What's New with Rapido?

Learn more about Rapido.

Check out the slides below and learn more about what's new with Rapido!

6 years have passed since Hurricane Dolly hit the Texas Gulf Coast, making landfall and causing $1.35 Billion USD in damage. As one of the poorest areas in the United States, the Rio Grande Valley was already a risk population economically and environmentally. The insecurity increased as an under prepared disaster recovery management system left many families still struggling to this day. The Lower Rio Grande Rapid Housing Recovery Pilot Program (RAPIDO) proposes a local approach when responding to a natural disaster. The structure of the plan will be replicable across regions, while components of the plan will allow for local adaptation and implementation as needed. The overarching program design principle is predicated on local residents, organizations, professional firms, builders and municipal leaders, working with some guidance from outside experts to design and implement a Statewide plan proposal. RAPIDO’s program goals are two-fold: (1) Have a system up and ready to conduct outreach and intake within 20 to 30 days of a disaster and (2) Have a family back in their home on their property within 120 days of client application.

RAPIDO rethinks the actual reconstruction model to increase the availability of affordable housing and improve the quality of housing built after a disaster. The design process examines not only architectural issues but every level of the process, specifically the social, economic and political contexts that make up a disaster scenario. RAPIDO is understanding, and re-designing the entire process in order to integrate the relief and recovery phases allowing a rapid response. RAPIDO’s construction strategy is phased in two parts. In phase one families will receive a standardized “CORE” home that contains essential living facilities, Families will reside in their core until resources and time allow for expansion, at which point (second phase) homes will be added on to accommodate long-term family needs and desires.  The pilot program will build 20 prototype units for residents of Willacy, Cameron and Hidalgo County affected by Hurricane Dolly (2008).

Design Gallery

Read more about the Disaster Recovery Round 2 work in Houston.

16 Preliminary home design boards were displayed for community review and feedback on Thursday, February 27th. The designs presented were a result of the collaborative design process between the project team, local design architects, community participants, residents and DR2 applicants from the CRA and Outreach Neighborhoods; Acres Homes, Independence Heights, Near Northside, Fifth Ward, OST/ South Union, and Sunnyside. To view the designs, and learn more about the project, visit: dr2homedesign.org

Check out photos from the event on our Facebook page!

DR2 Housing Design Focus Group

See more posts about Disaster Recovery Round 2 here!

On February 13th, the design team welcomed neighborhood residents, community leaders, and local design architects to the Community Focus Group held in the Community Room and the Jayne Junkin’s Memorial Room at the Texas Organizing Project office in Houston. The focus groups reviewed preliminary schematic home designs. Participants spoke one-on-one with the local architects on each of over 30 designs that were presented to address comments, questions and concerns. Participant input informed the development of schematic home designs presented in the Gallery Show on February 27, 2014. 

More information about this program can also be found at the Disaster Recovery Round 2 project website. You can now download our DR2 Design Guidebook to find out more about the six neighborhoods involved in this process.

DR2 Community Design Workshop

Read more about the Disaster Recovery Round 2 work in Houston.

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On February 1st, the project team welcomed neighborhood residents, community leaders, local design architects, and city staff to Houston Housing Authority’s Neighborhood Resource Center, where they worked together to advance the housing interests of the six target communities. Over 50 participants were in attendance.

The Community Design Workshop used activities to document contextual and programmatic design preferences for Community Revitalization Areas (CRA) & Outreach Areas, and will inform schematic home designs, including floor plans and elevations. Participants at the Community Design Workshop were divided into six groups, based on CRA & Outreach Area neighborhoods (Acre Homes, Independence Heights, Near Northside, Fifth Ward, OST/South Union, and Sunnyside). Each participant was encouraged to share and debate ideas with the assumption that all ideas were welcomed.

Context - Participants identified neighborhood priorities in the following design categories - building performance, foundation, driveway, roof, porch, texture, doors, windows, and window details. Using a blackjack style card game, complete with a “wild card” option, participants drew their preferred building component and debated each option with their group.

