ARCH 201 Fall 2009 Fraker

Sustainable Neighborhood Studio

This studio explored how to integrate both the measurable and the poetics of sustainable design at the scale of a mixed-use, transit-oriented, neighborhood – a "transit village" in San Jose, California. A goal of the studio was to test if a neighborhood design can achieve zero carbon emissions or better in the operation of the energy, water and waste systems, while significantly reducing the carbon footprint for transportation and food. This required an examination of how to provide all the energy on site from conservation and renewables, how to recycle all the water and waste, how to create a pedestrian, bicycle and transit friendly environment with the opportunity to grow and/or acquire local food.