LOUISIANA BLVD HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
FALL 2012
advisor| kristina yu
[unm+sap]
The Louisiana Blvd Housing Development is a multiplex system of housing units and commercial centers whose arrangement embraces wide open spaces for the public. A focus that led to the project’s composition of the units was the use of light and views to the mountains, to break up the massing of commercial and residential. Units vary from one bedroom, two bedrooms and three bedrooms; intent was to allow individuals to have varied options. By creating an environment that allows multiple ‘typologies’ to interact, the overall configuration is better suited for the new generations of individuals that are more independent.
The individual sets of units incorporate green wall systems that allow vegetation to grow, allowing the environment of the site to be eco-friendly. Albuquerque receives little rain throughout the year, 9.6 inches per year, making the manipulation of the roof essential for water collection. The water that is collected flows to the green walls and if there were to be excess the landscaping on the ground floor collects it; avoiding runoff.
An open courtyard allows the transition between the city and the site to be seamless. By incorporating areas of greenspace, the site diffuses the intrusive nature that would otherwise exist. The commercial sectors of the site take advantage of vegetation and allow the public to interact in the open space.