214 South Craig Cohousing
Developers are building apartments and condominiums everywhere in Pittsburgh. The steady rise of rent costs can quickly leave students and the elderly behind in our community, forcing them to commute long distances to access resources. Members of minority groups in are being squeezing out of neighborhoods where they may have lived for generations. Gentrification has produced crippling results as displaced residents suffer psychological trauma and a loss of social organization. Cooperative living poses a possible solution to these issues.
Read More >Also, to be brutally honest, most of what we are seeing built around the city is boring and cheap looking.
Our response at Fisher ARCHitecture was this LEED Silver project. A cooperative living arrangement allows potential residents to purchase ownership shares in an organization that owns the entire property, providing an affordable alternative to owning their own home. Every resident has their own bedroom but shares kitchens, dining, laundry, and living areas with two others.
We’ve added two restaurants to our building program. In this neighborhood, a project that combines ground floor retail with housing above is the highest and best use. Mixed use developments feature lower infrastructure costs, increased tax revenue, and reduced traffic compared to single use projects. They also create less pollution.
The parking is provided by a semi-automatic “puzzle” parking system company. The structure features four wood framed floors supported by a two story concrete block and steel base.
Crafting the façade from glass allowed us to better connect residents visually with the surrounding community. We developed a series of totemic “light columns” on the Craig Street front elevation, visible both indoors and from outside, that enhance the connection at night when the effect is particularly visible. Our renderings demonstrate that both the light filled residential units and the common areas have been carefully designed according to the WELL standard of “improving comfort, driving better choices, and generally enhancing, not compromising, health and wellness.”
We have made every effort with this project to design an affordable, high density, multifunctional environment that is physically attractive.
For another mixed use building designed by Fisher ARCHitecture, check out the Jan Loney Studio, Roanoke and Blue Steel.
