Interior of a modern wooden apartment building courtyard with multiple floors, balconies, and small trees, under a partly cloudy sky.

Shortstack Mississippi

  • Located in North Portland’s Mississippi neighborhood, this newly constructed four-story, 36-unit multifamily development offers much-needed affordable housing in a walkable urban setting. The project was developed by Shortstack Housing, a partnership between Anna MacKay of Sister City Development and Jessy Ledesma of HomeWork Development—forming a visionary, women-led ownership team committed to reshaping the city’s housing landscape.

    The development reflects a bold effort to add “missing middle” housing for families—a typology that has been increasingly squeezed out of the Portland area due to economic and zoning constraints, yet remains vital for fostering inclusive, resilient communities. With a program that includes 20 three-bedroom, 1.5-bath units, 8 two-bedroom, one-bath units, and 8 one-bedroom, one-bath units, the building totals approximately 34,000 square feet, including common areas and utility support spaces. Notably, 100% of these units are reserved for households earning up to 60-80% of the area median income (AMI), ensuring long-term affordability and access for working families. Works Progress Architecture led the design effort, supported by DCI Engineers, Vega Engineering, Studio Wild, Cutwater Design & Build Solutions LLC, and Owen Gabbert LLC creating a collaborative framework of women- and minority-led teams that extended across design, engineering, and construction.

    Sustainability and equity were embedded into every phase of the project. Mass timber, in the form of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels, was used in horizontal structural systems. Portions of the building cladding, as well as the exterior circulation and decking, are also natural wood. These warm, natural materials define the building’s character and align with the developers’ commitment to sustainable design. At the heart of the project lies a striking open-air courtyard, constructed entirely of wood, which serves not only as a central circulation space but also as a communal gathering area that promotes connection among residents. The use of exposed wood throughout this courtyard fosters a powerful sense of warmth, calm, and connection to nature. Their biophilic approach enhances resident well-being by bringing natural materials, light, and airflow directly into the daily experience of the building.

    The preconstruction process was intensive and iterative, involving multiple rounds of design pricing, development, and value engineering. Prior to this phase, the ownership team collaborated closely with Works Progress Architecture on a “kit of parts” in the form of standardized floor plans and construction types.

    Tight site constraints and a significant grade change made for logistical challenges that required extensive collaboration between the design team, trades, and project managers to enable a smooth construction process. While CLT helped accelerate certain phases, it presented a learning curve for some trade partners, most of whom were working with it for the first time. Nonetheless, the project provided a rare opportunity for smaller, emerging subcontractor teams to participate in building with CLT—broadening access and experience within the local construction community.

    The resulting building is a testament to what can be achieved through inclusive leadership and shared purpose. With its bold use of mass timber, emphasis on biophilic design, and thoughtful site integration, the project stands as both a contribution to the neighborhood and a model for equitable, sustainable urban infill development.

  • Developer: Shortstack Housing
    Architect: Works Architecture
    General Contractor: Owen Gabbert, LLC with Cutwater Design & Build Solutions LLC
    Structural Engineer: DCI Engineers
    Civil Engineer: Vega Civil Engineering, LLC
    Landscape Architect: Studio Wild Landscape Architecture
    Photographer: Joshua James Huff

  • 2026 Oregon Daily Journal of Commerce Top Project

An aerial view of a modern multi-story building with a flat roof, surrounded by trees, parked cars, and a sidewalk.
Modern multi-story building under construction with black siding, wooden accents, large windows, and a mural of a butterfly on the exterior wall. There are stairs, young trees, and landscaping in the foreground, and a partly cloudy sky above.
An aerial view of a modern multi-story apartment building with dark gray exterior walls and large white-framed windows. The building has an open central stairwell with wooden stairs and black railings, and is surrounded by a paved walkway, small land
Multi-story building with wooden exterior staircase and railings, and black metal stairs. The building has gray walls with white-framed windows, and colorful wall art is visible on the left side. There is a woman walking up the stairs, and signs indi
People outside a modern apartment complex with a black exterior and wooden stairs, including children playing and adults walking, surrounded by landscaped greenery.
Kitchen with green upper cabinets, black appliances, a white countertop, and a round mirror on the wall.
A living room with beige sofa, pink and purple chairs, wooden coffee table, modern artwork on white walls, large windows, hardwood ceiling, and colorful geometric rug.
A bedroom with a large window showing trees outside, a bed with an orange bedspread and pillows, two table lamps on a nightstand, and framed landscape paintings on the walls.
A bedroom with two beds covered in orange bedspreads, a painting of a tree with peacocks hanging on the wall, a nightstand with white lamps, and a large window showing an exterior view of a modern building and some greenery.
A bedroom with a bed covered in a pink quilt and multiple pillows, two bedside tables with lamps, large window showing a city apartment building, floating self-portrait painting on the wall, wooden ceiling, and a chair.
Open-concept living space with a kitchen on the left and a dining and sitting area on the right, featuring a wooden ceiling with built-in lighting, white walls, and large glass doors leading outside.
View of a wooden apartment building with balconies, where two women are standing and talking on a balcony, and other balconies visible with windows and railings.
An outdoor courtyard in a modern apartment complex with wooden balconies and large windows. Two people are visible: a woman on the balcony looking down at the courtyard, and a man with a bicycle near a bench on the ground level. There are small trees
Two young boys are sitting on a wooden bench in a courtyard of a modern building with wooden siding and black-framed windows and doors. They are smiling and talking, with plants and small trees nearby.
View of a modern apartment building courtyard with wooden balconies and walkways, small plants, trees, and a clear sky overhead.
View from a balcony showing a multi-story wooden building with outdoor walkways, railings, and a blue sky with scattered clouds in the background.
Wooden balcony with railings, overlooking a courtyard in a multi-story building with wooden siding and large windows, under a blue sky with some clouds.
A modern apartment building with a wooden facade and black railings, featuring multiple small trees planted along the walkway with benches and black bollard lights in the foreground.
A man is securing his bicycle at a bike rack inside a modern indoor space with wooden panel walls and large windows.
Interior of a modern building with large windows, wooden wall panels, pink bicycle racks, and fluorescent ceiling lights.
A modern multi-story apartment building with all windows illuminated at dusk, featuring a central staircase enclosed in wooden walls and a flat roof, surrounded by trees and other residential buildings.
Exterior view of a modern building at dusk, featuring large windows and a colorful mural of a slow loris on the left side. The building has a mix of dark and wooden elements, and visible staircases and balconies.
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