Home Design - Participants diagramed their existing home and site layout, then designed their model home to accommodate their family’s needs, indicating programmatic adjacencies and areas of most importance within the home.

Conclusions - Each CRA & Outreach Area shared highlights from their group sessions which included three things about their neighborhood’s context and three things about their home designs to the entire Community Design Workshop group.

More information about this program can also be found at the Disaster Recovery Round 2 project website. You can now download our DR2 Design Guidebook to find out more about the six neighborhoods involved in this process.

Future events will include a follow up focus group, hosted by the project team and local design architects; and a home design Gallery Show on February 27th to present design ideas generated during the February 1st Community Design Workshop for selection.

Disaster Recovery in Houston

Read more about Disaster Recovery Round 2 in Houston.

Now in it's 6th year, bcWORKSHOP is expanding again, this time to Houston, Texas. We are still getting our feet wet down here, but we’ve already started to connect with some great organizations and people. Not only are we looking forward to meeting more, we are even more eager to be a part of a community dedicated to bringing great possibilities in this city to fruition. Our first project is a program called Disaster Recovery Round Two (DR2). With the City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department and Texas General Land Office, we are planning to play a key role in rebuilding up to 400 homes in neighborhoods damaged or destroyed during Hurricane Ike in the Fall of 2008. And because this project is our first in Houston, we see this as an opportunity to engage a wide variety of Houstonians on how to approach redevelopment with sensitivity to the local context and existing community.

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Along with our project partners, Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, unabridged Architects and University of Houston Community Design Resource Center,  we are tapping into the expertise of the local architecture community and the residents from six affected neighborhoods: Independence Heights, Acres Homes, Near Northside, Greater Fifth Ward, Old Spanish Trail/South Union and Sunnyside. During a working charrette, which will be held on February 1st, neighborhood leaders, potential residents, the local design architects and the project partners will discover what types of homes people want to see in their communities. The six different groups will share project information, programmatic preferences and contextual design preferences through a series of conversations and design exercises. The information gathered at this event will be highly important for the local design architects to generate preliminary schematic home designs, which will be exhibited in Gallery Show at the end of February. A celebration rather than another working session, the Gallery Show is where the communities can view the different designs, ask questions, debate and vote on their favorites. The designs with the most votes will be made available for selection by residents who are qualified through the DR2 program for construction. Construction is planned to begin in the Summer of 2014.

By bringing a diversity of community residents, design professionals and stakeholders together in the design process, we see a chance to produce a wider variety of well considered and energy efficient home designs than typically available in disaster recovery efforts. Utilizing a process where design professionals and clients can share their respective expertise will result in attractive, well functioning and livable homes. We are excited to begin this opportunity to help create homes that engender pride in not just the homeowner, but also in the whole community.

For those interested in this project, and living in the Houston area, please join us at our Gallery Show, scheduled for February 27th! Drop us a line by email at inform@bcworkshop.org, find us on twitter or like our facebook page to hear more details as they come. We would love to meet you and hear what potential you see in this city. We are glad to join in on dreaming about what else Houston can be!

Belden Trail Up & Rolling

Read more about our work in the RGV.

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A new pedestrian and biking trail was recently completed in Brownsville, TX that connects the historic neighborhoods of West Brownsville, Rio Viejo, and Downtown.  The Belden Trail, once an abandoned rail line, is now part of the City’s growing network of walking and biking infrastructure. Named after one of the City's founders, Belden Street was converted to an extension of the West Rail Line, then abandoned to backyard alleys, and has now been reclaimed as 5,170 linear feet of accessible park. It is book-ended by Sunrise Rotary Park and Riverside Park and connects to three different schools. The neighborhoods that have direct access to the trail are diverse, but primarily low-income, with many families and elderly that rely on alternative forms of transportation.

Since the first patch of concrete was placed, the community began to provide the life and vibrancy to the trail that will ensure its success.  Any evening in West Brownsville one will find families out together on this stretch of land, now lit and cared for, that they were afraid to walk through just six months ago.  Both programmed and informal events continue to take place along the trail, including two bikes for tikes rides, social walks and rides, and art projects.

