WAMO 1st Place Winner – Multi-family Passivehouse

In conjunction with the competitive low income housing tax credit round, MFA conducts an independently juried design competition.  Projects selected by the design competition jury are awarded additional Project Selection Criteria points in accordance with the 2013 Qualified Allocation Plan.  While recognizing the good design cannot be boiled-down to checkbox selection criteria, the design competition jury considers each project’s site plan, building design, context and special design, floor plan design, and construction characteristics in their deliberations.

<strong>Committee Comments:</strong>
The plans are intelligent, responsive to site, and quite functional.  Landscaping features are appropriate and plentiful. Tree plantings are used to create a natural buffer between the housing, the street, and parking areas. The layout of the buildings on the site creates a nice balance between an orientation to the street and private courtyard spaces. The site plan makes good use of street parking and disburses parking throughout the site. The variety of building elevations and selection of materials are architecturally interesting while the integration of new with existing buildings reflects sensitivity to the urban nature of the site. The layout of the units offers functionality and comfort with the use of natural lighting and ventilation.