SOLAR VILLAGE Longmont, CO A Sustainably-Built Mixed-Use Building at the Entrance to Prospect New Town
project location
Prospect New Town, Longmont, Colorado Plan by Duany Plater-Zyberk East elevation facing State Highway 287
West facing lofts at courtyard with solar panel roof line PROJECT DATA
Project Name: Solar Village Project Type: Built Projects – Architecture Address: 645 Tenacity Drive at Ionosphere Street Prospect New Town Longmont, Colorado Owner / Developer: Solar Village LLC Size: 26,100 sf -17,600 sf residential over 8,500 sf commercial Number of Dwelling Units: 16 Completion Date: April 2006
North Elevation North Elevation facing new main street
View from northwest at intersection of two commercial streets NARRATIVE
Program Off of a noisy state highway, this is the first to-be-built building at the entrance to the mixed-use main street district of a New Urbanist neighbor- hood designed by Duany Plater-Zyberk.
The vision for the project is to poetically meet the urban design challenges of a building that establishes a main street, while also creating solar- powered mixed-use and liveable environment that exemplifies sustainable construction, solar access, energy conservation.
Zoning calls for three stories with residential uses over commercial.
This privately funded spec development must work economically in a conservative small-town residential real estate market. Aerial View of Model Solution A common problem to New Urban neighborhoods is how front-on and interface with large highways or urban arterials. This project addresses the highway façade as a third front property line -- a deviation from the original town plan. This additional building wing also protects the residential courtyard from the noisy highway.
Organized in a ‘U’ configuration, the project has three urban front facades and opens south to the winter sun.
As the first residential project in a currently exposed location, the design provides a diverse, poetic, and in some ways ‘complete’ environment that can be inhabited and experienced in many different ways. Aesthetically, the goal is to avoid cliché, and to stimulate curiosity, exploration, experience, and interpretation.
Most of the residential units receive passive solar gains from the south, and have south-facing outdoor terraces.
Radiant floors and hot water are provided by solar panels on a serrated roof.
Photovoltaic panels are used in sunshades over south-facing windows.
Buildings are super-insulated, and most materials are low-toxic, durable, and from sustainable sources.
All parking is concealed on site, and away from commercial sidewalks.
Brick facades provide a sense of weight and color familiar to main streets in Colorado towns, and mitigate highway noise.
south facing terrace solar hot water panels
townhouses lofts parking courtyard
commercial ground floor stacked flats
Aerial View building forsolaraccess through landscapedareas Solar overhangsatsouth- South-facing U-shaped Low waterlandscaping Active SolarPanels for radiant floorheatand facing windows,typ. Thin buildingwings domestichotwater for daylightingand Site drainageruns cross ventilation Roofs draininto at courtyard treewells
(Mixed-Use Main Street) (Mixed-Use Entry Street) (Mixed-Use Entry View fromSouthwest Site Plan Site SCALE: 1:40 View from Northeast
View from Southwest
View from Northwest Solar Roofline at East Elevation
Commercial Suite Commercial Suite Commercial Suite (Restaurant) (Ice Cream Shop) (Yoga Studio)
Courtyard & Parking
Parking Garage
Commercial Suite (Bookstore Cafe)
Parking Garage Trash & Parking Parking Recycling Garage Garage
Alley Ground Floor SCALE: 0 1 5 10 20 Solar Roofline over Lofts with mezzanines
Private terraces
Courtyard looking East South facing terraces
Deck Kitchen Deck Bedroom Bedroom
Kitchen
Living/ Dining
Kitchen Living/ Dining
Bedroom
Living/ Dining Kitchen
Private Terrace Private Terrace Tree Tree Bedroom Planter Planter Living/ Dining South Facing Terraces
Bedroom Living/ Dining
Kitchen
Bedroom
Living/ Dining
Parking Courtyard Below Kitchen
Bedroom
Kitchen
Living/ Dining
Deck
Second Floor SCALE: 0 1 5 10 20 South facing residences with private terraces and PV panel sunshades
North elevation View from west: Flats over commercial space
Deck
Bedroom Deck Bedroom
Kitchen Living/ Dining
Bedroom
Bedroom
Kitchen Bedroom
Bedroom Living/ Dining South Facing Terraces Below
Living/ Dining
Kitchen Bedroom
Bedroom
Parking Courtyard Below Mezzanine
Bedroom
Kitchen
Living/ Dining
Deck
Third Floor SCALE: 0 1 5 10 20 Sun-trellis over west-facing windows
Photovoltaic panels used as sun shades over south facing windows Loft with small windows facing harsh western sun