Harka Low-Carbon Architecture & Life

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Harka Low-Carbon Architecture & Life

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Innovative design that inspires a better world and informs a more thoughtful way of living.

10/15/2026

Harka is taking part in the City of Tucson’s Middle Housing Design Competition with our two entries, the Aldea Triplex and the Aldea Single Unit.

The City is exploring new ways to add housing choices that fit the character of Tucson’s neighborhoods, including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and small stand-alone homes. Public voting is open now, and we’d love your support.

Lessons from Portland, designed for Tucson
Oregon passed the first statewide middle housing legislation in 2019 with HB 2001, allowing duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and cottage clusters in neighborhoods that used to allow only single-family homes. Since then, Harka has specialized in middle housing that adds homes while fitting the scale and character of established streets.
Tucson recently made similar changes to its zoning code. With the Aldea Triplex and Aldea Single Unit, we will bring what we’ve learned in Portland to Tucson and adapt it to the desert climate and the city’s neighborhoods. We have our sights set on bringing Portland’s brand of communal in-fill housing to Arizona.
Meet the Aldea Triplex and Aldea Single Unit!!

Aldea means “village,” and that idea shaped the whole design. Three homes surround a shared courtyard, so neighbors get a place to come together, and each household still has its own private outdoor space.
Housing for different stages of life: a three-bedroom home with a fully accessible main level, a two-bedroom townhome, and a two-bedroom alley home above a garage with flex space offering opportunities for aging in place or passive income

Designed for the desert: thick block walls that hold steady temperatures, terracotta cooling screens, shaded patios, and rainwater captured to water the courtyard

Built to be resilient: solar power with a Net Zero Energy goal, an airtight envelope, and optional battery storage that keeps homes comfortable during power outages

Why your vote matters
Public votes, along with a panel of jurors, will help the City decide which designs become pre-approved plans in Tucson’s model plan library, putting our design in front of everyone looking to utilize the simplified path to middle housing development.

Vote at our Link in Bio!

10/09/2026

We’re proud to announce that AIA Oregon has recognized our office remodel with two honors: the Merit Award and the 2030 Award from AIA Oregon, honoring the project’s design and commitment to sustainability. The voting for the AIA People’s Choice Awards is live and we’d love your support if you like what you see. Voting link in bio.

09/29/2026

Big News Alert!! Sign up for our newsletter to get the deets and keep up on our latest projects and events! Link in bio!

09/22/2026

Come join us during Sustainable Building Week for a tour of our Carbon Zero Certified office building. We will host an open house and happy hour on 10/7 from 3:30-5:30. Our event is part of a region-wide celebration of sustainable building, design, and innovation. We’d also love to see more organizations get involved by hosting events, sponsoring Sustainable Building Week, or becoming Community Partners to strengthen our collective impact. To learn more, contact the SBW team at [email protected] or visit the SBW website linked in our bio.

08/05/2026

Aging in place does not have to sacrifice style!

The owners have lived in this 1902 home for over 30 years. We helped them transform their under-utilized dark basement into a guest space filled with natural light, focusing on accessibility and resiliency. Using sustainable materials, local purchasing, and supporting businesses that do positive things in the world was very important to them.

We wanted the interior of the space to feel welcoming and bright, yet functional and accessible. Restoration Juniper butcher block from Sustainable Northwest was installed for the kitchen island with an operable leaf to add counterspace when needed. The clients loved the look of polished concrete floors but were concerned about how hard they would be on their feet. So, we encouraged them to install a cork floor, aptly named “fashionable cement.” Large north-facing windows make the living space feel bigger while bringing diffused natural light, which is easier on potential visual impairments. Fireclay Tile, a B Corp Certified company producing sustainable handcrafted artisan tile, was installed in the shower playing with size and shape. We refinished and reused existing fir boards from the clients for an accent wall. While the walls were open, we added blocking inside the shower to accommodate future grab bars. The concrete slab was designed to accommodate a curbless shower.

