Co-op Canyon is a cooperative community of 1,000 people living together in terraced cliff dwellings overlooking lush urban canyon. Residents gain equity in the co-op through participation in construction, agricultural, maintenance, education and conservation programs central to the sustenance of the community.
The dwelling terraces are lined with front yard gardens hosting native plants that vary in color and texture as they ascend above the canyon floor; backyard gardens punctuate the ends of the terraces. Below, in the green canyon floor, residents exchange knowledge and resources under the shade of trees. Small live-work and commercial spaces, child care, play/fitness spaces, a community kitchen, and the co-op’s wellness center, are active with people while native birds and insects inhabit the canyon’s plantings. The canyon walls are relatively thin, allowing for ample natural illumination and air circulation within the dwellings. At the street level, these porous walls form the threshold between the community and the urban context, linking the terraced canyon floor to the streets of Dallas. Elevator circulation to the dwellings leads through ‘skip-stop’ lobbies, where the elevator skips every 3 floor, arriving in multi-story lobby and stairs lead to adjacent levels. Skip stop lobbies promote fitness and interaction; in Co-op Canyon they’re the front yard/driveway spaces where residents share greetings.
DETAILS
Competition Entry
Dallas, TX
380,000 sq ft
AWARDS
2009 Honorable Mention
TEAM
Jeffrey Allsbrook, Silvia Kuhle, Alexis Carver, Kazushige Shichishima, Brandon Bown, Alex Babich, Gregg Oelker
Structural Engineer | Thornton Tomasetti
MEP Engineering | Stantec (former IBE)
Sustainable | Stantec (former IBE)
©Standard®
