Orange Place

Orange Place is a multi-generational cooperative of 32 units of one, two, three and four-bedroom units for a broad range of households from families to seniors. The project is sited in one of Escondido, California's oldest neighborhoods and is surrounded by a mix of apartments, duplexes, single-family homes and commercial developments. The project includes a meeting room, tot lot and allotment gardens for residents to grow vegetables. Community development block grant (CDBG) funding contributed to the development of this project.

The design of Orange Place draws its inspiration from early 20th century California bungalow courts. The one to four bedroom units are arranged in two and three story townhouses stretching along a long, thin site. The townhouses are grouped to form a street edge and make three outdoor courtyards. The central courtyard includes a commons with meeting hall, outdoor terrace, the tot lot, and garden plots. Alternating between these common outdoor spaces are landscaped parking courts. Each unit also has a defined 'outdoor room' surrounded on three sides which is shaded with pull back fabric awnings.


Source: Design Matters: Best Practices in Affordable Housing, City Design Center at the University of Chicago.