The Essence of Community is a low rise, high density housing complex. The site is located very close to the University of Pittsburgh’s central campus. Target residents for the complex include University of Pittsburgh alumni, staff, students, and also refugees looking to get a fresh start in the City of Pittsburgh. The project is an architectural solution to allow these three target residents to live together in harmony. Our project includes 19 residential units with those units being split into clusters raised off the public courtyard to allow residents a perfect balance of community and privacy.

In order to achieve the design , we made very intentional moves that not only allowed the building to function more passively, but also each of these sustainable decision was made to increase the quality of life in the site’s community. It is a project which truly envisions the essence of community. It’s a place designed for community whilst still achieving household privacy.