Mercy Greenbrae Apartments

CLIENT

Mercy Housing Northwest

CERTIFICATION

Passive House Institute US Certification
(pending)

Mercy Greenbrae Apartments provides 100 units of affordable workforce and family housing on the former Marylhurst University campus on property leased by Mercy Housing Northwest from the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.

On site, the three- and four-story building wraps around a landscaped courtyard with play areas, community gardens, and plaza. Community spaces within the building include a flexible room which can be divided into two classrooms, a communal kitchen for resident use, computer lab, resident services office, property manager’s office, lobby, resident lounge, indoor play area, meeting room, and laundry rooms. The 100-apartments with a unit mix of 17 one-bedrooms, 61 two-bedrooms, and 22 three-bedrooms are available to households earning less that 60 percent of Area Median Income. Mercy provides on-site education programs and other supportive services that focus on helping families and children.

From the start, sustainability was a major focus for the project. As a result, the project is pursuing Passive House Institute US certification (PHIUS), a rigorous, performance-based certification program. Passive House certified buildings are more efficient to operate, more resilient to extreme weather events, and have central air filtration systems that improve comfort and indoor air quality. The building will also be fully electric, not relying on any fossil fuels for heating or hot water.