The project team consisted of: Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) - client bcWORKSHOP- community outreach and design Community Development Corporation of Brownsville (CDCB) - construction

The land is owned by the City of Brownsville, and funded and developed by BCIC and a grant from the Texas Parks & Wildlife. Other City departments contributed to the design and approval and investment process, including but not limited to a sidewalk accessibility improvement project around the trail and public transit routes in the neighborhood (BMetro) and increased street lighting (PUB).

bcWORKSHOP was involved for the past year in pre-design community engagement, design, and construction management, and participatory activities throughout the process. Even while under construction, and in full swing now, the community itself has initiated a number of events and engaged activities along the trail.  bcWORKSHOP continues to participate, as a part of the neighborhood, in community-driven activities along the trail.

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Throughout initial community engagement, the top priorities were consistently safety and shade.  The design provides complete protection from vehicular traffic, increased crossing safety at each of the 16 street crossings through traffic calming measures and additional signage, and additional lighting throughout.  Designed as an urban one-mile linear park, it has ancillary paths and rest areas that provide shade, seating, trash, and bike parking.  All landscape was selected for its beauty, shading, low-maintenance and drought resistance qualities, and for its history and ruggedness in the unique South Texas ecosystem.

Like Friends of the Belden Trail on Facebook!

Read more about the Belden Trail:

Master plan lays out vision for connected Brownsville - Brownsville Herald

Brownsville Celebrates Opening of Belden Trail - Brownsville Herald

Belden Trail off and running - Brownsville Herald

Belden Trail takes Strides - Brownsville Herald

The Long Road to the Belden Trail - United Brownsville

Brownsville Receives Rail-Trail Grant from Texas Parks & Wildlife - Bike Texas

New sAh Underway

Read about other sustainABLEhouse projects.

Construction drawings have been completed for the first client-driven sustainABLEhouse in Dallas. The client, an 81 year old resident of the Frazier and Bertrand neighborhoods, was brought to the bcWORKSHOP through a partnership with Frazier Revitalization Inc.  FRI enlisted bcW to provide the engagement + design services for the new 750 sf home and its wooded site just blocks from the client's existing home of 29 years.

Engagement + design occurred onsite and at the client's current home over a three week period in July 2013. The client responded very well to the design process, eagerly filling out the initial homework assignment following the first meeting, to help bcW understand his family structure, how he uses his current home, and any specific needs that the forthcoming design could help address.  In subsequent design meetings, the client was whole-heartedly engaged and his growing excitement was clear. Throughout the process, the client was very attentive to considerations such as durability, maintenance, functionality, and budget.  After participating in the design process, the resulting home design will be one that is most suited for the client's personal and family needs.

Over the course of the month, a design was developed that reflects the client's family-focused life and love for his wooded site. The home will sit gently on the site behind an enormous pecan tree and among a mixture of a dozen established bois d'arc and hackberry trees.  A small open porch at the front of the home will greet the street, originally designed at the client's request to host his frequent domino matches. Since design has begun, however, this porch has shifted to become the "card porch" as client's gaming taste has changed (according to the doctor, playing dominoes gives him high blood pressure). The "L" shaped home will wrap around a fenced backyard where the client's grandchildren will be able to safely play away from the street, while additional family members gather in the wide open living, dining, and kitchen space.

Bidding for the construction of the home will now ensue and construction will follow. The goal is to have the client in his new home by the end of the year.

Visibly Making an Impact

Learn more about sustainABLEhouse in the RGV.

Still in its first year, sustainABLEhouse LRGV, in partnership with Community Development Corporation of Brownsville (CDCB), has worked with 23 families (totalling 64 people) from 17 different neighborhoods throughout Cameron County. Each family is an integral part of the design process, helping to guide design decisions beginning with the layout of their house and ending with the selection of colors and finishes.

