Breath of Life Medford

In the wake of the 2020 Southern Oregon wildfires, this development represents a deliberate shift in how affordable housing can be designed to address both immediate demand and long-term resilience. Rather than relying on conventional construction methods, the project set out to create a community that prioritizes fire resistance, energy performance, and build efficiency from the outset.

“When people get to walk in, kick the tires, touch, see, feel, bang on the walls, and they realize that this is a structure that’s going to last twice as long as the structure that would have been built just with sticks – it’s easy for us to launch and see the projects that are coming in the near future.”
Adrian Broadhurst, President, Promised Land Inc.

Located in Medford, Oregon, the development is a 142-unit mixed-income community that blends homeownership and rental opportunities into a single, integrated neighborhood. Featuring townhomes and walk-up apartments, it is set to become one of the first net-zero solar affordable housing communities of its kind in the state. From the earliest planning stages, the project team, led by Promised Land, Inc., a ZS2 TechPartner, recognized that material selection, particularly within the building envelope, would define the success of the build.

In a region shaped by wildfire risk, choosing systems aligned with wildland urban interface best practices was essential to improving safety, reducing risk, and supporting long-term durability.

To meet these demands, Promised Land Inc. selected ZS2 TechPanel® as the primary solution for both wall and roof assemblies. Manufactured using magnesium cement, TechPanel® provides a fully integrated, non-combustible system that replaces traditional multi-layer assemblies with a single, high-performance panel. This approach reduces complexity while delivering improved resistance to fire, moisture, and environmental exposure.