How Adre Champions Social & Environmental ROI
Real estate doesn’t have to be noble only in pursuit of profit. Thanks to Adre, it can serve as an engine for healing, equity, and ecological stewardship. For developers, architects, funders, and changemakers alike, Adre’s work is an invitation: reimagine ROI in terms of human and planetary well-being.
Case Study: Parrott Creek
Parrott Creek’s new five-acre campus in Clackamas County, Oregon, serves vulnerable children and families. With buildings by El Dorado Architects, the transformative power of trauma-informed design is at work. The architecture is understated, but the landscape (wetlands, meadows, forest ecology) fosters healing and growth.
Case Study: Williams & Russell Homes
Williams & Russell is a visionary project in North Portland’s Albina neighborhood. With a tangled history of redlining, displacement, and highway-driven devastation, Albina needs healing. Adre helped secure $5.1 million in construction loans, $1.5 million in equity, and a $3.8 million renewable-energy grant. Designed by Lever Architecture, the development prioritizes affordable homeownership and includes office and retail space for nonprofits and businesses. Plus, it tackles environmental injustice with pollution cleanup and stormwater remediation, a holistic approach to equity, economy, and ecology.
Building Trust Against the Odds
Adre also defies demographic odds. Across the U.S., fewer than 1% of real estate developers are Black or Hispanic, and women comprise only 0.02%. That scarcity makes trust hard-won.
Anyeley Hallová notes a striking achievement: “We’ve [gotten] over $36 million in grants… and we have an 80% success rate, which is not normal!” That’s the power of centering on social and environmental value, not conventional ROI .
Adre’s name, drawn from Ghana’s Ewe language, means “seven”; a nod to the Seven Generations Principle, which emphasizes wisdom shaped by the past and future. This ethos is woven into every project. Hallová even authored a children’s book, A Kids Book About Real Estate Development, emphasizing that anyone can shape their built environment and its impact.
Why This Approach Matters
Beyond Profit: Adre proves that development can yield social and environmental dividends, not just financial ones.
Healing Legacies: Projects like Williams & Russell address historical inequities and revitalize marginalized neighborhoods.
Representation in Action: As a woman, and a woman of color, Hallová is disrupting a homogeneous industry with meaningful projects and impressive grant success.
Inspiring the Next Generation: Whether through literature or community-led design, Adre is redefining who gets to build and why it matters.
“I don’t use the word ‘investment,’ because we’re going after grants … dollars that really care about community benefits. The outcome isn’t a financial return, it’s building stronger, healthier communities.”
Justin R. Wolf’s AIA article: Can Real Estate Be a Tool for Social Change? Adre Says Yes
A new facility for nonprofit Parrott Creek, which offers residential, health, and treatment services for vulnerable children and families, developed by Adre.
Rendering: Adre