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Timber Ridge offers 82 units of affordable housing spread across eight walk-up buildings, catering to households earning 30 to 60 percent of the area median income.

An intentional intergenerational community, Timber Ridge, located in La Grande, embraces universal design principles with the ultimate goal to extend housing access to seniors and individuals with mobility or physical disabilities.

At the heart of the community lies a 4,500-square-foot community building, a hub where families and seniors converge for multigenerational meals and events. This space, complete with a full kitchen, resident services offices, classrooms, study areas and an early childhood education center, embodies the spirit of inclusivity and togetherness.

Eastern Oregon University also operates a Head Start program on site, offering opportunities for growth and learning to residents at no cost.

Outdoor amenities include on-site parking, gathering spaces and play areas, basketball and pickleball courts, a community garden and a dog park. A scenic walking path offers views of the surrounding mountains.

The project team is targeting both Earth Advantage Platinum Certification and Net-Zero Certification for Timber Ridge. An extensive photovoltaic solar array is projected to exceed the electrical demand for the project by 10 percent. Information on energy consumption and reduction in carbon emissions will be made available to tenants.

As part of the project’s Net-Zero energy goals, an innovative system called AeroBarrier was used, creating an air-tight building envelope through the use of aerosol-applied sealant. This worked well with the use of all-electric heat pump systems. The high-performance heating and cooling along with heat recovery ventilation with excellent filtration supports occupant health.

The project design embraces a biophilic approach, integrating timber frames that support inviting social porches, creating spaces that foster stability and a sense of belonging.

The pandemic posed budget and subcontractor availability challenges. The project owner, architect and contractor worked tirelessly to explore options from a design and pricing perspective, without losing sight of the project’s core objectives or compromising livability for the residents.

The project would not have been possible without the collaboration of numerous partners, including the Northeast Oregon Housing Authority, Community Development Partners, HUD, local vendors and subcontractors.