September 2008 Urban Land ULX Web extra

1. ulx r o n n y r e n
Living at the Water’s Edge
The earliest human settle- sea level, are preparing for climate England, have transformed the
Ten innovative residential ments were near bodies of water change by devising strategies for reputation of these sites by creat-
developments respond to for reasons of agriculture and amphibious houses that can float ing residential communities that
trade, but living along the water when waters rise. In the wake of showcase the city as a leader in
the unique challenges and has never been easy, subject as it Hurricane Katrina, a number of sustainable design strategies.
is to hurricanes and flooding in the architects have responded with Housing developments in
opportunities of waterfront worst of times and strong prevail- designs for manufactured cottages places as diverse as Izola, Slove-
environments. ing winds in the best. New com- that can be quickly assembled nia; Rotterdam, the Netherlands;
munities in south Walton County, to replace damaged homes, with and Essex, England, incorporate
Florida, and Galveston County, results such as the low-cost, dura- innovative design strategies
Texas, are responding by construct- ble Everhouse and the sustainable appropriate to their waterfront
ing homes built to disaster-resis- and expandable Katrina Cottage VIII. environments while providing
tant standards more stringent than In other cases, waterfront sites affordable housing that is often
local building codes, as certified by formerly given over to industrial or scarce along coasts and river-
the “Fortified . . . for Safer Living” maritime uses offer the potential banks. Living at the water’s edge
program created by the Institute for for views and other amenities that may have its complications, but
Business & Home Safety (IBHS), make them great candidates for it also can bring out the best in
an insurance industry–sponsored redevelopment, but often require human ingenuity.
nonprofit group in Tampa, Florida. extensive environmental media-
Architects in the Netherlands, tion. Waterfront developments Ron nyRen is a freelance architecture and urban
design writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
long accustomed to living below in Malmö, Sweden, and Kent,

2. 1. Alys Beach
SoUth WaLton CoUnty, FLoriDa
Taking hurricanes into account is essential when
developing the coastal areas of Florida. In creating the
158-acre (64-ha) beachfront community of Alys Beach,
six miles (9.6 km) east of Seaside, developer EBSCO
Industries of Birmingham, Alabama, is having all struc-
tures certified as disaster resistant by the IBHS. All
buildings will incorporate cinder block construction
reinforced with steel rebar, impact-resistant windows,
and masonry roofs. Master planned by Duany Plater-
Zyberk & Company of Miami, Florida, the development
responds to its coastal environment in other ways as
well; for example, homes and streets are oriented to
take advantage of cooling Gulf breezes, and exterior
lighting is designed to minimize light pollution. The
master plan preserves 20 acres (8 ha) of the site for
open space. The homes take inspiration from the
design vernacular of Bermuda and Antigua, with white-
washed masonry and stucco that reflect heat. About
Tommy Crow
30 residences have been built to date; the town will
have 600 homes by completion in 2025.

3. 2. Amphibious Homes
MaaSboMMeL, the netherLanDS
Two-thirds of the population of the Netherlands lives below sea level—
a risky proposition given the melting of the polar ice caps. Sixty miles
(96.6 km) east of Amsterdam, on the River Maas in the village of
Maasbommel, 46 amphibious two-story houses designed by Factor
Architects of Duiven, the Netherlands, are prepared for the more watery
future. Twelve float year-round; the rest float only when the river floods,
an event that occurs perhaps once in 12 years. The wooden houses
are attached to hollow concrete pontoons resting on concrete piles on
the riverbed. Although the river has not flooded since the homes were
completed in 2006, when it does, these pontoons will lift the houses,
guided vertically by steel mooring posts. Gas, water, sewage, and
FaCTor arChiTeCTs
electricity connections all thread through flexible pipes. As the waters
subside, the houses will sink to their original locations. The government
has given approval to the developer, Dura Vermeer of Zoetermeer, the
Netherlands, to build similar communities elsewhere in the country.

