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
Giants 400 | Aug 19, 2022
2022 Giants 400 Report: Tracking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
Now 46 years running, Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report rankings the largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. This year a record 519 AEC firms participated in BD+C's Giants 400 report. The final report includes more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
| Aug 19, 2022
Cuningham appoints Jacqueline Dompe as new Chief Executive Officer
Cuningham, a national design firm, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Jacqueline Dompe as the firm’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
| Aug 19, 2022
Future sea rise could expose 720,000 more people on East Coast to flooding
An analysis by NPR based on modeling from the National Hurricane Center for New York City, Washington, D.C., and Miami-Dade County found future sea rise could expose about 720,000 more people to damaging floods later this century.
| Aug 19, 2022
Manassas Museum renovated to reimagine a civic design & engage the community
Manassas, VA has recently added to its historic Manassas Museum.
| Aug 18, 2022
U.S. Treasury moves to boost affordable housing
The Department of the Treasury recently announced new guidance to “increase the ability of state, local, and tribal governments to use American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to boost the supply of affordable housing in their communities,” according to a news release.
| Aug 18, 2022
The Illinois Institute of Technology restores three Mies van der Rohe buildings
With Dirk Denison Architects and Gilbane Building Company, the Illinois Institute of Technology has recently completed a $70 million housing project that has restored three Ludwig Mies van der Rohe buildings.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 17, 2022
California strip mall goes multifamily residential
Tiny Tim Plaza started out as a gas station and a dozen or so stores. Now it’s a thriving mixed-use community, minus the gas station.
| Aug 17, 2022
Focusing on building envelope design and commissioning
Building envelope design is constantly evolving as new products and assemblies are developed.
| Aug 17, 2022
New York to deploy 30,000 window-sized electric heat pumps in city-owned apartments
New York officials recently announced the state and the city will invest $70 million to roll out 30,000 window-sized electric heat pumps in city-owned apartments.
| Aug 17, 2022
IBM’s former office buildings in Boca Raton turn into a modern tech campus
Built in 1968, the Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC), at 1.7 million square feet, is the largest office campus in Florida.
