Concept Design of an affordable “co-housing” project for a site on Govalle Avenue in East Austin.  This idea presented the opportunity to be in the forefront of dealing with the current lack of affordable housing in the city’s urban core – a problem happening in most American cities – as well as the opportunity to get a handle on social issues that are a consequence of the present re-gentrification of the urban cores.  The project site is approximately three quarters of an acre, zoned MF-3. With careful study of the land development regulations and creative solutions, the firm was able to fit about 26 units of various sizes in addition to enclosed community spaces and outdoor green spaces.

The main idea, in order to promote community interaction – hence the concept of “co-housing’ – while reducing enclosed square feet, was to design units that had the opportunity to open their living spaces up to a common, covered outdoor space. Each unit was designed based on a minimum unit module size (the smallest permitted by applicable Building Codes), starting with an efficiency unit up to a three bedroom unit, 4 times bigger than the efficiency. The different unit types were integral to the co-housing concept of creating supportive social networks, social diversity, and cooperative self-management.

The firm introduced the idea of reducing construction costs by reducing square feet through well-designed, efficient spaces; implementing green building tenets that are low-tech: passive ventilation, passive solar, rainwater collection, xeriscaping and recycled materials; and promoting “healthy” living with the use of enviro-friendly materials.