4. 3. Audubon Village
GaLveSton CoUnty, texaS
On the Bolivar Peninsula about 60 miles (96.6 km) southeast of Houston,
Beaumont, Texas–based developer Crown Team Texas is building Audubon Vil-
lage, also designed to be certified by the IBHS. The 600 modular residences—
ranging from studios to three-bedroom units—sit on concrete pilings and are
designed to withstand winds up to 130 miles (209 km) per hour, with highly
water-resistant roofs and strong connections holding roof, walls, and foundation
together. Designed by Leap Engineering of Beaumont, all homes will be built
more than 25 feet (7.6 m) above sea level, providing protection from flooding
as well as offering views of the coast. About 368 acres (142 ha) of the 380-acre
(154-ha) site have been set aside as a permanent nature reserve and wetlands
as a donation to the Houston Audubon Society. The community also includes a
swimming pool and market. Fourteen homes have been completed to date, out
Jim hayes
of a total of 130 total lots expected to be built over the next five years.

5. 4. BoØ1 City of Tomorrow
MaLMö, SWeDen
Left with a largely abandoned industrial harbor, the municipality of Malmö worked with
the Swedish government to redevelop the site into a showcase for sustainable living.
Located on the Öresund, the strait between Sweden and Denmark, more than 500
dwelling units opened in 2001 as part of Europe’s largest housing exhibition to date,
“BoØ1: City of Tomorrow,” accompanied by temporary exhibitions depicting visions of
urban living enhanced by technology and sustainable strategies. The rest of the 800-unit
mixed-use development was completed in 2003. Klas Tham of Stockholm-based Arken
Architects served as master planner for the 74-acre (30-ha) site, with housing, shops,
and restaurants built by an array of developers. Dozens of Swedish and international
architects contributed, including Gert Wingårdh of Göteborg, Sweden, whose Kajplats 01
consists of 23 apartments forming a modernist interplay of rectangular and square win-
dows within a sheer white facade. To block strong winds, the tallest buildings are placed
along the harbor. Plants used in the landscaping were selected for their ability to remove
Åke e:son Lindman
industrial pollutants and increase wildlife diversity. A short walk from Malmö’s city center,
BoØ1 bans cars from its streets. All energy for BoØ1 comes from local renewable sources,
including an underwater geothermal system for heating.

6. 5. Everhouse
PaSCaGoULa, MiSSiSSiPPi
are expected to be completed this year, with former
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina demonstrated just how
residents of FEMA trailers trained to build the houses.
difficult it is accommodate the thousands left homeless by
The goal is to build 1,500 a year.
natural disasters. In June, the federal government started
closing the trailer parks it had provided as
temporary housing, leaving many without
affordable housing options. Since Katrina
struck, however, architects began drawing
up plans for small cottages that could be
assembled quickly as replacement housing.
The Everhouse, by Mackenzie Architects of
Burlington, Vermont, is designed to be erected
at a cost of $68 per square foot ($731.94 per
sq m) in only two weeks. Walls are made of
concrete and reinforced with recycled steel
to resist hurricane-force winds. Made with a
minimum of wood, the houses are resistant
sTephen maCkenzie
to termites as well as mold in the event of
flooding. A model was constructed this year
in Pascagoula, Mississippi, by Boston-based
Environmental Building Systems, and 20 more

7. 6. Katrina Cottage VIII
varioUS LoCationS
One challenge inherent in using small cottages as temporary
emergency housing is that they can be quickly outgrown.
Architect Stephen Mouzon of New Urban Guild in Miami
Beach, Florida, has devised a cottage that can easily expand
over time as families grow. The 523-square-foot (49-sq-m)
Katrina Cottage VIII has four “grow zones” from which the
house can expand in either of two directions by converting
a window into a door. The interiors incorporate a number of
space-saving strategies, including pocket doors and exten-
sive built-in shelving carved out of the walls. In addition,
the cottage incorporates a number of sustainable strategies,
including a highly reflective metal roof, windows designed for
maximal cross-ventilation and daylighting, ceiling fans, spon-
taneous hot water heating, and recycled steel framing. Thick
linen curtains built into canopy beds afford privacy and allow
residents to stay warm at night while keeping the thermostat
sTeve mouzon
turned down low. Housing International of Sausalito, Califor-
nia, manufactured the first prototype, which was assembled
in Montgomery County, Maryland, in 2006.

