Bercy Chen’s East Village is a Bright Orange Mixed Use Development in Austin

Posted By Tafline Laylin On January 2, 2011 @ 9:43 am In Architecture,carousel showcase,gallery,Recycled Materials,Renewable Energy,Solar Power,Sustainable Building | 1 Comment

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Bercy Chen Studio ^[6]'s East Village takes advantage of the abundance of sunlight in Austin, Texas with a bright red and orange facade that is interspersed with solar photovoltaic panels. Situated in a previously neglected neighborhood on East 11th street, the East Village has so many desirable "green" traits - such as green roofs, rainwater capture, and passive insect control - that it was rewarded with a 3-Star Green Building Rating. It is also one of the City of Austin’s S.M.A.R.T. ^[7] (Safe, Mixed-Income, Accessible, Reasonably Priced, Transit Oriented) Housing developments. Step on in to learn more about this decidedly lo-tech but super resilient architectural masterpiece.

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In the last decade, East 11th street in Austin has undergone a dramatic transformation that Bercy Chen ^[6] sought to celebrate with a thriving new mixed-use property that pays respect to the world’s current energy and natural resource crisis. In addition to integrating 11 retail stores, offices, and 20 residential apartments – nearly 1/4 of which are affordable homes – it was crucial to use the most efficient building materials and recycle construction waste ^[9].

With awesome views of the city, the East Village has 2 rooftop gardens ^[10] that can be enjoyed by anyone, and boasts a rainwater collection system. The southern and western facades feature piles of photovoltaic panels ^[11], as well as a screen to mitigate excess solar gain – thereby maintaining a perfect balance. Inside, the best insulation has been used to increase the project’s energy performance, no VOC paint was used whatsoever, and only low-impact indigenous plants ^[12] were used for the landscaping. As far as we’re concerned, Austin just got ten notches cooler!

+ Bercy Chen Studio ^[6]

Article printed from Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building: http://inhabitat.com

URL to article: http://inhabitat.com/bercy-chen%e2%80%99s-east-village-is-a-bright-orange-mixed-use-development-in-austin/

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[5]  : http://inhabitat.com/bercy-chen%e2%80%99s-east-village-is-a-bright-orange-mixed-use-development-in-austin/the-east-village-by-bercy-chen-studio-2/?extend=1

[6] Bercy Chen Studio: http://bcarc.com/Project/the-east-village

[7] City of Austin’s S.M.A.R.T.: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/ahfc/smart.htm

[8] Image: http://inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2011/12/the-east-village-by-bercy-chen-studio-2.jpg

[9] recycle construction waste: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construction_waste

[10] rooftop gardens: http://inhabitat.com/tag/rooftop-garden/

[11] photovoltaic panels: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaics

[12] indigenous plants: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_plant

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