Modular Home Community, Minnesota

Introduction

A private developer engaged the Nadi Group to create a full design brief package for a planned modular home community in southern Minnesota. The proposed community will consist of 328 housing units, of which 163 are single family leased or sold lots and the rest are divided among duplexes, townhouse and low-rise apartment buildings. The development is on an 82.7-acre tract.

Project Summary

To get the city’s approval, we had to provide detailed data tables, reference images, concept plans, and lot information plans concerning the possibility of a new housing community attempting to address the housing needs of the city and in line with its municipal development plan. We stipulated that this community would be highly amenitized and affordable. Sixteen acres of open space and wetlands will be preserved and provided with 10-foot wide trails to encourage walkability and a range of amenities in common areas for the different demographics inhabiting the development.

Our Role

Nadi Group's first step entailed background research and site analysis of the location. The findings of these studies informed us to adopt a design approach that is sensitive to the site’s unique topography, existing tree lines, groundwater table, surface drainage and the adjacent neighborhoods.

This approach guided us in the preparation of a sketch plan depicting street and lot layouts and the locations of different housing typologies, detention ponds and amenities. One critical aspect to the design was the carefully planned allotment of the homes in terms of optimization of the yield, reinforcement of public street frontage, walkability, sensitive wetlands and open spaces, alignment to neighbors and overall harmony with the site’s characteristics.

Based on our successes in past zoning operations, we created a package consisting of a sketch plan, lot information plan, and conceptual 3D renders designed to impress the viewer with the ultimate quality of the community and the need for housing in the city, among other marketing items for the community development website.