ROWhomes on F

The 31,824-square-foot ROWhomes on F project in San Diego, Calif.– a Best in Class winner in the Housing category -- was designed as a prototypical urban residential project that addresses both "Smart Growth's" desire for higher density (42 homes/acre) and the homeowner's desire for comfort, energy efficiency, and a visually unique architecture.

Site cast Tilt-Up concrete was selected for a variety of reasons. First, since the 17 single-family homes were merely separated by only a 3-inch airspace, mitigating any form of water intrusion was paramount and concrete provides strong moisture defense. Second, concrete was chosen because of its sound attenuation properties – important in reducing street and adjacent unit noise in this urban setting. Finally, the high mass qualities of concrete offered significant improvements in the energy conservation performance of the homes.

Conceived and designed with conservation in mind -- from open space to energy – the dynamic and visually exciting urban architecture resulted from the adaptation of the "traditional" East Coast ROWhome to Southern California's temperate year-round climate. Constrained by an incredibly tight urban site with no staging area, the 175 panels, most of which were 37-feet tall and five-inches thick, were cast off-site.

Constructed in only 260 days, the project was designed for an urban housing niche, so the homes have an industrial/loft aesthetic. Features include exposed concrete interior walls, 14-feet tall bay windows (clear aluminum anodized finish), maple hardwood floors, sandblasted glass balustrades, stainless steel accents on cabinetry and stair risers, as well as electrical cover plates. The natural concrete was enhanced with the use of saturated colors – such as red, purple, olive, and ochre.

This is not the first award for this unique project. In 2001 it was selcted for the "Energy Efficiency" residential award from San Diego Gas & Electric in response to being 42 percent more efficient than Title-24 requirements. With all units sold by project completion, it was also selected for a 2002 East Village Association Neighborhood Planning Group award.