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Architect Stuart Emmons has spent years designing affordable housing projects. And the main lesson he’s learned is that they could be much better.

鈥淚’ve always felt that there’s a lot of room for improvement in designing for affordable housing 鈥� (because tenants) don’t feel good inside,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen people in need come into these units they should see that we are giving them an exciting place to start a new life.鈥�

This mind-set has driven Emmons to develop a new modular design strategy for affordable housing projects. It’s expected to generate an improvement in buildings’ quality and reduce the time and cost needed to build them, he said.

A prototype, Kah San Chako Haws, is being built on Southeast Holgate Street. The project will produce one of the nation’s first modular affordable housing structures and perhaps lead to new design standards for similar projects, Emmons said.

鈥淭he goal here sounds kind of lofty, but I think it’s really doable,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s to bring much nicer units that are less expensive faster to the market.鈥�

Kah San Chako Haws will have nine units, all built in a warehouse prior to site construction. The three building levels will be stacked, with three units each.

Emmons said his experience designing for woodworkers influenced this project the most.

鈥淚 used to do layout for large cabinet shops; these modulars are really like big cabinets,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he thinking is all of the intricacies 鈥� the connections of electrical and plumbing and mechanical 鈥� are really an integral part of the design.鈥�

Modular design let the project move quickly; it began in mid-August, and assembly will require only three days, Emmons said. Typically, affordable housing is slowed by a long funding and paperwork process, he added.

The design also is reducing project costs. NAYA did not have to pay for design revisions, feasibility studies or extensive site visits. That helped stretch money provided by the Portland Housing Bureau and .

鈥淲e have a strong interest in affordable housing, and this has the potential to be the next generation of affordable housing,鈥� said Paul Reich, program officer with the Meyer Memorial Trust. 鈥淚t’s very well planned.鈥�

Financial savings led to an upgraded design for Kah San Chako Haws, Emmons said. The rooms have more space, larger windows and cross ventilation, which is unusual for affordable housing units. Additionally, higher quality materials are being used for finishes as well as drywall and closed-cell foam insulation.

The building is expected to be rated Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold.

鈥淲e support our partner’s choices in building these homes in a less expensive and faster way,鈥� said Traci Manning, director of the PHB. 鈥淭his, in addition to meeting our priorities and supporting our commitment to equity, will always be a factor in making decisions about investing in affordable homes.鈥�

Emmons is hoping that Kah San Chako Haws, if successful, will lead to modular design being used often for affordable housing. He said projects could be viewed as high-end cars: color and appearance can change, and models can be improved every couple of years.

But Emmons noted that Kah San Chako Haws is the first modular project he’s done, so it’s not up to the standards he wants to achieve. For instance, the project will cost only slightly less than a typical stick-and-build affordable housing project.

However, each project is a learning lesson, he said. And he believes affordable housing projects eventually will cost up to 15 percent less than they do now.

鈥淚 want (future residents) to know that I really cared about them when I designed the units,鈥� he said. 鈥�(The improved design) will set the stage for respecting the place they live in and create a base for building a new life.鈥�

The Kah San Chako Haws project is expected to be completed by the end of this week. Emmons has two other modular design projects in the works, but neither is affordable housing. However, he is planning to take on another affordable housing project soon.