Seven homes are currently under construction, ranging from foundation preparation to final energy efficiency inspection. Two more homes are scheduled to begin construction by the end of July with a steady stream of construction start dates to follow. bcWORKSHOP staff in both the Dallas and Brownsville offices have been working on this effort. We share the responsibilities of design, design reviews, construction drawings, and refinement of program goals and practices. Client meetings and construction administration are carried out by the Brownsville office.

Our design process is initiated by the clients. They elect to work with us by agreeing to complete a brief homework assignment before we sit down to focus on design. The homework is a booklet of questions asking the client such things as general family information, how they use space inside and outside their home, and specific needs that the design can help address. The design process varies depending on if the client chooses a catalog home design or the custom design process.

After our design process and after bcWORKSHOP has completed the construction drawings, we meet with the client and the contractor to discuss the goals of the design, the construction drawings, and the construction process. Once construction begins, bcWORKSHOP regularly visits each home with CDCB’s construction manager. Together we look over the work with the contractor and address any issues. In addition to checking progress, construction visits are an opportunity to document and share how a house comes together. Photos from these construction visits serve as a communication tool for our clients on how their home is constructed and as a teaching and learning tool within bcWORKSHOP.

The immediate goals for sustainABLEhouse LRGV are to continue expanding and evolving our home design catalog, assist CDCB in their outreach strategies, and help more families throughout the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Rapido 2.0

Learn more about Rapido.

On June 6th 2013, bcWORKSHOP submitted a response to the LRGVDC Rapid Housing Recovery Pilot Program (RHRPP) RFP as part of a team including the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville (CDCB) and Austin Community Design and Development Center (ACDDC).  Building off of previous research, community engagement activities, design work, and a prototype home completed in 2012, the team - comprised of both local stakeholders and national experts - will complete the following:

  1. Design of a locally informed and driven Rapid Housing Recovery Pilot Program to be used throughout the State of Texas as described in HB2450.
  2. Demonstrate and test the feasibility of implementing a plan for the large-scale production of replacement housing for survivors of federally declared natural disasters through the construction of twenty prototype homes in Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy counties.
  3. Provide analysis based on RHRPP system monitoring that indicates program successes, challenges, and recommendations for improvements that will inform the GLO’s disaster housing delivery plan statewide.

If selected, the team is expected to receive a contract at the end of June and will immediately begin process and policy design work.  It is anticipated that the construction of all twenty prototype homes and program reporting will be completed by November of 2014.

La Hacienda - Final Phase

Read more about La Hacienda.

The last set of homes will wrap up at LaHacienda Casitas next month, July 2013. Contractors are working hard to keep up the pace as a waiting list for homes has already started filling up!

Alongside the residential construction, site work is underway. The Community Development Corporation Brownsville (CDCB) YouthBuild team is in full swing and landscape contractors are installing native plants, trees, and grasses as well as hardscape elements like sidewalks, pathways, and bridges.

Homes on Bailey Blvd getting their final touches with landscaping and utility connections.

Homes have been sited throughout the development to create courtyards defined by porch spaces.

Park spaces have been shaped and are ready for landscape and pathways. An important part of this project was its ability to manage storm water in a way that is both positive for the environment and creates an asset to the people that live here.  Swales have been shaped engage public spaces and planted with native grasses and wildflowers species to encourage water filtration and absorption.

In the community playground, the Youthbuild team has laid out the body of the dragon snake and is working on its head, slides, and crawl spaces. Here, Eddie Salazar, CDCB’s construction manager oversees some of the site construction.

Stay tuned for details on the grand opening celebration once construction is complete!

Trinity Eco Classroom

In early March 2013,  GroundWork Dallas partnered with bcWORKSHOP to develop a design for their new Eco-Classroom.  Groundwork Dallas is the local affiliate of the Groundwork USA network.  Their mission is to “enable people to realize the merits of the Great Trinity Forest, its surrounding resources, and its impact on our future. And, to encourage the community to use, preserve, and enhance these natural resources.”

They achieve their mission through:

  • the construction of trail systems, parks, and gardens,
  • transforming vacant lots into community spaces and gardens,
  • educating children, adults and communities,
  • and by working to revitalize one of Dallas’s greatest assets, the Trinity River.

