Porchscapes

“Porchscapes”, one of the 2008 Progressive Architecture Award winners, meshes the tight budgetary constraints of affordable housing with the delicate ecology of a natural wetland.   Designed by the University of Arkansas Community Design Center, this 43 unit development gets its name from its use of porches, which act as outdoor foyers between the private space of the house and the shared public spaces.  Special paving materials and landscape features were designed to control the flow of rainwater from the roofs and off the streets, allowing it to be cleaned naturally.    The special attention paid to the landscape and its mix of hardscape/softscape elements, makes it an integral part of the housing project, rather than an after thought.