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Floor Plans: Luxury Townhomes, Affordable Rentals Rub Elbows
Developer:
EYA (www.eya.com)
Architect:
Lessard Group (www.lessardgroup.com)
Chatham Square in affluent Old Town Alexandria, Va., a close-in suburb of Washington, D.C., is an innovative mixed-income community that architecturally integrates high-end, market rate townhouses with low-income rental units within one, cohesive neighborhood.
Developed under the Hope VI program, Chatham Square is an urban infill redevelopment that replaced 100 distressed 1940s-era public housing units on two city blocks with a higher density community that includes 100 high-quality townhouses priced from $850,000 to $1.8 million side-by-side with 52 low-income rental units. The community also retains 25% of the site as open space.
Integrating Fee Simple Townhouses With Apartments
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Luxury townhouse or low-income rental apartment? Chatham Square integrates both in one, architecturally cohesive community. | The community features eight mixed-income buildings, each with 10 homes. Each building includes four market-rate, back-to-back, luxury townhouses on one side and, on the other side, six two- or three-bedroom apartments ― designed to appear as though they are four market rate townhouses.
All are built over a shared underground parking garage which spanned multiple lot lines.
The luxury three-bedroom townhouses have four finished levels, many with lofts, and a two-car garage. Many will also include a roof terrace.
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Luxury kitchen | Inside, the homes have hardwood flooring on the main level; crown and chair-rail moldings; a gas fireplace; oak stairs; high ceilings; an advanced home wiring system; a security system; two-zone heat and air conditioning; granite kitchen counters; 42-inch cabinets and state-of-the-art appliances; and a master bath with ceramic-tile floors, a tub and a glass-enclosed shower.
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Inside a living room of a luxury townhouse |
The rental units were designed as a “two-over-one” product ― providing ground floor, handicap-accessible flats with private entries, and two-story, townhouse-style apartments above.
All the homes were situated close to the street with garages accessed via rear alleys, creating a pedestrian-friendly environment.
Chatham Square is also within walking distance to public transportation, shopping, restaurants and public parks along the Potomac River.
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A view of the Chatham Square courtyard. The community features 25% open space and is pedestrian-friendly. |
More Than Housing
In addition to providing housing, Chatham Square also offers job training to the low-income housing residents living in the community. Jobs were also made available to residents during construction.
The community’s homeowners association is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of all common areas as well as enforcing the rules and regulations governing the use and occupancy of all homes in the community.
Chatham Square was created though a public/private partnership that, in addition to EYA, the master developer, also included the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority and Fannie Mae.
Chatham Square won two prestigious Pillars of the Industry awards from NAHB's Multifamily Council — the Best Urban Site Plan award; and the Best For Sale Community, 15-40 units per acre.
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Front doors in a row |
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The Gibbon luxury townhouse floor plan |
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The Madison luxury townhouse floor plan |
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Chatham Square before: the 100-unit, 1940s-era Samual Madden public housing complex |
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Features and Specifications |
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Chatham Square Townhouse Features:
- Three bedrooms/two-and-a- half baths
- Four finished levels and hardwood floor throughout main level
- Designer kitchen cabinetry with granite countertops and state-of-the-art appliances
- Designer master baths with ceramic tile, soaking or jetted tubs and separate, glass-enclosed showers.
- Oak stairs
- High ceilings
- Gas fireplaces
- Two-zone heat and air conditioning
- Advanced home wiring, including a security system
- Two-car garages
Community Features:
- Eight mixed-income buildings, each with four luxury townhouses side-by-side with six "two-over-one" public housing rental units
- 25% open space, pedestrian-friendly environment
- Within walking distance to shopping, restaurants, public transportation and public parks along the Potomac River overlooking the nation's capital
- Job training available to residents of public housing rental units
Developed by: EYA, Bethesda, Md.
Designed by: Lessard Group, Alexandria, Va.
Photos by Boris Feldblyum. |
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“Building Community: Live, Gather, Play,” available through BuilderBooks.com, shows you how to design a community that is sensitive to the environment, respects the neighbors, is financially successful and has the elements necessary to last generations.
“Building Community” is an indispensable core text for the study of community planning, residential and commercial architecture and landscape architecture. To view or purchase this publication online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
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