A few miles from downtown Aspen, Colo., a development will provide 277 new affordable homes for an area experiencing a dire affordable housing crisis. Designed by Cushing Terrell, the 11-acre Aspen Lumberyard Affordable Housing neighborhood aims to serve as a pedestrian-friendly, environmentally sustainable community—one that “looks, lives, and feels authentically Aspen,” according to a press statement.
Through a collaborative planning and design process, Cushing Terrell visited numerous affordable housing developments in Aspen, met with city staff and local stakeholders, and worked with Aspen’s city council to understand the city’s and the county housing authority’s affordable-housing vision. Cushing Terrell also held workshops with city staff and other local environmental stakeholders, who consensually created a list of must-haves for environmental stewardship and resiliency. As part of its community engagement efforts, Cushing Terrell conducted in-person open-house workshops and online surveys.
Cushing Terrell’s sustainability team determined that Enterprise Green Communities Plus (EGC+), a national green building program created with and for the affordable housing sector, most closely aligned with the city’s commitment to be a leader in creating highly sustainable affordable housing. The city council also approved Cushing Terrell’s recommendation to target a baseline of 75% on-site offset with the ability to go higher in the future.
With an anticipated development cost of $400 million, the Lumberyard neighborhood will provide, across a range of incomes, a mix of 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units, including 195 rental units and 82 deed-restricted for-sale units. Infrastructure construction is scheduled to start in 2024.
On the Building Team:
Owner and developer: City of Aspen
Design architect: Cushing Terrell
Architect of record: Cushing Terrell
Structural engineer: S.A. Miro, Inc.
MEP engineer: Cushing Terrell
Civil engineer: Roaring Fork Engineering
Landscape architect and public engagement: Connect One Design
Environmental consulting: Slosky & Company, Inc.
Sustainability consulting: Group14 Engineering
Related Stories
Contractors | Oct 24, 2019
Get them while they’re young: programs that promote the construction industry target students
Turner uses one of its jobsites in Nashville to immerse middle-school teachers in the ins and outs of building.
Contractors | Oct 17, 2019
Are contractors collecting what they need to make better decisions?
Research focused on five key types of data: project progress, manhours, productivity, safety, and equipment management.
Architects | Oct 11, 2019
SMPS report tracks how AEC firms are utilizing marketing technology tools
With thousands of MarTech tools and apps on the market, design and construction firms are struggling to keep up.
Healthcare Facilities | Oct 4, 2019
Heart failure clinics are keeping more patients out of emergency rooms
An example of this building trend recently opened at Beaumont Hospital near Ann Arbor, Mich.
Giants 400 | Oct 3, 2019
Top 10 Convention Center Sector Construction Firms for 2019
Lendlease, Turner, Clark, and Webcor top the rankings of the nation's largest convention center sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 3, 2019
Top 65 Cultural Sector Construction Firms for 2019
Whiting-Turner, Turner, PCL, Clark Group, and Gilbane top the rankings of the nation's largest cultural facility sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 3, 2019
2019 Cultural Facility Giants Report: New libraries are all about community
The future of libraries is less about being quiet and more about hands-on learning and face-to-face interactions. This and more cultural sector trends from BD+C's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
3D Printing | Sep 17, 2019
Additive manufacturing goes mainstream in the industrial sector
More manufacturers now include this production process in their factories.
Codes and Standards | Sep 12, 2019
Illinois law sets maximum retainage on private projects
The change is expected to give contractors bigger checks earlier in project timeline.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 12, 2019
Meet the masters of offsite construction
Prescient combines 5D software, clever engineering, and advanced robotics to create prefabricated assemblies for apartment buildings and student housing.
