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Daybreak's two-thirds-acre site holds a 7,000-square-foot Common House for community activities; 30 condominium units, including one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments; and two-bedroom townhouses. Bordered on three sides by city-owned sidewalks, the buildings are arranged around a 60-foot-high maple tree and public courtyard with a community garden. — Text by Michael Chotiner; Photographs by Jay L. Clendenin/Aurora
Daybreak is an intergenerational cohousing development designed by Schemata Workshop Inc. It opened late in 2009 in the Overlook neighborhood of North Portland. The close-in urban location means public transportation, grocery stores, restaurants and cafés, and schools are all easily accessible. Values that shaped the design include fostering multigenerational living, integrating with the surrounding neighborhood and incorporating sustainable building materials.