PRISMID Sanctuary

Project Type: Education
Mission
Office
Role: Fee Developer
Partners: PRISMID

PRISMID Sanctuary, a gathering and healing space for Black and Indigenous artists in North Portland, has been envisioned by PRISMID and Grammy award-winning artist esperanza spalding, and lovingly co-created with, by, and for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artists and cultural workers. 

PRISMID Sanctuary, located on a 0.74-acre parcel, includes an existing house and landscape that is in need of repair, enhancement, and expansion to meet the complete vision for the Sanctuary. 

The redevelopment project will include four new stand-alone buildings and the renovation and addition of the existing house. The existing house is the heart of PRISMD Sanctuary and will become a community hub, which would be a salon-style performance gathering venue that includes a studio apartment, artist studio, facilities for recording, kitchen, eco-poetics reading room, and tea room. Other buildings at the Sanctuary will include communal living space for visiting artists and educators and visiting artists’ residences. 

The over half-acre parcel would be used for regenerative farming processes and include an entry garden, first food forest, sanctuary garden, outdoor dance space, soaking pool, and sauna. 

PRISMID Sanctuary currently hosts events such as Black Feast / Black Imagerial, Black Art/ists Gathering, Free Qi Gong, Poetry Workshop/Poetry Share, “Can I get a Witness”, and Sound Bath / Community Tea Time.

Values: Design Excellence, Environmental Stewardship, and Equitable Outcomes.

Project Details

Program: Artists’ Residence
Community Hub
Performance Space
Solar Array
Location: Portland, OR
Completion: 2025
Building Area: 5,800 SF
Construction Cost: TBD
Sustainability Goal: Earth Advantage Platinum
MWESB Goal: 30%
Status: In-Progress