Dekker/Perich/Sabatini’s Mixed-Income Housing Wins Award from the Center for Active Design

By Anca Gagiuc, Associate Editor

The mixed-income housing community Casitas de Colores, designed by Dekker/Perich/Sabatini and built in the heart of Albuquerque by Romero Rose, YES Housing Inc., and Bradbury Stamm, is a winner of the Center for Active Design: Excellence awards. The ceremony took place at the Steelcase showroom in New York on May 11, marking its fifth award and its first international award.

The active design strategies that granted Casitas de Colores the excellence award include several features that combine health with design. One of them is the walkable environment within the community materialized through open staircases paired with reduced-speed elevators that encourage the residents to use the latter only when necessary.

Another is the proximity to the Alvarado Multi-modal Transportation Center, retail and entertainment places, as well as government offices and employment opportunities. Casitas de Colores has a walk score of 94/100 and is part of Albuquerque’s Downtown 2025 Sector Development Plan.

The exercise facility, the outdoor play structures and the bicycle storage also encourage residents towards a more active lifestyle. The covered balconies and patios, besides creating more outdoor space, maximize visibility, connecting residents and encouraging social interaction.

The three residential buildings in Casitas de Colores achieved Triple LEED Platinum certification, and the community building achieved LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Photos courtesy of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini.