Providing affordable housing after Hurricane Ike

In 2011, Galveston Housing Authority (GHA) named McCormack Baron Salazar as Master Developer to replace the 569 public housing units affected by Hurricane Ike for Cedars at Carver Park. KAI, as lead architect, worked with the developer to leverage the public housing units with a mixed income product for the 1,000+ families seeking affordable housing on the island.

For the $20 million Cedars at Carver Park, KAI designed eight building types to create a sense of place. The development conforms to HUD and Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs (TDHCA) distribution of Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) dwelling units. KAI understands the nuances and requirements for compliance with Fair Housing and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA).

With Galveston’s proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and most of the City being in an identified flood zone, all units are built with the first floor level 10 feet above grade (15 feet above sea level), while conforming to Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) wind load performance standards. Parking is at grade level under the units.

The Cedars at Carver Park is designed in conformance with Enterprise Green Community Criteria. Site amenities include a pool, new local park, barbecue areas, playground, fitness facility, and meeting rooms. Each residential unit is secured with double locking front doors with site access granted by key coded site devices at pedestrian and vehicular gates.

KAI was also chosen to design a subsequent nearby mixed-income development on the island, dubbed Villas on the Strand.