The Tupelo Alley Mixed-Use Development is a three-building complex that recalls the warehouse, commercial and semi-industrial past of N. Mississippi Avenue. SERA’s design integrates ground-floor retail and 188 apartments (studio, one- and two-bedroom) with public spaces and courtyards. This design scheme activates the street and connect existing alley ways with neighborhood pedestrian connections, providing a contemporary model for high density “smart growth” and transit oriented development in North Portland.
The architecture is scaled to fit appropriately into the context of the surrounding residential neighborhood. The main building is articulated as stepped masses from six to five stories that visually recede at the top floors to enhance the urban character along N. Mississippi. A pair of three-story buildings along Albina Avenue are smaller in scale and different in articulation and materials, to be respectful of the single-family residential character to the east.
The development achieved LEED Gold certification through the use of high-performance glazing, efficient heat pumps and ventilation, onsite stormwater treatment, efficient water use in landscaping and plumbing fixtures, use of responsible building materials and demolition/construction waste reduction. Reclaimed materials were also incorporated. Common lounge and outdoor spaces and storefront retail are vibrant, contributing activity and energy to the neighborhood.
