Kenton is a 27-unit multi-family housing block located along an urban corridor in suburban North Portland. In plan, the building is divided in three different components to break down the scale of the overall parcel. Each floor is expressed by planar shifts in the project’s volume to create overhangs, ledges, and balconies. Both townhomes and apartments are aggregated along each elevation with the addition of retail along the public ground floor edges.
The building relies on an organic arrangement of square windows and a simple material palette to create a playful and respectful relationship with the surrounding context.
The building is clad in a single material, a sandstone Norman brick in a stacked bond pattern. Different brickface treatments create a variety of textures throughout the project, responding to the level of interaction and human scale. Wood-clad windows and doors enhance the texture of the project and increase its approachability.