New Pearl District Apartments Seek Rigorous LEED Green Building Certification

PORTLAND, OR, September 13, 2016 – (RealEstateRama) — Nonprofit developer BRIDGE Housing is pursuing a Gold-level LEED for Homes certification for The Abigail, a newly constructed property at 1650 NW 13th Avenue that offers 155 apartments, including 128 with affordable rents for low-income households. The Abigail will celebrate its grand opening on Friday, Sept. 16.

The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, is the foremost program for the design, construction, and operation of environmentally responsible buildings. Certification is a technically rigorous process that assesses the incorporation of sustainable strategies to achieve efficiency and healthy indoor environments.

In partnership with BRIDGE, Ankrom Moisan Architects designed The Abigail to achieve Gold-level LEED for Homes certification through attention to sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

The Abigail is located on a former rail yard and brownfield site at the north end of the Pearl District, within walking distance to a streetcar station, bus stops, grocery stores, schools, parks, and other urban amenities. There is ample secure bike parking and a bike mechanic station located in the underground parking garage. Details about The Abigail’s sustainability features may be found athttp://bit.ly/2aFLLK5.

Highlights include:

• Apartments served by direct ducted conditioned supply air and continuous exhaust ventilation fans, providing improved air quality while reducing the energy cost for the residents.
• A tighter building envelope allowed HVAC engineers to design for less leakage and reduce the amount of energy used for heating and cooling by approximately 10%.
• Exterior insulation and high performance windows exceed Oregon building code requirements.
• Common area shafts for heating and exhaust air are lined with sheet metal to reduce air leakage, saving up to 20% of energy needed to heat and cool the hallways
• The courtyards use native plants and have efficient irrigation systems to reduce outdoor water use. Large planters contain layers of soil and gravel designed to retain, absorb, and filter storm water.
• Electric vehicle charging stations for residents’ cars.

“BRIDGE is committed to environmentally sound, smart growth through transit-oriented development and sustainable design, construction, and operations,” said Cynthia A. Parker, BRIDGE President and CEO. “The standards put forth by LEED will benefit The Abigail residents and the neighborhood, and will help us move toward the national ‘Big Reach’ goal of reducing energy and water use 20% by 2020.”

Isaac Johnson, Managing Principal at Ankrom Moisan Architects and Principal-in-Charge for The Abigail, said, “When designing affordable housing, one way we can have the greatest impact is by making the building inexpensive to operate. For The Abigail, we selected efficient lighting and plumbing fixtures and focused on creating a well-insulated, high-performance building envelope. This reduced the need for complex and costly mechanical systems, resulting in both sustainable living and very low utility bills for residents on limited incomes.”

For more information, visit www.bridgehousing.com, www.ankrommoisan.com, www.usgbc.org.

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ABOUT BRIDGE HOUSING
BRIDGE Housing Corporation, a leading nonprofit developer of affordable housing, creates, owns and manages a range of high-quality, affordable homes for working families and seniors. Since it was founded in 1983, BRIDGE has participated in the development of over 16,000 homes serving more than 40,000 people.

ABOUT ANKROM MOISAN ARCHITECTS
Ankrom Moisan Architects was founded in Portland, OR in 1983. Providing architecture, interiors, urban design, and identity services to their clients, AMA now employs more than 350 talented individuals, with offices in Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco. Ankrom Moisan’s work focuses on urban, mixed-use developments, and includes affordable housing, market rate housing, senior living communities, student housing, healthcare, workplace, and hospitality projects.