At O’Brien, building the places you love is more than a tagline—it’s a mission that guides every project we undertake. Our long-standing commitment to sustainable development has found a natural partnership in RootedHomes. Together with our design partners at Open Concept Architecture and Ten Over Studio, we’re helping to build a better future in Central Oregon, one where working families can afford to live, thrive, and grow.
RootedHomes: More Than A Developer
RootedHomes is a mission-driven affordable housing developer, land steward, and community builder. Founded in Bend and now expanding into neighboring areas like Sisters, Redmond, and Prineville, RootedHomes is focused on creating permanently affordable and environmentally sustainable homeownership opportunities. Their work addresses a critical need: in markets where median home prices are nearing $1 million, many of the people who keep our communities running can no longer afford to live in the places they serve.
But RootedHomes doesn’t just build houses. They build frameworks for stability. Their model leverages community land trusts, in which the land is retained in nonprofit ownership while the homes are sold to qualified buyers who agree to resale restrictions that preserve long-term affordability. This structure helps families build for the future while ensuring that homes remain accessible to future generations.
Rooted at Simpson
Our current project in partnership with RootedHomes and Ten Over Studio—Rooted at Simpson—is a bold step forward in addressing Central Oregon’s housing crisis. Situated along one of Bend’s main thoroughfares, this 40-home community includes both two-bedroom and three-bedroom homes, all designed to Net-Zero energy standards.
The community is designed for long-term resilience and accessibility: electric vehicle charging readiness, covered bike parking, tree-lined walking and bike paths, and vibrant green spaces with community gardens. These elements do more than accentuate the area’s natural beauty—they create a setting that fosters daily connection, shared stewardship, and a deep sense of neighborhood.
Getting this project off the ground hasn’t been without challenges. Site access issues and civil coordination with the city delayed the start. But thanks to the relentless efforts across RootedHomes, O’Brien, and Bend city management, the project is off to an electric start. O’Brien’s project leaders, Shane Curl and Alex Mallett, and our dedicated team of subcontractors, have been working tirelessly to ensure that the homes are now going up quickly and efficiently. The first eight units will be occupied as early as June 2025, and construction will continue through the fall. It’s an intense, logistically complex job—with just a single site access point, we’ve had to sequence construction from the back of the lot to the front, working creatively to minimize disruption for early residents. Our goal is to build fast, build smart, and step out of the way as quickly as possible so that these homes can begin fulfilling their purpose.
Rooted at 19th
Further north, Open Concept Architecture is leading the design for Rooted at 19th, a 23-home community in Redmond that demonstrates RootedHomes’ evolving vision. This site will combine a new duplex construction with the preservation of a 100-year-old farmhouse, wrapped in a landscape designed to function as a shared community garden and outdoor classroom. Through a partnership with The Environmental Center, the garden will be used by Redmond public school students—deepening community ties and reinforcing a culture of sustainability from a young age.
Here, the design is guided by the philosophy that great neighborhoods emerge not just from physical proximity but from social connectivity. Front porches intentionally angled toward each other, shared green space, and opportunities for organic interaction are central to the site plan. OCA’s Managing Principal, Jeremy Cogdill, says that he often refers to this project as a “community garden with some homes sprinkled in,” because that’s what it feels like—a place where the land brings people together.
Redefining Affordability
RootedHomes’ approach challenges traditional assumptions about affordable housing. Their homes feature passive solar design, natural light, thoughtful layout, and resilient materials. More than just cost-effective, these are homes of dignity—homes that residents can be proud of.
What makes RootedHomes especially unique is their holistic approach to affordability. From income-based homebuyer selection via an equitable lottery system to homeownership education and ongoing support, the organization provides a full spectrum of assistance that sets residents up for long-term success. Many homes come with access to e-bikes, bike storage infrastructure, and connections to broader community resources. Their focus isn’t just on reducing upfront costs but on minimizing long-term operating expenses through energy efficiency and intentional design.
Housing, after all, is tied to so many other social issues: food security, educational opportunity, financial resilience, and mental health. By creating stable homeownership opportunities for those who might otherwise be priced out of the market, RootedHomes gives individuals and families the foundation to truly live—not just survive.
A Shared Vision
The housing need in Central Oregon is acute, and it will take partnerships of all types—builders, designers, nonprofits, and engaged citizens—to meet the moment. We were proud to join our collaborators at the recent RootedHomes Sip and Support event, where the energy in the room was palpable. Everyone involved in these projects brings a high level of motivation, driven by the understanding that this work matters.
Our industry faces significant challenges—rising costs, complex permitting, logistical constraints—but this work proves that innovative thinking, collaboration, and purpose-driven design can make real change. Whether through modular construction techniques, efficient framing systems, or new financing models like land leases, we’re actively exploring how to lower the barriers to homeownership, now and into the future.
At O’Brien, we are grateful to be a part of this transformative work. Partnering with RootedHomes allows us to bring our construction expertise to projects that truly embody our values. These communities are more than the sum of their parts—they are places where people feel rooted, where neighbors know each other, and where children grow up with stability.
Together, we’re not just building houses. We’re building a better future.