California Senior Housing

California Senior Housing

Competition statement: To develop ideas that assist low-income individuals and families to secure good housing, become homeowners, and leverage benefits generated by developing a full array of land use options, including affordable homes, jobs, recreation, agriculture and open space. Projects must demonstrate: innovative sustainable solutions that can meet future housing needs, zero net energy, multiple benefits including job creation, cost reduction, and opportunities for local food production/agriculture.

Our response:  Create a car free active site, preserving as much native quality as possible. One site was along a busy road adjacent to an Audobon bird preserve. The other was a steep hillside wedged between two cul de sacs. We designated the site adjacent to the busy road as the “passive” site with tracking solar arrays. On the more private site we developed a “high rise garden” accessed by a tram with stops at terraces like the “floors” of an apartment building. The units were grouped along these terraces each with their own garden and all facing a public vegetated plaza. Residents park at the bottom and either walk or take the tram up the hill to their units. We designed three unit types: a studio, one and two bedroom. All units have a “service” component composed of a shipping container re-purposed to house bathrooms, kitchen and laundry. This is set on site with a crane. The “passive” space is composed of SIP’s that are delivered to site flat and lifted into place. We developed the “catalyst” which is a circular integrated solar array and ventilation system which can be placed on the roof and oriented as needed.