Case Study: Ankeny Row

We recently interviewed the builder and the homeowners who led the development of Ankeny Row, a multi-family, age-in-place green project in Portland, Oregon. Stephen Aiguier is the founder and CEO of Green Hammer, a Portland-based design-build firm specializing in innovative green building practices. A Certified Passive House Consultant, Stephen worked on some of the region’s first residential and commercial certified Passive House and Net Zero energy buildings.

Two couples, Michael and Francie Royce and Dick Benner and Lavinia Gordon began the project of Ankeny Row over seven years ago.  They made a list of the amenities they wanted and the places that would need to be within walking distance of for their ideal location.   According to Francie Royce, “We wanted an intentional community around us as we age in an energy efficient, gloriously designed and well constructed home.”

The homeowners wanted a design that was friendly to the neighborhood and provided a sense of community for the multi-family courtyard building. They selected an infill site in the midst of a close in and changing neighborhood with a grocery store, movie theater, restaurants, coffee houses and wine bars within walking distance. Transit to downtown is one block away with easy access to Ankeny Street.

‍What is the project called and where is it located?

​Ankeny Row, 2515 SE Ankeny, Portland, Oregon. It’s a ​7 unit, Net Zero Energy condo community designed for aging in place.​

What Zola product line did you use for windows and doors?

Zola’s Thermo Wood FSC Meranti Triple Pane Tilt & Turn.

Why did you choose this product line?

Stephen Aiguier of GreenHammer, “We chose Zola and this product line for a combination of reasons. It was aesthetically pleasing, reasonably priced, and provided high performance for energy-efficiency.”

How would you describe the style of it?

SA, GreenHammer:“Contemporary Craftsman​​ with a Scandinavian twist.”

What was the design inspiration for this project?

SA, GreenHammer:“Our architect, Daryl Rantis, who unfortunately passed away in March of 2014, was primarily responsible for the aesthetic vision. He was very much influenced by his time working for Fay Jones, an architect who had been a protégée of Frank Lloyd Wright. Both Fay Jones and Frank Lloyd Wright’s work initially inspired Daryl to become an architect.  Certainly the rhythm of the exterior facade of the buildings is a nod to both those architects and to Daryl’s personal touch.  The envelopes were designed to meet the Passive House standard in order to minimize energy loads and facilitate the Net Zero energy goals of the clients, so to a degree the buildings were also influenced and inspired by the desire for a reduced carbon footprint.”

Ankeny Resident Owners: We wanted a living arrangement that brought together a group of friends to live separately in our own homes but with a shared courtyard and shared common room and space–an intentional community. After speaking with Stephen Aiguier of GreenHammer we realized that our desired energy efficient home should meet the Passive House standard. Green Hammer suggested Zola windows as the best for meeting the demands of Passive house, energy efficient construction.

What was the design challenge for this project?

Ankeny Resident Owners: One challenge was keeping the foot print of each house small enough to accommodate the kitchen, livingroom, a master bedroom and bath on the first floor while also making space on the site for enough units to reasonably share the cost of the common areas.

​SH, GreenHammer: “The project represents the nexus of contemporary Craftsman style in a walkable urban pattern with passive house energy efficiency. To develop those goals in a unified manner was a tremendous challenge on its own.  Certainly designing and building to the Passive House standard was a challenge, especially the air-tightness requirement of 0.6ACH50, which is approximately 17 times tighter than a standard code home.  The units also were certified to Earth Advantage’s Platinum standard, meaning we needed to be sensitive not only to energy use, but materials, water conservation, air-quality and site conditions as well.  We also certified all the buildings to the Forest Stewardship Council standard, which is the gold standard globally for responsible forest products and therefore all wood products purchased were FSC certified (including the Zola windows).  “Additionally a significant design challenge was that we had 6 different owners we took through the Design Development and Construction Documentation phases of design (the 7th unit is a shared public space.) Each of the 7 units was customized to each owner and the group’s particular needs and desires.  Keeping all the details straight in both the design and managing the flow of such diversity in the construction was very challenging, and required a tremendous amount of documentation and collaborative communication.”

What makes this project outstanding?

Ankeny Resident Owners: “The people who live here, the location is very walkable, and the design is friendly to the street while giving all residents a combination of public, semi-public, semi-private and private space. The Zola Windows are large and good looking.”

