the eastern edge of the Willamette Valley, the agricultural community has about 20,000 residents.
Colonia Paz’s design places buildings and parking on the periphery, creating a central oasis for community spaces, including a basketball half-court and two playgrounds. Caregivers can enjoy the courtyard by stewarding the community garden, hosting celebrations under the awning in the center of the courtyard, strolling winding paths or enjoying the artwork throughout the site.
Local artist Hector H. Hernandez was hired to create three murals throughout the community that recognize and appreciate the resilient agricultural workers. There are more than 10 tile mosaics integrated throughout the community, all featuring culturally relevant art.
Inside the homes, modern amenities greet families, designed with the understanding that larger households spend many moments cooking and sharing meals together. High-efficiency exhaust fans in the kitchens ensured comfort, while kitchen islands and quartz countertops add a touch of elegance. Three community rooms, each equipped with a full kitchen, host indoor activities planned by the Community Events manager.
The project faced its share of challenges, particularly with stormwater management. Lebanon averages more than 50 inches of rainfall each year. Stormwater is typically collected into a public system before being piped to ponds or other water retention structures. In the case of Colonia Paz, the site was too low to utilize the existing public stormwater system and the high groundwater table created additional challenges.
The team decided to use a series of onsite swales, as well as multiple underground stormwater chambers to store and infiltrate runoff. In total, 488 individual chambers across two separate systems were located beneath parking lots to contain stormwater. When the systems reach capacity, they are designed to overflow to a 4-foot deep, quarter-acre pond at the northeast corner of the site.
Sustainability features of the project include use of native and adaptive plants in landscaping, the rainwater management system that filtrates 100 percent of the rainwater on-site, Energy Star appliances, low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy metering by unit, solar-ready design and ductless heating and cooling systems. The first phase of the community, Building A, is LEED Gold certified. The second phase, Buildings B through E, are Earth Advantage Gold certified.
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