Irvington Covenant Community Development Corporation
Prescott Village
Portland, Oregon

Prescott Village was designed to blend with the established surrounding community. Cues for finishes taken from the neighborhood range from the single hung windows to the horizontal trim and brackets used on the gable roofs. Nine, two-story homes make up the two buildings. In order to reduce the perceived size of the two buildings, the heights and depths of the elevations were varied by changes in plane, varying roof heights and adding porches to the entries. Mixed trim and siding styles and colors also add to the visual appeal of the homes. Such attention to detail is not only rendered on the front of the structures; the rear and sides of each building pack as much punch.

Creating a sense of privacy in each home, while maintaining a visual connection to the outside, was the focus for the design of the interiors. A small, covered porch first brings the outside in, serving as a part of the transition space into the interior of the home. The front door to each unit is turned away from the adjacent sidewalks and parking area, opening to the second half of the transition area, while providing privacy for the main living areas. A great room, formed by the family room, dining room and kitchen takes up the remainder of the first floor. Each room shares space with the adjacent rooms to foster a more spacious feel than their small size would indicate. However, each space in the great room is provided with architectural cues to maintain its own identity and subtly delineate the space. The kitchen at the rear of the home opens onto a spacious back deck and yard, which is easily enjoyed and monitored through kitchen windows and glass door.

The stairs from the living room lead up, past a small powder room, located off the landing. This arrangement makes efficient use of the space, and skillfully separates the public living areas from the private rooms on the second floor. Upstairs there are three bedrooms, each with a full size walk-in closet, and a bathroom with a separate shower/water closet area. The core of each home, the second floor hallway and the stairway, were also brightened by a window at the top of the stairs and a skylight at the end of the hallway, again bringing the outside in.

Equal amount of attention has been paid to features not readily apparent. Materials have been selected for cost-effectiveness, durability and appearance. Storage, always an issue in small homes, has been maximized wherever possible throughout the units. A utility room with laundry hook-up, for example, was located beneath the stairs, accessible from the kitchen.