Ellen Browning Building by Hacker Architects: Innovative Senior Co-Housing in Portland

The Ellen Browning Building in Portland, designed by Hacker Architects, is a groundbreaking mixed-use residential development that redefines senior living through community-centered design. This innovative project emerged from a group of close friends seeking to preserve social connections in their later years while maintaining independence. The building embraces co-housing principles, offering shared spaces alongside private residences, fostering both togetherness and personal privacy.

Urban Context and Site

Strategically located along Division Street, a vibrant commercial and retail corridor, the Ellen Browning Building provides walkable access to amenities, healthcare, and cultural destinations—key factors for an aging-in-place strategy. Instead of prioritizing unit quantity, the 34,000-square-foot development focuses on quality of urban living, enhancing experiences for both residents and the surrounding neighborhood.

Residential Layout

The building houses ten thoughtfully designed residences that range from 1,000 to 4,000 square feet. Single-level flats occupy the second and third floors, while ground-level apartments accommodate guests or future on-site caretakers. Street-level retail spaces and an art gallery activate the public realm, reflecting the architects’ vision of a building that contributes to neighborhood vitality.

Architectural Design

Clad in fluted, off-white terra cotta panels, the Ellen Browning Building transforms with natural daylight, creating dynamic shadows and textures that animate the streetscape. Terraced patios, featuring leafy privacy screens, act as vertical front yards, encouraging outdoor engagement and social interaction.

The building combines a post-tensioned concrete frame with cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction on the top floor, utilizing prefabrication to minimize construction time and costs. Other materials include thermally efficient fiberglass windows, metal trellises, Ipe decking, and terra cotta panels. A small underground garage ensures discreet parking without compromising the urban streetscape.

Interior Design and Community Spaces

Interiors feature a minimalist palette of white oak floors, ceilings, and gypsum walls. Residents select from curated kitchen and casework templates, while furnishings are individually owned. Art plays a central role, with custom chandeliers, digital display walls, and outdoor sculptures enriching shared spaces.

The fourth-floor communal terrace serves as the heart of co-housing life. Designed for flexible social interaction, it accommodates cooking, dining, crafts, reading, games, swimming, and movies—all within an integrated indoor-outdoor environment. Vertical gardens of star jasmine climbing painted steel grids further enhance the natural experience.

Social Sustainability

By creating their own building, this group of friends ensures long-term social sustainability. The Ellen Browning Building not only fosters strong social networks but also exemplifies how urban co-housing can enhance quality of life for seniors, offering both privacy and vibrant community connections.

Key Features:

• Mixed-use residential with retail and gallery spaces
• Co-housing for seniors with shared amenities
• Terraced patios and rooftop communal terrace
• Sustainable construction: CLT, terra cotta, energy-efficient windows
• Walkable, amenity-rich urban location

All photographs are works of Jeremy Bittermann