The Illahee is an eight-unit apartment building located near the center of Multnomah Village in Southwest Portland. The project takes advantage of a steep, irregular site to create a compact multifamily building that responds directly to the surrounding topography.

Parking and the primary building entry are located at the lowest level, with an open stair rising through the building to a series of individual unit entries above. Rather than enclosing circulation within an interior corridor, the stair becomes part of the architecture, creating a gradual transition from the street to each home and bringing daylight and views into the shared circulation.

The building contains a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with large windows, private outdoor space and generous living areas. Its relatively small scale allows the project to provide many of the qualities of individual homes while substantially increasing the amount of housing on the site.

Design Research Office served as architect and, through 2901 Partners LLC, as part of the development team, allowing the project to integrate design decisions with construction cost, operations and long-term ownership.