Safari Drive Condominiums
SAFARI DRIVE CONDOMINIUMS
The Miller Hull Partnership
ARCHITECTS
The Miller Hull Partnership
CLIENT
The Wolff Company
PHOTOGRAPHS
Raul Garcia
AREA
325000.0 ft²
YEAR
2008
LOCATION
Scottsdale, United States
CATEGORY
Housing
Text description provided by architect.
The design concept for these suburban condominiums evolved from the desire to create a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood in a physically demanding desert climate.
Within its own bounds, the development is self-sustaining with a range of live/work lofts and retail spaces situated on the Scottsdale canal.
As opposed to typical large-scale residential buildings, a grouping of smaller structures not usually seen in this type of development modulates scale to a human level.
In addition to establishing a neighborhood feel, this varied plan better offsets the climate by creating a micro-climate within shaded courtyards formed by the clustered housing blocks.
The range of sustainable strategies tempering the harsh Sonoran Desert climate includes the use of thermal mass, deep overhangs, a high-performance thermal envelope, naturally-weathering locally-manufactured materials and a high-efficiency central plant hydronic system.
A “cool tower” provides passively cooled air to a public courtyard by employing a simple, traditional technology based on towers prevalent throughout middle-eastern desert regions.
Prevailing winds and evaporative process combine to deliver 75-degree air on a 115-degree summer day.
The deliberate blending of disparate activities and organizing principles reinvents the suburban multi-family residential form.
The development has been certified by the City of Scottsdale’s Green Building Program for Multi-Family Dwellings.