The Eco-Classroom site is positioned at the confluence of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River and Bachman Creek, which make up the last natural channel of the river before reaching the main levee system. Currently, the area is choked with trash.  The designed pavilion will sit tucked into the bend of the river and will act as a launching point for GroundWork teams to clean up the area.

The design allows for large groups to arrive on site, hike through the area, and use the pavilion as a base to learn about the natural ecology and the challenges it faces. From there they can head out on foot or canoe to spend the day exploring this amazing Dallas feature.

bcW worked with the Groundworks staff and Green Team to develop parameters which would guide the design.  Other design inspiration came from the shape of the river, the feeling of sitting under a tree at the river bank and the Great Blue Heron, which calls this part of the river home.

The design is currently in the schematic phase as GroundWork raises funds for the project.  Check back for more updates soon!

Belden Trail Groundbreaking

Learn more about our work in the RGV.

March 21st, 2013 marked the groundbreaking ceremony for Belden Trail in Brownsville, TX. The ceremony was held at the intersection of West 8th and Fronton Street behind Skinner Elementary School. About 100 people were in attendance, including Brownsville Mayor Martinez, Commissioner Virrareal, Skinner Elementary Principal Moore, Assistant Superintendent Haynes, Community Development Corporation Brownsville Executive Director Nick Mitchell-Bennett, and Commissioner Rose Gowen who spoke on the importance of the Trail. See local coverage of the event from the Brownsville Herald and United Brownsville!

The groundbreaking was a celebration of every contribution by community residents, stakeholders, and project partners toward the development, planning, and design of this project. The process was a community wide effort of collaboration between adjacent residents and institutions as well as project partners and the City of Brownsville.

The trail design includes a pedestrian and bike pathway connecting Skinner Elementary School to Praxedis Orive Jr. Park on Palm Boulevard. The 10 foot-wide pathway also runs alongside Sams Memorial Stadium. The trail design includes:

  • local plants and shade trees including tall grasses and wildflowers, live oak trees, red yucca, sacahuista, and mealy blue sage
  • bike racks, play areas, and local art at Rotary Park, Skinner Elementary School, and the Elizabeth Street intersection.
  • safe street crossings with the addition of street chokers to slow traffic, signage, and crosswalks.

The addition of this public space in Brownsville will encourage healthy lifestyles, diversify transportation options and increase access to natural resources. The trail will serve as an example for continued development of a city-wide trail system increasing city residents' access to cultural, recreational, and natural amenities.

The trail will be under construction for the next two months. You can read more about the background of Belden Trial here. Be sure to like The Friends of Belden Trail on Facebook for updates!

Affordable Housing Choices

Learn more about sustainABLEhouse and our work in the RGV.

Working in partnership with the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville (CDCB), bcWORKSHOP is able to implement the sustainABLEhouse process at scale in Cameron County, Texas. CDCB is the largest non-profit producers of single-family affordable housing for homeownership in the State of Texas. Their Colonia Redevelopment program replaces homes in colonias that are substandard due to poor construction and/or natural disasters. The CDCB/ bcWORKSHOP partnership was formed to provide greater choice to clients in need of new housing while offering more environmentally friendly practices and enhancing the design of local affordable housing. Each client is an integral part of the design process helping guide design decisions ranging from basic layout to landscape and finishes. Families participating in this program now have the choice to select from a new home design catalogue or collaborate on custom, site-specific designs meeting their needs.

The design catalogue is an ever evolving set of designs influenced by previous client engagement. bcWORKSHOP provides family engagement,  designs and construction administration services while CDCB provides client enrollment, financial, and construction management services. The home design catalogue is reviewed and updated as development continues, increasing the choices for sustainable and affordable housing typologies available in the area. The partnership is well on track to reach its goal to construct more than forty homes during 2013 through the sustainABLEhouse model.

Anticipated outcomes:

  • Homeowners are empowered by the design process, investing more in their homes, and strengthening neighborhoods.
  • Design and construction quality of affordable homes in the LRGV region will rise, and knowledge of sustainable practices will increase among local contractors.
  • Homes tailored to each family will have higher functionality, resulting in lower long-term utility costs and environmental impact.
  • A design catalogue is developed to supplement limited, outdated options for homebuilders. This catalogue will offer designs sensitive to both local context and culture, as a direct result of collaboration with colonia residents and families.
  • Diversity of homes will maintain the existing vibrant communities, and strengthen colonia identity.
  • Capacity of both CDCB and bcWORKSHOP will increase. CDCB’s programs will offer more design choice to its clients, and bcWORKSHOP will gain experience to scale the sustainABLEhouse initiative in the North Texas region.

3313 Beall Complete

Learn more about sustainABLEhouse.

The completed house at 3313 Beall Street.
The completed house at 3313 Beall Street.

The construction of the first sustainABLEhouse in Dallas is complete!  The home is located at 3313 Beall Street, in the heart of the Dolphin Heights neighborhood.  After a three and a half month build, the house is now for sale.  Contact Helen Gonzales Crawford of Better Lifestyles Real Estate at (214)324-2497 if you are interested in purchasing the house.

Construction began at the end of October 2012.
Construction began at the end of October 2012.
Residents choose the cladding for the house.
Residents choose the cladding for the house.
Preparing hardscape
Preparing hardscape
Over the three and a half month construction period, the house saw 277 visits from Dolphin Heights neighbors, the Belay House after school program kids, and the greater Dallas community.
Over the three and a half month construction period, the house saw 277 visits from Dolphin Heights neighbors, the Belay House after school program kids, and the greater Dallas community.
Open House on February 23, 2013.
Open House on February 23, 2013.

La Hacienda - Midway

Learn more about La Hacienda here.

The La Hacienda Casitas are quickly moving along with over half of the 56-units underway. Once the first eight homes were completed, work began on the remaining structures, consisting of eight different housing types, as well as on laundry facilities and other community buildings. Throughout this process care was taken to preserve existing trees across the site, providing need shade and a sense of age in the place. With construction scheduled to be complete in June 2013, the first five families have moved in, already filling this new community with life.

Congo Street Initiative

Learn more about our work in Dallas.

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Congo Street is located just two miles from Dallas’s city center and three blocks from the Texas State Fair grounds in the East Dallas neighborhood of Jubilee Park, a 62-block area housing approximately 2,000 residents. With a density of 26 units per acre and houses averaging 600 square feet, Congo Street is a remnant of a socially and economically segregated time. Built around 1920, this small community of dwellings fell into disrepair with little attention from landlords, the surrounding neighborhood, or the City itself. Many current residents are the children and grandchildren of former renters and witness to multiple generations of its tight-knit community. The area continues to struggle with poverty, language barriers, low educational attainment, lack of job skills and vocational opportunities, and other challenges of lower-income communities.

The Congo Street Initiative started from the desire to help stabilize the home-ownership of five families on Congo Street, which was was forgotten and slated to be removed and redeveloped. The project grew through intense interaction with residents, stakeholders and partners into a collaborative design and redevelopment effort that produced three phases of work:

Holding House - With a common desire to remain on the street despite the urgent need to repair their homes, residents were hesitant to move forward with any plans that would displace them, even temporarily. The challenge was how to redevelop without relying upon relocation or incurring steep financial burden. bcWORKSHOP and the residents began by exploring alternative solutions. Through neighborhood meetings, the idea emerged to build a new residence on the street that would serve as a temporary home for each family during the evaluation and renovation/rebuilding of their homes. The Holding House model delivered a new value to this community by rebuilding it while retaining its social cohesion.

4537 - Holding House Completion - September 2008

De-constructing and re-constructing 5 family homes - Next, one by one, each family moved into the Holding House and was closely involved in the design and construction of the rebuilding of their homes. Instead of conventional demolition, each existing home was carefully deconstructed to preserve the materials. The incorporation of those reclaimed materials in the new home preserve the memory of the old home and the familial connections to each place. As the original structures measured 625 square feet  each, larger contemporary homes would have been inappropriate for the scale of the street. Thoughtful design driven by resident input resulted in functional, energy efficient homes with small footprints. The largest rebuilt home measures just 975 square feet distributed on two stories, accommodating a large, multigenerational household.

