Mesa, Arizona
Photography: Andrew Pielage
Landscape Architect of Record: Tiffany Halperin, design lead
Architect: Architectural Resources Team
Project Recognition: 2015 Brian Mickelsen Housing Hero Award - Exemplary Urban Multifamily Project
La Mesita Family Homeless Shelter is the first transit-oriented project along Mesa’s light rail. It provides 16 units for homeless families with minor aged children and services to help them become self-reliant. The site has been transformed from an old motel to a state-of-the-art campus addressing a long-term solution for homelessness. Its courtyard provides an intimate scale for the entry experience of residents into their individual apartments while doubling as a community gathering space. Drought tolerant plant material blooms throughout the year providing color while the decorative rock pattern adds texture to the ground plane.
Highlights: Urban multi-family | Homeless Shelter | Transit Oriented Development | Low Water Use Plant Palette | Urban Heat Mitigation | Streetscape Design | Campus Design