Nightingale

Nightingale is a transformative project for the City of Portland. AKLA led the master plan visioning phase which guided the redevelopment of a full city block in the West End neighborhood. The plan includes the adaptive re-use of the historic Mercy Hospital building, converting the structure to 170 affordable and market-rate apartments and infill of surface parking with an additional 70 family and senior affordable homes. The interior block, which once housed hospital equipment and a sea of pavement was envisioned and eventually converted to a shared courtyard. With more than 25,000 square feet of brick paving, trees, and a variety of seating, the interior courtyard is both a functional utility for residents, providing parking and access, but also an incredibly adaptable community space. The woonerf, dutch for ‘shared street’ at the heart of the project allows for free movement of vehicles and pedestrians through the center of the urban block, encouraging activity and providing support for the new commercial storefronts lining the interior.