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El Dorado designs Echo Ridge Community DevelopmentEcho Ridge in Topeka, Kansas is an innovative and sustainable community-based affordable housing project by <a href="http://www.eldo.us/">El Dorado, Inc</a>. El Dorado was hired by the <a href="http://www.tha.gov/">Topeka Housing Authority</a> to create two sustainably designed duplexes and a community center under a tight budget to receive tax credits. They came up with a stellar set of buildings that won several AIA awards and <em><a href="http://www.eldo.us/8699/2012-residential-architect-design-awards/">Residential Architect Design Awards</a></em> in 2012.1
El Dorado designs Echo Ridge Community DevelopmentThe duplexes are designed in an efficient stacked configuration in order to create interior courtyards and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/green-roof/">green rooftop terraces</a>.2
El Dorado designs Echo Ridge Community DevelopmentThe exterior facade of the duplexes consists of multicolored cement board panels and a series of repetitive off-the-shelf windows, which helped to reduce the construction costs.3
El Dorado designs Echo Ridge Community DevelopmentOperable windows help to mitigate the cost of air conditioning by providing natural ventilation for the building.4
El Dorado designs Echo Ridge Community DevelopmentThe interior is made from durable and low-maintenance materials. These affordable units provide enough open flexibility for any family to use.5
El Dorado designs Echo Ridge Community DevelopmentOne of the most impressive components of the project is the community garden - residents of the development can grow food in the garden and then learn how to prepare and cook what they have grown in the large kitchen inside the community center.6
El Dorado designs Echo Ridge Community DevelopmentThe zones are connected to exterior spaces that are sheltered from the elements. The shading devices also help collect rainwater and funnel it to underground pipes for irrigating the garden.7
El Dorado designs Echo Ridge Community Development<a href="http://www.eldo.us/9837/echo-ridge-community-center/">The Echo Ridge Community Center</a> is a multi-zoned public facility designed to be used by the 30 affordable housing units in the Echo Ridge Development.8
El Dorado designs Echo Ridge Community DevelopmentThe building has four zones: Community, Food, Kid and Adult9
El Dorado designs Echo Ridge Community DevelopmentThe interior spaces in every zone of the building receive a great amount of natural light, which helps to warm them while providing views of the outdoors and keeping the building's energy footprint to a minimum.10
El Dorado designs Echo Ridge Community DevelopmentThis large educational kitchen can help teach the community residents how to prepare many of the vegetables and fruits that are grown in the garden.11
El Dorado designs Echo Ridge Community DevelopmentBoth the <a href="http://www.eldo.us/residential-studio-2/echo-ridge-duplexes/">Echo Ridge Duplexes</a> and the Echo Ridge Community Center provide a better quality of life for dozens of people in Topeka. These sustainable prototypes of future housing and community development would be a wonderful addition to almost any community in our nation.12
