Urban Forest in East Austin

This project offers a proposal for how to approach the oncoming densification of East Austin, including urban forest and an economic strategy to help bridge the transition between commercial and residential sectors surrounding the site. This series of residencies looks to engage passive systems of cooling as well as the social implications of the porch as circulation. A variety of units house different sizes of families and accommodate spaces for communal gathering through a series of courtyard-esque spaces formed around pre-existing trees on the site and verandas. Green “pots” of trees create shared spaces between units and lessen any imposing nature of the building’s verticality over existing homes. The overall building is conscious of the area while creating a unique space to live and a nature-oriented space for locals to gather and socialize.