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A 116-unit affordable housing community has opened on a 4.66-acre site in Tualatin, marking the first new affordable housing development in the city in more than two decades and the only project there supported by Metro Affordable Housing Bond funding.

Plambeck Gardens, located at 23455 S.W. Plambeck Terrace, consists of two four-story residential buildings and a one-story community building constructed on slab-on-grade foundations. Completed in May 2025, the development provides one- to four-bedroom units serving nearly 300 residents, including 16 permanent supportive housing households receiving full-time case management. The project is named in honor of the late Douglas Plambeck, a long-time advocate for affordable housing who helped found Tigard-based Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) in 1993 and served as its board treasurer for 27 years.

The project features several energy innovations, including the complete elimination of natural gas. All systems run on electricity, offset by a large solar array spanning the entire roof of the community building, which achieved NetZero designation. Both residential buildings are on track for Earth Advantage Platinum certification. A motorized fan and damper system transfers excess heat from the electrical room into the water heater room, reducing the need for supplemental heating. Rooftop heat pump systems include an air economizer that draws in cool outdoor air instead of running compressors, reducing energy consumption.

A trauma-informed design approach shaped exterior colors and finishes, with warm facades inspired by autumn greens and yellows. Interior spaces incorporate biophilic elements, ample daylighting, and varied seating to support resident well-being and autonomy.

The project required extensive coordination to overcome significant site and infrastructure challenges. Because the property is bordered on three sides by church-owned land and lacked utility access along Boones Ferry Road, the development team secured an easement across a narrow portion of church property for utilities and the main driveway. CPAH installed nearly a quarter-mile of new public water infrastructure along Boones Ferry Road. Sewer challenges posed by the site鈥檚 lower elevation required building placement adjustments, a large retaining wall, and a private lift station for the community building.

Site acquisition occurred March 30, 2020 鈥� the same week COVID-19 restrictions began 鈥� adding financing uncertainty and logistical complications to an already complex project.

On the jobsite, crews used mobile apps for real-time hazard documentation and Building Information Modeling to identify conflicts before construction began. The project achieved 29 percent participation by minority-, emerging small-, and women-owned business contractors. LMC Construction served as general contractor, with Carleton Hart Architecture leading design.

鈥淓very step of the way, this project embodied its namesake and Doug鈥檚 enduring commitment to provide much-needed housing to our community, safety/security, and a place to call home,鈥� noted Aaron Maguire, project executive at LMC Construction, in the Top Projects submission form.