Colonia Unidad consists of four low-rise apartment buildings that provide affordable housing to serve farmworkers, the workforce population, and their families. The buildings contain 44 apartment units distributed between the four buildings and the site offers numerous communal amenities. A single-story community building supports residents with a common laundry room, managers office, and a large meeting space for celebrations and organized activities. A pedestrian path through the center of the property provides connectivity with the surrounding neighborhood. Along with amenities for biking and walking, a large lawn area is set aside as a play field, and more secluded outdoor gathering spaces are designed with trellises, benches, and picnic tables for smaller, more private gatherings. Each residential building is organized around a shared breezeway with an exterior stair that serves up to four units per floor. Each entry door faces onto the breezeway that looks out to the common areas of the site and neighborhood. These breezeways provide a comfortable space for neighbors to meet and casually interact. We worked with the Developer and Contractor extensively to fine tune the design in order to create an efficient plan that met the funding criteria of the project, but did not sacrifice details that enhance residents day to day lives.

Schematic and design development phases completed while at Carleton Hart Architecture.