One of the fun things we’re able to do at KWA Construction is learn about creative construction projects from all around the world. In this series, we’ve selected our favorite projects that showcase awe inspiring design and industry-changing features that make us ask ourselves, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

 Bud Clark Commons in Portland, Oregon

Described as “the centerpiece of Portland’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness,” Bud Clark Commons is a LEED Platinum transitional housing and support community complete with a 90-bed temporary men’s shelter. The shelter features an array of intriguing sustainable design elements, most of which are normally associated with high-end luxury developments. Perhaps most notable is the use of Passive House design principles on the residential floors to help drive down annual energy costs to a bare minimum.

In the small residential units, refrigerators and the body heat of the occupants provide most of the needed warmth, and electric valence heaters make up the difference. Heat-recovery units circulate fresh air into each apartment, a key strategy in tuberculosis control, and sensors automatically shut off heaters when occupants open windows. Ample daylighting allows the building’s fluorescent and LED lighting to be turned off 55 percent of the time.

Source: Mother Nature Network

Click here for more innovated buildings that made us ask, Why Didn’t I Think of That?