8. 7. Lotus Way Housing
JayWiCk SanDS, eSSex, UniteD kinGDoM
Jaywick Sands started out as a seaside resort community
in the 1920s. After a devastating flood in 1953, the area
Jason orTon
went into decline; most of the inhabitants now are per-
manent residents with low incomes. Guinness Trust, a
philanthropic association that provides affordable hous-
ing, worked with the local government district and the
community to create 40 two- and three-bedroom homes
and a badly needed new road, Lotus Way. Designed by
London-based Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects, the
one- and two-story buildings, clad in red cedar, incor-
porate prefabricated walls, floors, and roofs. Roofs are
sharply sloped to channel the north wind over the street
to make walking more comfortable in cold weather. Com-
pleted in 2003, the homes are highly insulated and fur-
ther buffered from winter winds by a newly planted belt
of trees. Large windows help the south- and west-facing
bedrooms and living rooms capture heat from sunlight. A
created wetlands handles stormwater runoff.
Jason orTon

9. 8. Residential Area, Nieuw Terbregge
rotterDaM, the netherLanDS
Intended as an experiment in low-energy housing, the
155 dwellings designed by Delft-based Mecanoo are
part of the inner-city Nieuw Terbregge development con-
sisting of 860 new dwellings built in groups designed
by different architecture firms. Mecanoo’s housing—107
three-story homes on four islands and 48 waterfront
houses—aims to conjure a holiday feel appropriate
to its location on the River Rotte. Parking for the 107
homes is placed beneath wooden access decks, which
provide communal outdoor space in which children can
play, protected from automobile traffic, while allowing
sunlight to penetrate through gaps. Completed in 2001
for Rotterdam-based developer Proper-Stok, the hous-
ing is priced to be affordable to a variety of income
levels. Energy-saving strategies include gas-fired com-
bined heat and power plants, groundwater heat pumps,
and solar collectors for hot water heating. Aquatic
plants filter pollutants out of the river as it enters the
site, and all homes have gardens and terraces.
CaBe

10. 9. St. Mary’s Island Fishing Village
ChathaM, kent, UniteD kinGDoM
The site of the Royal Navy’s shipbuilding facilities for 400
years, 140 acres (56.6 ha) on the north side of St. Mary’s
Island overlooking the River Medway have been cleaned up
and converted into a business and residential community
through a public/private joint venture of the South East Eng-
land Development Agency of Guildford and Countryside Prop-
erties PLC of Essex. One of several housing developments, the
Fishing Village designed by PCKO Architects of London and
completed in 2003 presents a modern interpretation of tradi-
tional seaside villages with a strong emphasis on sustainable
design. Comprising 151 dwellings in seven apartment blocks
and 50 three- and four-bedroom houses, the development
relies on prefabricated timber frame construction using wood
from sustainable forests. The housing is oriented to maximize
passive solar gain and minimize the impact of prevailing winds.
peTer ChLapowski
Other sustainable strategies include solar panels, underground
storage tanks for the harvesting of rainwater, and dual-flush
toilets. An extensive network of walking and bicycle paths
gives precedence to pedestrians.

11. 10. Social Housing on the Coast
izoLa, SLovenia
The Slovenia Housing Fund, a government-run pro-
gram that provides low-cost apartments for young
families, sponsored a competition to design two
30-unit blocks—each measuring only 24,692 square
feet (2,294 sq m)—on a hill overlooking the bay in
Izola, an ancient fishing town on the coast of the
Adriatic Sea. Economic and functional criteria drove
the selection, but the winning entry, by Ofis Arhitekti
of Ljubljana, Slovenia, not only maximizes sale-
able surface area but also adds a colorful, rhythmic
composition to the landscape. Completed in 2006,
the units range from studios to three-bedroom apart-
ments. With space at a premium, the designers kept
all structural elements outside the apartments, and
enlarged each one with its own veranda. Angled
textile shades of varying colors are placed above
and below each balcony; made of semitransparent
Tomaž GreGoriC
fabric, they permit views of the bay even when low-
ered. Perforations in the balconies’ side partitions
let in cooling breezes. UL