Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting two clients of Travois Design & Construction Services for professional photo shoots: Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Homes II and White Earth (WE) Homes IV. I’m going to present the LCO Homes II project first and will be coming back to you with a post dedicated to WE Homes IV very soon!
Travois Design & Construction Services provided architectural design services for both projects. After conducting a design charette to get initial ideas for the project to working on blueprints, schematics and models throughout the process, it was amazing to see the completed homes in person and meet the families who live in them.
LCO Homes II is in a brand new development on the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation called Akikaandag or “where the pines are.” The project was completed using Low Income Housing Tax Credits (of course!), and additional units in the development were completed with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.
The units have been fully occupied for nearly a year, and the feedback I received from tenants and staff was great. It sounds like our designs are a huge hit. Good designs are important, but the other important factor is quality of construction, and the LCO team deserves all the credit here because these units look great.
I’ll fill you in on a few key components of this project and the design concept and before wowing you with the completed photos:
- Green design — the units meet and exceed energy code requirements. All fixtures, appliances, equipment, windows and doors are Energy Star certified.
- The Lac Courte Oreilles Housing Authority (LCOHA) opted to build the units utilizing Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) for an enhanced building envelope. The panelized construction also allowed LCOHA to keep up with an ambitious construction schedule.
- All units include a detached garage.
- The development includes a playground area with a variety of play structures for children of all ages.
- Units are universally designed for full visitability and simple conversion to full accessibility as needed.
- The variety of unit types, one- and two-story designs and unique color schemes gives each unit a very custom feel.
- The units have open living, dining and kitchen spaces to accommodate family gatherings.
So without further ado, here are some images of the final product along with a glimpse of a few families enjoying their new homes..
Thanks to the Lac Courte Oreilles Housing Authority for working with our Travois Design & Construction Services team. We feel privileged to have been a part of this wonderful project.