Ecosa Housing

The Ecosa Institute has purchased land in Prescott with a view to building new facilities for our growing program. This project explores the fit with the neighborhood and how the placement of the building can encourage pedestrian traffic with greenways to a local creek. The project calls for the exploration of using the site for student housing as this is the most critical need for the program. There are a number of constraints on the site, particularly parking, and this was a factor in the form of the building. As an institute promoting the concept of sustainability we required that the design meet the highest standards of sustainable practice. There is also an existing house on the site and sustainable ways of using or removing it were requested.

The Ecosa Institute has purchased a lot located in the same area as the Phil Brown project. The team was asked to prepare a concept plan for an Ecosa "campus" incorporated into the neighborhood that would enhance both its current residential character and improve its environmental quality.

A neighborhood model was constructed to get a sense of the texture of the area and the small-scale grain of the existing buildings.

Sketch massing models were used to determine the overall form of the structure. Breaking the mass of the building and being aware of the pedestrian experience of the building were issues of concern.

The final concept design enclosed the existing house on the site as a means of respecting the single family residential nature of the area.

This view of the final model illustrates the texture of the building facing a proposed greenway through the neighborhood. The roof is designed for rainwater catchment and the required parking areas are permeable surfaces. Solar hot water and photovoltaic cells are incorporated into the design.

South elevation of the housing complex creates a “streetscape” to provide interest for pedestrians. The center element is a study area that will be an experiment in creating a green habitat/surface for wildlife.

The Ecosa student housing team from left to right Zachary Block, Tiffany Broyles, Carlos Guerra and Bryce Hamels.

Read Student Brief