research writing assignment Emily Fox
One of the districts of Eugene that I have always found particularly interesting is the Market District. From 5th Street Market up to Skinner Butte, the area is extremely comfortable to walk around, gather, and socialize. There is an abundance of restaurants, retailers, neighborhoods, and other types of housing. The Market District houses the Watershed apartments, a building that offers sustainable and beautiful living options. The price is extremely high (a 1 bedroom 2 bath unit is $2,940 per month), which excludes an entire economic class, however, the concept of the space as well as the strong emphasis on sustainability is hopefully a direction in which architecture is going. The issue at hand is that sustainability is a privilege when it should be a right. High prices of design experts, renewable energy sources, and materiality make it difficult to implement many sustainable practices into lower-income housing (although not all are impossible). Although the PNW boasts a reputation for sustainable practices and environmental wellbeing, I believe that these ideas can and should be integrated into the architecture significantly more than they are at the current time. While the prices of renewable resources are another topic of discussion, the incorporation of lower-cost sustainable practices is extremely interesting to me.
Lucia townhomes, a sustainable housing project by NOWHAUS in the Friendly Area Neighborhood, has sustainability integrated with the design, but at a much lower price point (a 3 bedroom 3 bath unit is $2,195 per month). The project consists of 12 townhomes in a total of three buildings. Each townhome has a connection to the shared community garden and plaza. The design values community, accessibility, durability, quality, and sustainability and could be an interesting place to study.
Things to consider:
-walkability (safety, proximity)
-accessibility (disability, universal design)
-gathering spaces
-impact on the community
-impact on local business
-demographics
Watershed Townhomes (Market District
Lucia Townhomes (Friendly Area Neighborhood)