St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County

Location:

Eugene, Oregon

Density:

20 Units / Acre

Site Area:

3 Acres

Construction Cost:

$ 5.5 million

Cost / S.F.:

$ 88 / S.F.

Completed:

June 2005

Landscape:

Dougherty Landscape Architects, Inc.

Contractor:

Meili Construction Company

Santa Clara Place is a medium-density complex for families, seniors and individuals. It is located in a transition zone between a retail/office development and an established single-family neighborhood. One of the main goals for the project design was to make a graceful and natural transition between these two different uses, buffering the single-family homes from the commercial development while fitting in to the existing neighborhood. For compatibility, the design incorporates both two-story and three-story buildings with the lower buildings adjacent to the single-family homes and street edge and the three-story buildings "hidden" in the middle of the site.

Indoor and outdoor community spaces are located in the center of the complex, creating a community heart. The main outdoor space is designed both as play area for the many children who will live in the complex and as a emergency access that connects the two separate entrance drives. Composed of hard and soft textures with games cast in colored concrete, it provides an area of active play of all kinds.

The project qualifies as Eugene's first an Earth-Advantage multi-family complex incorporating resource and energy efficiency strategies such as solar hot water heating, increased insulation levels and energy efficient thermostats.