​SA, GreenHammer:“Certainly to meet universal design accessibility throughout the community and for each unit’s first floor is a wonderful accomplishment alone. We also had to make sure we achieved the FSC, Earth Advantage Platinum certifications and Net Zero energy goals. The buildings were not certified to Passive House for cost reasons and we felt Net Zero was the ultimate focus point, but we did design and build to the Passive House standard. Fundamentally they are also Passive House condos.”

What was your personal design theory or focus for this project?

Ankeny Residents: Our new house had to be energy efficient to the highest standard possible.  The overall focus is intentional community and aging in place in a walkable community.

​SA, GreenHammer:“We work as a unified team at GreenHammer and our theory is pervasive on all projects.  We believe every building we create is an opportunity to improve a community’s well-being, financial health and relationship with nature.​ This project exemplifies our core beliefs and focus.”

What are some of your favorite construction products used on this project?

Ankeny Residents: “The Zola European Windows and Doors, of course and the metal roof and metal railings on our balconies.  The FSC wood throughout the project and our fabulous woodwork including our built in cabinetry.

​SA, GreenHammer: “Certainly the windows​ and the ventilation systems.  Zola’s FSC certified tilt-turn, triple pane windows are not only impressive to use, they are also visually stunning and critical for us to reach our Net Zero energy goals for the project.  Zehnder’s Heat Recovery Ventilation systems which are installed in each unit and supply continuous fresh filtered air to all the bedrooms and living spaces while exhausting stale and humid air from the bathrooms and kitchen without effectively losing heat are critical to the low energy design and provide superior indoor air quality.”

What do you like about Zola’s tilt-turn windows?

Ankeny Residents: Many of the 6 couples in the project had experience with Tilt-Turn windows in Europe and like how they operate and allow for more natural ventilation.  On one side of our house is the street view.  The other is our gorgeous landscaped courtyard with our neighbors’ homes in the background.

SA, GreenHammer:“I love the ease of the function.  Certainly the air-tightness and energy performance are critical to the project’s success as well.  Zola Windows is not only one of the highest performing of its class, it is also cost effective, which is helpful as Triple Pane Tilt-Turn windows are a considerable upgrade to the standard US Double Hung Double Pane windows.  Cost is always a challenge, but certainly if our clients can afford the upgrade, the ease of function alone makes them​​ an easy item to sell to the client.​”

What do you find inspiring about this project?

SA, Green Hammer: “It sets an example for how a community of like minded people can gather around their values and create a place where they can age in dignity and downsize into fully accessible buildings in a very walkable community.  ​​ It also showcases how medium density of this type can blend well into a neighborhood and not be another looming massive apartment building, or a run of the mill condo project.  The buildings not only are an inspiration in their architecture, they are generating more renewable energy than they consume. They are a wonderful example for how buildings can be valued for being low impact. These energy-efficient buildings are not only eco-friendly, they are healthy, durable, and comfortable.”

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**PROJECT UPDATE**

Sustainable Homes for the 21st Century – by Michael and Richard Royce and Benner

The authors and their wives lived in two of Portlands beautiful, leafy neighborhoods. Their children were grown, so they no longer felt their homes were consistent with their environmental and personal values. They contemplated a different way of living, and over four and a half years, their dreams coalesced into Ankeny Row, a community with six energy-efficient homes structured for community interaction and to permit graceful aging. Sustainable Homes for the 21st Century tells the story of what they learned in the process and provides guidance on how you can make similar dreams come true.

“Then, there’s the silence of living in a passive house.  The “thunk” that followed each closing of the new Zola doors and windows was a satisfying reminder that 16 inch walls with R-46 insulation, ceilings with R-102 and triple-paned windows and doors would bring a quite none of us had experienced in any prior home.”

The book is available for purchase on Amazon.

Planning Magazine – Practice What You Plan

A group of land-use alums decide to age in place in a cohousing community of their own design. Ankeny Row’s founding partners wanted their new home to embody multiple tenants of good planning.

Click here to read the entire article that discusses the Passive House design.

Architect Bio:

Stephen Aiguier is the founder and CEO of Green Hammer, a Portland-based design-build firm specializing in innovative green building practices. A certified Passive House consultant, Stephen worked on some of the region’s first residential and commercial certified Passive House and Net Zero energy buildings. He is the instructor for Earth Advantage’s Sustainable Homes Professional course, designed to help industry professionals understand the best practices and science behind green building design and construction. Read more about Stephen Aiguier and Green Hammer here.

For more about Ankeny Row, visit this Portland Monthly article and the Portland Tribune’s Sustainable Life article.