Echo Ridge Community Center
Echo Ridge Community Center THE CHALLENGE: Create a safe place for residents of an affordable housing development, many of whom have never cooked for themselves before, to learn to grow and prepare food. THE SITE: An urban infill lot in Topeka, KS, developed specifically for a 60 unit affordable housing complex. THE PROGRAM: A teaching kitchen, community garden, playground, kid zone, office and meeting rooms totalling 5,000 sf.
TO PLAY FIELD
COMMUNITY ZONE For meetings, dining, etc.
FOOD ZONE Teaching kitchen, pantry, etc.
ADULT ZONE For meetings and individual use
KID ZONE Unstructured play
TO PARKING
ORGANIZATIONAL DIAGRAM The parti for the Center is relatively simple: 4 main public zones, each with a supporting, shaded exterior areas to encourage users to spend more time outdoors
EXTERIOR VIEW: COMMUNITY ZONE Cedar slats and corrugated fiberglass protects occupants of exterior spaces from direct solar gain. River birch trees will eventually provide additional shading.
BUTTERFLY GARDEN ADULT DECK
COMMUNITY DECK ADULT ZONE For meetings and individual use
COMMUNITY ZONE for meetings, dining, etc.
ADMIN AREA visual access to all zones KID ZONE unstructured play
BULLY-FREE AREA
FOOD ZONE teaching kitchen, pantry, etc.
HERB GARDEN COMMUNITY GARDEN
FLOOR PLAN Echo Ridge Community Center
COMMUNITY ZONE Anyone using the play field can go inside the Center to get drink of water, use the restroom or take a break from the heat. Parents can stand on the community deck and watch their kids play.
INTERIOR VIEWS: COMMUNITY ZONE The architect worked within the client’s tight budget, utizilizing a palette of durable, low-maintenance materials and flexible off-the-shelf furniture.
FOOD ZONE Residents can learn how to grow and prepare food in the community garden and teaching kitchen. For some, this marks the first time in their lives they have prepared meals from scratch.
KID ZONE A room with tables for unstructured play inside opens onto a “bully-free� area with a sandbox and stacked limestone play structures.
EXTERIOR VIEW: KID ZONE The wraparound awning and fenced areas help break up the mass of an otherwise simple ICF box-form. Dynamic shadow patterns change throughout the day.
ADULT ZONE Beyond the action of the kid’s play area, the adult zone can be closed off for meetings and private study.
INTERIOR VIEW Administrative space is centrally located to allow a single staff person to see what’s happening in all four zones.
VIEW FROM PARKING AREA The dual clerestory towers and covered perimeter spaces are illuminated at night for extended use by residents.
PERFORMANCE QUALIFICATIONS The project achieved ALL relevant credits of the Enterprise Green Communities 2008 Checklist. Highlights include: Building siting to maximize controllable, non-glare daylight. Water-conserving, energy star appliances and fixtures (1.1 GPF toilets; 2.0 GPF kitchen faucets) A ground source heat pump system. In a very innovative design strategy, the building houses the pump units for the entire 60 unit development: the entire development is on a loop. PV array sized to power teaching kitchen Green roof Construction waste reduced by 25% 25% FSC wood used Water-permeable parking Stormwater BMPs 0 VOC finishes
BUILDING PERFORMANCE DATA Energy models were used to determine electric consumption of the building. The ASHRAE baseline design used 59.19 kWh a year. Our design used 45.26 kWh, or 23.5% less than the baseline.