The insulated envelope was designed with meticulous air-sealing details. This, along with the partial subterranean condition, will lower their utility costs and allow them to inhabit the space longer during power outages. The air sealing will also help manage air quality during wildfire season.

The space was designed with the future in mind, featuring barrier-free flow to all aspects of the unit. Swipe through for some of the before images.

06/22/2026

The design for this ma*****na store right off of Pacific Highway needed to catch people’s attention as they come into town. We achieved this by encasing the glass front of the store with a wooden screen. This provides a pleasing light, brand recognition, and entices people in. After dark, the shop turns into a jewel box shining from the inside through the vertical wooden slats, invoking the warm comfort and guidance of a lamp.

This bold style has since become the signature look for Cannabros. They use it at all of their new locations and keep coming back to us for more.

The client originally wanted to stain the concrete floor. We encouraged a more restrained approach that would be rewarding at certain times of the day. The wood screen throws a unique pattern across the floor depending on the time of day and year.

Wood texture and dappled light are both pleasing and calming biophilic elements.

While the project is designed for cannabis retail, other retail tenants were also considered due to market volatility. Extra security, an efficient back of house, and a flexible retail floor are universal.

06/02/2026

Continuing our Sabin ADU project tour, a main focus was planning for aging in place. The space was designed with the future in mind, featuring a barrier-free front door, a bathroom large enough for a wheelchair and even blocking in the walls to accommodate future grab bars.

The First floor provides all the basics of small living, but with big light to make it feel larger. These spaces feel big even though they fit into a small footprint.

The Second floor currently functions as a live-work space with a bedroom, art studio, and half bath. This is designed to act as a potential caregiver apartment if one is ever needed.

Accessible First Floor layout: If someone with mobility issues lived here, the first floor could transform into an accessible studio with no stairs between the bathroom and kitchen, so our client can continue to live here as her needs change.

We also focused on maximizing storage, providing custom built-ins.

05/28/2026

For our next project tour, our Sabin ADU, we brought a family closer through inter-generational living. This 2 story 800-square-foot, high-efficiency one-bedroom unit has enough space to comfortably live and work. We designed the building envelope with a level of resiliency that will keep our client and the building in good shape for decades. With that in mind, the main floor is designed to convert into a fully ADA-compliant studio apartment when the stairs become too challenging.

The main house kitchen and the ADU kitchen are connected by a shared patio. The small bump outs break down the scale so it feels less imposing while adding to the square footage on the second level.

In this energy-efficient build, we designed a heeled truss to add extra insulation in the attic. Advanced framing reduced the lumber used (saving money and material) and provided more room for insulation. We also included air sealing details to help control indoor air quality and improve energy performance. These details provide a comfortable home that lasts and costs less to heat and cool.

04/29/2026

Popped in to check on the progress and finalize some details for this awesome project currently in construction. Tile is looking fab and can’t wait for this custom backsplash by to be installed ☀️

04/22/2026

Before and After Alert! The existing living room in this project was dark and undersized. The fireplace felt cramped in the corner of the room. The original kitchen layout lacked counter space and was ergonomically awkward due to the adjacent hallway.

Removing walls opened up the living space, allowing light to fill the house and improving views. The difference is significant. Now the family can gather around the fireplace. Keeping an eye on the little ones is made easier with more views from the kitchen. The whole floor now feels lighter, more welcoming, and is made healthier with smart material choices.

Removing the hallway between the stairwell and the kitchen allowed us to expand the kitchen. This made room for a large island which transformed the kitchen into a functional family gathering space. The new cabinetry and uplifted kitchen layout added a ton of storage, functionality, and much improved ergonomics. It now feels like the true heart of the home.

Swipe for the Before!

Address

7631 NE Glisan Street
Portland, OR
97213

Telephone

+15039759471

Website

http://harkahq.com/

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