The Orchards at Orenco Station ambitiously set out to achieve passive house certification at a time when no one had yet demonstrated how such an aggressive energy efficiency standard could be achieved in a building of its size. As such, the project required a steep learning curve among all stakeholders, from the architect and builder to structural and mechanical engineers. At the hub of this effort, Dylan Lamar supported a highly collaborative and proactive spirit amongst the integrated project team. 

Phase I successfully achieved passive house certification despite numerous technical and budgetary hurdles from the lack of airtight, wheelchair accessible doors to the need to install and then cover a first-of-its-kind air barrier system before it had actually been blower-door tested. The lessons from Phase I allowed Phase II to achieve similar energy efficiency despite significant state-wide budget cuts to affordable housing funding. The success of the Orchards at Orenco Station project has gone on to inform an entire generation of high-performance multifamily buildings.