Urbana Co-Housing — nsrudolpharch

This project consists of 24 social housing units located at the Race and Main site in Urbana. This project is designed to transform the undergraduate and graduate housing experience while simultaneously strengthening downtown Urbana.

The design is focused around three central architectural concepts: inclusion vs. exclusion, contraction vs. expansion, and blurring indoor and outdoor space. The building features a study room, community kitchen, recreation room, pool, and communal dining spaces. The site has been terraced to create areas for community areas and amenities to rest. Adjacent to these communal spaces are community gardens, which further encourage collaboration and outdoor engagement. The design of the building creates an inclusive residential environment and strengthens the surrounding Urbana area. The site is anchored by a central void that runs through from the boneyard, through the building to link Race Street to Boneyard Creek. This void is also visible on the facade of the building. A diagram of how the void impacts the proportions of the facade as well as the plan is shown in the diagrams section at the end of the page.