![Chuska Apartments]( "Chuska Apartments") In the Southwestern U.S., the Indian tribes that have been located there have given the communities a special heritage. The rich heritage unfortunately is also defined by low-income areas, unhealthy housing and limited economic opportunities.
The Chuska Apartments are made to create positive changes in more ways than one. Chuska Apartments is the first affordable housing development supported by the recently launched Enterprise Rural and Native American Initiative that works with tribes to create healthy, safe, affordable housing and to increase opportunities for economic advancement.
Located in Gallup, New Mexico, Chuska Apartments is a 30-unit, new construction property with six residential buildings and a community center all in the same area. The buildings are organized in clusters around a communal space and are divided into two elongated courtyards so that there is open space in the community. The project features energy-efficient design as well as a one-story floor plan and built-in ventilation.
Gallup is a small town of approximately 20,000, located in northwest New Mexico, two hours west of Albuquerque, near the Arizona border. The town is located on the famous Route 66. Gallup began as a railroad and mining town, but recently has become a tourist destination because of its culture and scenery along Route 66. The area is surrounded by the natural beauty of the Southwest. Gallup is a regional commercial center with an emphasis on Native American arts and crafts, due in part to its proximity to the Navajo Nation.
The design of Chuska Apartments incorporates several green features that conserve energy and raw materials, including:
• Day lighting in all rooms
• Passive solar space heating
• Drought tolerant landscaping
• Energy-efficient windows
• Rooftop water heating (for domestic hot water and baseboard heating) in a cistern The project is modeled after the award-winning model for supportive housing pioneered by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. Two primary benefits of this model are
• Homeless families live in a community of working families who serve as role models
• Service expenses for the transitional units will be partially subsidized by higher rents from the other units.
Healthy, low toxicity materials are used throughout the development. The apartment development also includes on-site social services. The design also incorporates the skills of green architects, Mazria Odems and Dzurec of Santa Fe, N.M., who specialize in projects that benefit the environment.
This project is a wonderful way to address the issue of low-income families in a revolutionary way. Gallup has been known as a town where a notable percentage of its residents struggle each day to make a living. Developments like this encourage well-being for Earth and all of its inhabitants.
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