Founded in 1952, Blanchet House of Hospitality is a non-profit organization offering free meals, beds and jobs for the area’s homeless population. SERA’s design for the four-story new Blanchet House of Hospitality is located adjacent to the former building in Portland’s Old Town/Chinatown district. The new building will provide more space for the Blanchet House’s needs, including a larger soup kitchen and three floors of residential rooms with a central shared bathroom, laundry and community room on each floor.
The building’s design serves to enhance the surrounding historic neighborhood and provide a positive, supportive space for the people who will use it on a daily basis. SERA took design cues from the nearby buildings to shape the massing, scale and rhythm of the new building. The design follows a traditional tri-part pattern with a glazed base, brick middle, and a defined cornice line. Balconies were added as an amenity, with the guardrail details referencing the nearby Chinese Garden.
SERA provided integrated design services starting with the eco-charrette and climate analysis. By listening to the client’s goals and designing the building with climate requirements in mind, we were able to eliminate mechanical systems within the units, utilizing a super-insulated envelope. The project will receive over $300,000 in incentives for the project, allowing the project to incorporate one of the city’s largest rainwater harvesting systems, energy-efficient lighting, extra insulation, thermally-broken low-e windows, and a 2,500 sf eco-roof that, together with the rainwater tank, allows for 100% of the stormwater to be managed on site and used for toilet flushing.