4529 - Frankie’s Home Completion - April 2009

4523 - Vernessia’s Home Completion - June 2009

4525 - Pat & Earnest’s Home Completion - September 2009

4539 - Fred’s Home Completion - May 2010

4533 - Ms. Ella’s Home Completion - August 2010

Green Street - Finally, a green infrastructure was implemented in two parts: 1) rebuilding the existing street into Dallas's first "Green Street" in order to incorporate stormwater management, retention, and bio-filtration while also making it a safer place for residents to live and play; and 2) adding solar power and solar thermal systems to the homes and meeting with residents (Power Plus) to assist in reducing their energy consumption and concomitant utility costs.

Solar Panel Installations Completed - February 2011

Green Street/Infrastructure Completion - November 2012

Beyond securing healthier indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and durability through sustainable building practices, all homes are also shaped to contribute to the social enrichment and livelihood of the street through features such as generous front porches and shared landscaping. The new Green Street design features a system that maximizes the filtration of rainfall and other runoff. The street width for traffic is reduced, limiting the use of impervious concrete and improving pedestrian safety.  All aspects if the initiative were optimized for multiple  dimensions of performance.

Attesting to the initiative’s design caliber, the project has received the following local and national design awards:

  • 2008 Dallas AIA Excellence in Community Design Award & Excellence in Sustainable Design Award (Holding House)
  • 2010 Dallas AIA Excellence in Community Design Award & Excellence in Sustainable Design Award (Ms. Ella's House)
  • 2010 AIA & U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department Secretary’s Award: Excellence in Community Informed Design (Congo Street)
  • 2011 SEED National Competition Winner (Congo Street)
  • 2013 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence Silver Medalist (Congo Street)

The Congo Street Initiative was a successful partnership between:

  • Congo Street families (a total of 27 people)
  • 20+ local resident volunteers
  • 65+ architecture students from the University of Texas at Arlington School of Architecture
  • Hundreds of volunteers in conjunction with AmeriCorps, Volunteers in Service to America, and several local service groups

Funding for the Congo Street home rebuilds included support from The Meadows Foundation, the City of Dallas, The Real Estate Council, Citi Community Development, and individual donors. The alternative energy systems are funded by Patriot Solar Power through a grant from the Sue Pope Foundation.

The Green Street was fully funded by the City of Dallas in partnership with the City of Dallas Public Works & Housing Departments, Southern Methodist University Bobby Lyle School of Engineering, Huitt-Zollars Engineering, and the Texas Trees Foundation.

Design for Community Advocates

Learn more about our Dallas work.

ACT (Advocates for Community Transformation) is an inner-city justice ministry based in West Dallas. ACT’s mission is to represent inner-city residents and mobilize volunteer legal teams in order to hold the owners of drug houses and abandoned properties accountable.  ACT’s legal work addresses this need through an ongoing casework approach supported by a strategy for structural prevention. In order to continue seeking transformation in these neighborhoods, ACT has determined that it is crucial to establish a permanent presence in West Dallas by building its own office. The new office will allow the organization to grow its work as well as demonstrate that ACT is committed long-term to the West Dallas community.

bcWORKSHOP has begun the process to design a new headquarters for Advocates for Community Transformation. This process has involved a series of staff and stakeholder meetings to determine project intentions, building program, and site strategy. The goal is to ensure that the building is driven by and enhances ACT’s mission and responds to the West Dallas context and community.

