MARFA, TX
STATUS: COMPETITION ENTRY COMPLETED
Desert Townhomes
Desert Townhomes encompasses two terraces, each of 6 adjoining townhouses flanking a narrow mews-like Paseo, or walk-street, each with private patios lying on the edge of public an private.
Team:
Mohamed Sharif
Felix Monasakanian
Victoria McKenna
Kyra Bauman,
Michael Durán
Sam Tanis
Consultants:David Bergman(Proforma)
Russell Fortmeyer/ARUP (Sustainability
The building forms and profiles echo the architectural character of Marfa’s downtown core as well as the stoic, site-specific sculpture at the Chinati Foundation. The precise, straightforward and prismatic physique of the buildings and bounded spaces evoke the robust Marfa desert town and industrial vernaculars.
This proposal is compact in footprint, sensible in siting and orientation and morphologically suited to community building and the consequential sense of sharing and collective stewardship.
For passive cooling: southern frontage is minimized and shaded while eastern frontage is shaded and roofs and western frontages are light in color to reflect the sun. Cross ventilation is factored into the project by means of integral operable skylights, and well postured doors and windows.
For passive heating: thick concrete walls retain low winter sun to release heat in the evenings; and well insulated walls and roofs and dual glazed windows and doors minimize heat loss.
