YELLOW HOUSE COMMUNITY – CARRIAGE BARN

On a corner lot in a walkable downtown neighborhood, a two-building residential facility for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) who need 24-hour support and supervision has taken root. Renovated in 2019, an historic home accommodates several residents and their caregivers. The gut renovation of the property’s 1900’s-era carriage barn, completed in 2022, expands the number of adults with ID/DD who can call this place home. Transforming this historic outbuilding at the property’s edge into a light-filled, accessible, net-zero energy living space acknowledges its historical community context and modernizes it for a new life as a desperately-needed resource in this century. A rooftop solar array fully powers all-electric heating, cooling, and ventilation, thanks to a tight envelope and carbon-conscious insulation. Lots of natural light and open, colorful spaces make this family-style facility cheerful and comfortable for its residents and their caregivers. A fully accessible main floor and patio, wide staircases for people needing assistance, and easily accessible counters and appliances ensure that all occupants can participate in community life. This project aligns with our values on many levels: reducing reliance on fossil fuels, repurposing an existing building in a walkable downtown, ensuring the continued relevance of historic structures, and moving one step closer to dignified housing for all.