Brooks + Scarpa’s Rosa Gardens

Photo by John Linden

Photo by John Linden

Photo by John Linden

On Rosa Parks Road in Palm Springs, the firm has created an affordable housing complex that seamlessly blends in with the desert landscape.

At the heart of the 57-unit apartment building is a passive solar design strategy. Given the project’s location in the dry and blistering heat of the Coachella Valley, controlling the interior temperature was a priority. Brooks + Scarpa positioned the building to harness solar cooling loads and maximize exposure to prevailing winds. To boost the interior’s comfort and energy-efficiency, the firm integrated shading onto the south-facing windows and kept the west side minimally glazed.

Situated at the base of the valley, the low-slung complex offers  unobstructed views of the desert from patios and balconies. While its subtle material palette reflects the landscape, it also exemplifies the firm’s innovation in eco-materials. The building’s metal skin is locally fabricated from used aluminum cans. This eco-sensitivity is carried through to the interiors, which are insulated with recyled newspapers, equipped with water-saving dual flush toilets and outfitted in recycled-content carpet and all-natural linoleum flooring.

And then there are the amenities: a shared courtyard, bicycle racks and a swimming pool that will be heated by a rooftop hydronic solar panel. It’s no surprise that the building surpasses California’s mandated energy measures – the strictest in the U.S. – by over 30 per cent.