Project Description

 The proposed project is located south of the historic Sam Hughes neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona. The site is approximately 1.6 acres in size, and fronts on Broadway, an east-west arterial road that leads to downtown Tucson. The project will share a block with existing single family detached homes to the north. Adjacent blocks east and west of the site consist of one to two story commercial structures which house a mix of stores and offices. There is an existing bus stop at the south edge of the site.

Because of its location between a low density residential neighborhood and a commercial area, the site offers an ideal blend of access and privacy for elderly residents. Residents will be able to take the bus to cultural events downtown, or east to two regional malls along Broadway. There is a supermarket within one block, and the University of Arizona is about ten minutes walking distance from the site. The Sam Hughes neighborhood offers quiet, shaded streets for walking just to the north.

The proposed project includes 62 total units, and consists of a mix of two story town homes and single story semi-detached houses organized along an interior courtyard. A commons building will occupy the center of the site, and auto access will occur from Broadway to minimize impact on the adjacent neighborhood. The town homes are interlaced with small entry courts and yards so that each resident has their own “defensible” space for gardening, socializing, or relaxing in the shade. The two story buildings face Broadway to the south, and will be designed to mitigate sound and light pollution from traffic. The one story buildings make a transition in scale from Broadway to the lower density neighborhood to the north.

Building materials and massing will relate to the existing conditions in Sam Hughes, and will reflect the climate of the desert southwest. We intend to use passive solar design to minimize the energy used by the building, and state of the art insulation and mechanical systems to meet or exceed the Model Energy Code. (For example, buildings will minimize openings facing south or west to reduce heat gain, and will make use of shading devices to temper the climate of courtyards and outdoor spaces.) All buildings will meet or exceed HUD requirements for acoustic mitigation, and where possible will use environmentally friendly materials and building systems.