The goal of the project was to provide a positive environment for a needy population through the development of a master plan and a prototype model that could be implemented incrementally as funding became available. Each of the eight homes in the complex serves 8 to 12 clients with a wide range of disability. Our “town center” plan brings coherence to a site that had been hampered by haphazardly located buildings, which were both aging and stylistically mismatched. Urbahn’s site plan establishes a clear ordering principle to both the new homes and the existing ones across the street. The homes are paired and joined around common courtyards, each grouping addressing the street with convenient off-street parking. The driving design objectives of sustainability, home-like environments, and community space are embodied in the comprehensive site design and within the detail of the houses.
