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| <back | home Good Things Come in Small Packages by Tom DiSanto The architects of M:OME, Laura Joines-Novotny and Tom Di Santo, have just completed construction on what is possibly the smallest “eco-literate” mixed-use project in the City of San Luis Obispo, uptown on the corner of Pepper and Marsh Streets. Their goal? To create a paradigm shift toward higher density, in-fill development bringing offices, retail, and housing into closer proximity with each other. Their method? To work with owner William Henry Crew III to convert an asphalt-paved backyard parking lot into additional housing and office space with permeable paving for the new parking lot. Larry Scarpa of the Santa Monica-based architecture firm Pugh + Scarpa (specializing in modern, affordable and sustainable housing), indicated in his lecture here this month that the two things people detest most are “sprawl” and “density”. Implicit in the message, all humor aside, is the simple fact that people around here generally enjoy open space and agricultural lands around them. They like the fact that their city has a border defined by hills and oceans and range lands and other natural borders. By contrast, in most metropolitan areas in the state, the only way we know we have crossed into a new city is by way of a sign telling us. There are many advantages to higher density and “Smart Growth”. Housing people closer to work, retail and services means more of them are walking and biking around town, reducing green house gases that cause “global warming.” In-fill development lends a sense of community because the residents are naturally forced to interact. And, perhaps, one of the most important benefits is the mitigation of peripheral sprawl and the conversion of open space and ag lands into suburban growth, which forces residents to drive farther and farther to work and services. Of course, M:OME is not only trying to help the environment via planning. “It’s a quiet revolution” states Joines-Novotny of the newest M:OME building. “Most commercial buildings don’t look like this in San Luis Obispo.” This building aims for self-sufficiency and sustainability. The goal is for the occupants to passively heat and light their spaces with the sun, passively cool with the winds and tall ceilings, while actively powering the building via photovoltaics on the roof. Designed and built in an environmentally sensitive way, the project transforms this site into a tranquil urban showcase. Some of the most ecological features are also the most striking architectural ones.? ?In a dramatic gesture, an inverted gable metal roof funnels water onto a projecting scupper. The water then runs down a chain into a concrete storage area, in which water-loving horsetail is planted. Every ounce of water that falls on the new development, whether onto the roof or parking lot, permeates back into the water table. Di Santo points out the various other features of the roof: “The inverted gable fills the building with natural light; creates high ceilings, allows for the passive heating, opens the interior up to the many beautiful ridgelines and hills, including Cerro San Luis and Bishop’s Peak, views that the standard hip roof cuts off and, finally, the inverted gable keeps the photovoltaics totally hidden from view.” In addition, the M:OME roof also allows the sunlight to bounce into the interior. The soffit and fascias are galvanized metal, thus adding to the reflective qualities. South windows bring low winter sunlight deep into the building for both heating and lighting. Retractable French doors open up the entire south wall upstairs to the deck, extending the livability of the studio and opening up to dramatic views. The deck, located on the south side of the building where the sun heats the slate floors, is comfortable even on a winter day. The use of slate as an interior and exterior material has a dual purpose: to absorb and reradiate the heat of the sun, and to extend the perceptual size of the small studio space with a blurred distinction between inside and out. During the summer, the same expansive roof overhangs block the sun from overheating the interior. The Pepper Street mixed-use development occupies a site with a historic 1910 building that was originally a home and was converted to offices long ago. The new commercial space with housing above adds to the historic building, creating the sense of a “carriage house.” The new building is sited to take advantage of the sun and to create an “urban refuge” by transforming the asphalt parking lot into a courtyard-type environment with permeable cobblestone paving. Plants and street trees are drought-tolerant native species. Contractor Don Chaffin did his part to help the environment as well by organizing ‘free’ piles at the street curb, which minimized construction waste. Much of the construction wood was used for firewood, metal was recycled, and brick from demolition on site was reused for garden walls on other projects. According to LEED-certified architect Angie Brooks, debris from construction and demolition of buildings make up 35% of U.S. landfills. For more information, access their website at www.mome.org. <back | top^ |