From a quality model exercise, priorities identified for the design included:

  • Interior qualities - The ACT team needs an environment that supports its work with quiet places to concentrate as well as team orientated spaces where collaborations flourish.  Carefully placed thresholds will allow ACT to showcase its work to visitors as well as maintain confidentiality of its strategy and clients. The office should feel welcoming, homelike and safe to all employees, guests and clients.
  • Safety/Security - The building and property needs to be safe and secure for all employees,guests and clients. Measures such as a secure building envelope, secure thresholds, clear separations between private and public spaces and additional security technology will all be explored to create the necessary level of safety for the site and building.
  • Engineering Performance - Heating and cooling systems should be chosen based on efficiency and life cycle costs. A robust and flexible IT infrastructure will insure technical connectivity throughout the entire building.
  • Community Values - The project should reflect ACT’s commitment to being a stable presence in the community as well as a safe place for its clients and staff. The building is a physical investment in the neighborhood that should reflect ACT’s mission to transform communities through thoughtful and diligent work.The scale and intimacy of the building should reflect its neighborhood.

Three schematic design options have been created by bcW and presented to key stakeholders.  In the upcoming months bcW, with direction from ACT and an approved budget, will further develop the building strategy. Once the schematic design is approved, bcWORKSHOP will compile a funding package featuring the proposed building, design process, and a preliminary budget.

Gurley Place Senior Housing

Learn more about our Making work in Dallas.

Over the past 60 years, the Jubilee Park neighborhood has experienced a shrinking population, a lack of affordable rental housing, and a deteriorating housing stock. Affordable senior housing options alleviate these trends by encouraging older, long-term residents to continue building relationships and investment in the community. Gurley Place is a 24-unit housing project for tenants over 55 that consists of 12 two-story buildings on a 0.9 acre site adjacent to the Jubilee Park and Community Center.

The design was developed through six public meetings with local residents and community stakeholders. The community set design parameters for the project and voiced concerns and local issues through activities such as design charrettes and in-depth discussions. These meetings ensured community goals were incorporated in the final design.

The project creates affordable housing opportunities by requiring that renters’ income does not exceed 80% of the median income of the neighborhood. The units’ design will decrease the residents’ utility bills by increasing the efficiency of water and energy systems. The project utilizes LEED Gold standards as a baseline and emphasizes low water use, highly durable materials, and superior indoor air quality to ensure the longevity of the building stock.

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Gurley Place was recognized with an Honorable Mention in the 2012 SEED Awards and is featured in the January/February 2013 issue of Texas Architect magazine.

La Hacienda First Phase

Learn more about La Hacienda Casitas and our work in the RGV.

Back on the La Hacienda Casitas site, the construction crews are in full swing wrapping up the first phase of homes, which are slated for completion in February 2013 and have already started the second phase, which are due in March 2013 .  By phasing the construction, the project team is able to work though details before proceeding with the remainder of the 56-unit development. As the next batch of homes are being framed, the laundry (the first of four community buildings) is also under way and the roadways have been completed. Once these initial houses are complete, the first residents of La Hacienda will be moving in to call this place their home.

sustainABLEhouse Under Construction

Learn more about sustainABLEhouse, and our work in Dallas and the RGV.

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bcWORKSHOP is engaging in design processes to build several sustainABLEhouses in two diverse settings: Cameron County in the Rio Grande Valley and the Dolphin Heights neighborhood in Dallas.  Given the highly adaptable process of sustainABLEhouse, each setting provides a unique exploration of how the WORKSHOP can collaborate with partner families to design and build healthy, affordable homes.

Cameron County, Texas

  • In partnership with CDCB through their Colonia Redevelopment Program, eight families are engaging in the design and construction process across four different neighborhoods.
  • Each home conforms to basic design standards set forth by the Colonia Redevelopment Program and further shaped by input of the future residents through five meetings and ‘homework’ assignments.
  • The four homes average 864 square feet and accommodate an average family size of 2.5 people.
  • Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2013.

Dolphin Heights, Dallas, TX

  • This home serves as the 1st application of the initiative in the Dolphin Heights neighborhood.
  • Extensive community involvement and educational activities ensure that neighborhood voices are heard and contribute to the design.
  • This home, designed to meet rigorous energy standards, is 850 square feet and includes 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, large porch space, and the ability to expand the house in the future.
  • Construction is expected to be complete in December 2012 and we are currently seeking a homeowner partner. Contact us at 214.252.2900 for more details.