flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Nation's largest Passive House senior living facility completed in Portland, Ore.

Senior Living Design

Nation's largest Passive House senior living facility completed in Portland, Ore.

The high-rise features a new steel skybridge connecting to the existing building.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | April 24, 2024
Nation's largest Passive House senior living facility completed in Portland, Ore. Photo courtesy LRS Architects
Photo courtesy LRS Architects

Construction of Parkview, a high-rise expansion of a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Portland, Ore., completed recently. The senior living facility is touted as the largest Passive House structure on the West Coast, and the largest Passive House senior living building in the country.

Parkview, a 10-story building, adds 127 independent living apartments to the Terwilliger Plaza community, increasing the total number of residents to about 550. The 370,000 sf concrete structure connects to the existing campus via a new steel skybridge, the first of its kind within a new city policy that allows pedestrian bridges for senior living communities. The bridge was an integral part of the design of the $105-million Parkview project that had the goal of interconnectedness throughout the campus.

Architecture firm LRS took inspiration from the surrounding Pacific Northwest region in creating the design that includes interior motifs of mountains and roses. Incorporating efficiency and renewable energy, the structure features solar window shades, energy-efficient appliances, and photovoltaic roof panels.

Parkview is projected to achieve a 42% reduction in energy consumption compared to average senior living buildings of comparable size. The building is projected to save $100,000 annually from Passive House design.

Nation's largest Passive House senior living facility completed in Portland, Ore.
Photo courtesy LRS Architects

The Parkview building consists of 10 levels of residential units sized from 1,100 sf to 2,200 sf. It includes two levels of underground parking.

Master planning for the project began in 2013. Groundbreaking took place in May 2021 and the building opened in Fall 2023.

Terwilliger Plaza is governed by a board of directors composed of a resident member majority, which supports a representative self-governing leadership style that is a unique feature within the senior living industry, according to a news release.

The project's Passive House-related features include:
• Superior air quality and thermal comfort
• Airtight construction
• Reduced thermal bridging
• All-electric design
• High-performance building envelope
• High-performance triple-pane windows
• Heat pump washer-dryer combo units (washes/dries in single unit)
• Heat pump water heaters
• Triple pane windows, sound attenuation
• Solar window shades
• Energy-efficient appliances
• Induction stovetops
• Heat recovery ventilation
• Photovoltaic (PV) roof panels

Owner: Terwilliger Plaza Inc. 
Owner’s Development Consultant: MHS Consulting
Project Manager: BC Group
Architect and Interior Design: LRS Architects
MEP, Energy, and Passive House Analysis: PAE
General Contractor: Walsh Construction
Structural Engineer: IMEG Corp.
Civil Engineer: DOWL Engineers
Landscape Architect: PLACE
Acoustical Engineer: ABD Engineering and Design

Photo courtesy LRS Architects
Photo courtesy LRS Architects
Photo courtesy LRS Architects
Rendering courtesy LRS Architects

Related Stories

Multifamily Housing | Jan 19, 2023

Editorial call for Multifamily Affordable Housing project case studies - no cost to submit!

Building Design+Construction will feature a roundup of "Multifamily Affordable Housing" projects on BDCnetwork.com. 

Senior Living Design | Jan 10, 2023

8 senior living communities that provide residents with memory care

Here are eight senior living communities that offer their residents memory care, an important service for residents who need this specialized care.

Cladding and Facade Systems | Dec 20, 2022

Acoustic design considerations at the building envelope

Acentech's Ben Markham identifies the primary concerns with acoustic performance at the building envelope and offers proven solutions for mitigating acoustic issues.

Multifamily Housing | Dec 13, 2022

Top 106 multifamily housing kitchen and bath amenities – get the full report (FREE!)

Multifamily Design+Construction's inaugural “Kitchen+Bath Survey” of multifamily developers, architects, contractors, and others made it clear that supply chain problems are impacting multifamily housing projects.

Multifamily Housing | Nov 22, 2022

10 compelling multifamily developments debut in 2022

A smart home tech-focused apartment complex in North Phoenix, Ariz., and a factory conversion to lofts in St. Louis highlight the notable multifamily developments to debut recently.

Multifamily Housing | Oct 5, 2022

Co-living spaces, wellness-minded designs among innovations in multifamily housing

The booming multifamily sector shows no signs of a significant slowdown heading into 2023. Here is a round up of Giants 400 firms that are driving innovation in this sector.

Multifamily Housing | Sep 14, 2022

27 new kitchen and bath products multifamily developers and AEC teams are using for the first time

Multifamily developers and AEC project teams are adopting new kitchen + bath products and systems for the first time, according to the MULTIFAMILY Design+Construction Kitchen+Bath Survey 2022.  

Multifamily Housing | Sep 13, 2022

Take the Multifamily Kitchen + Bath survey – Maybe win one of 10 $50 gift cards

Preliminary results of 2022 Multifamily Design+Construction exclusive Kitchen + Bath survey.

Senior Living Design | Sep 8, 2022

What’s new with AQ: The top trends in active adult living

Today's 55-or-better buyers are ready to design their lives and their homes as they see fit. With so much growth on tap, builders and developers must stay apprised of trends related to home, environment, and culture of 55+ communities.

Giants 400 | Aug 29, 2022

Top 50 Senior Living Facility Contractors + CM Firms for 2022

Whiting-Turner, Ryan Companies US, W.E. O'Neil Construction, and KBE Building Corp. top the ranking of the nation's largest senior living facility contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021