NESEA Design CompititionNew Residential at Carlos Vega ParkLesley Miller, Zach Spadaccini, Josh Tuller

Overview Carlos Vega Park is located in the heart of South Holyoke, a few blocks away from the Connecticut River to the south. On either side of the park are va-cant properties that provide an opportunity to revital-ize this area of the city. The objective was to design a vibrant mixed-income residential community with the park as its anchor. In this design one side of the park, the northwest, will be townhouses, blending in with the residences that already exist on that side of the street. The larger site to the southeast contains six buildings housing eight apartments, each of which provide ample residences while not detracting from the basic architectural integrity of the surrounding area. In addition to being relatable to the surround-ing buildings the new designs also achieve net-zero energy. This was done by super insulating the walls and placing solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs that will power each building.

Net-Zero Energy Net-zero energy refers to a building that produces as much energy as it consumes with zero carbon emissions annually. We achieved this by super insulating the proposed buildings and using a renewable resource in place of fossil fuels. The exterior walls are designed to the typical German Passive House standard of a thermal resistance value of more than 40. These are super-insulated to reduce the conduction of heat through the wall. This uses conventional construction methods in addition to extra layers of insulation. The super-insulated walls reduce the need for excess heating or cooling throughout the year, thus saving energy and money. The mechanical systems within the buildings are powered with electricity that is generated on site using the renewable energy of the sun. These systems include an air source heat pump, energy recovery ventilator, and in-direct hot water heater. Each apartment building has a 15kW array and there is a 5kW array for each townhouse. We have calculated the amount of energy produced annually with the peak sun hours typical of Holyoke. With these numbers there will be enough energy produced by the solar arrays to offset the energy consumption of the buildings. These homes support sustainable living therefore we propose to modify the zoning code so that one parking space, rather than two, is required for each unit. With a decrease in the amount of vehicles in the community there would ideally be a decrease in the carbon emissions surrounding the park and an increase in public transportation. Currently there are bus stops along Main Street and Cabot Street, only a block away from any corner of the park. The closest stop is at the intersection of Hamilton and Main.

Site Organization The townhouses are located on the northwest side of the park facing southeast to take advantage of the incoming solar radiation into the main living space. The front yards also take advantage of this as well as create a connection between the townhouses, the park, and the community. Deciduous trees planted in these front yards would provide shade in the sum-mer while letting natural light into the townhouses during the winter. The apartment buildings on the southeast side of the park create multiple housing units and take advantage of the open space of the park to provide for ambient sunlight. The alleyways behind the buildings provide parking and main ac-cess for the apartments to maintain the connection to the community. Having parking in the alley be-hind the apartments would provide the opportunity to expand the park towards the apartments with the removal of South East Street. This will enlarge the park and help to better connect the community as a whole.

Townhouses On the lot adjacent to Clemente Street we propose to build a row of nine townhouses. These townhouses will be two stories high and topped with a 5kw solar array per unit. The first level is equipped with full kitchen, dining space, living room, small bathroom and storage. The second level offers a full bathroom and two bedrooms. The townhouses take advantage of the natural light from the sun with south facing windows. The open floor plan of the first floor allows this natural light to travel through the home. On the front side of the townhouses there are small porches and front yards to aid in creating a sense of community.

Apartments The lot next to South East Street is the proposed site of six apartment buildings, each con-taining eight separate units. The separate buildings create space for multiple housing units while steering away from a long unending building. This helps incorporate them into the neighbor-hood by relating them to the surrounding residential buildings. The separation of the buildings brings more natural light into each apartment with windows on two sides of the exterior walls rather than one. Within each unit there are eight apartments, six with two bedrooms and two with one bedroom.

The ParkCarlos Vega Park is the anchor of this new residential com-munity. It lies in between Clemente Street and South East Street. With the addition of residences on both sides there would be an opportunity for the park to become more of a landmark within the city. As it stands now it is very under-developed and does not reach its full potential. We propose that this lower section of South East Street be replaced with an extension of the park that would reach the front of the proposed apartment buildings. This would allow the com-munity to become more connected and encourage the resi-dents to take part in revitalizing the park. This would also re-direct traffic to provide for less vehicular circulation around the park and to create a safer environment for children.