University of Arizona South Stadium Rowhouses

The University of Arizona South Stadium Rowhouse development consists of five homes designed and constructed by architecture students through the University of Arizona College of Architecture’s Drachman Design-Build Coalition (DDBC) between 2018 and 2023. As Assistant Professor of Design-Build, Anna co-taught alongside Professor Mary Hardin, guiding students through the full design and construction process for Rowhouses 1 and 2, located near the Sonoran Desert campus.

Rowhouse 1 is a 1,500-square-foot, two-story residence with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Designed for energy-efficient desert living, the home incorporates passive solar strategies, shaded masonry walls with continuous exterior insulation, zoned heat pumps, water-saving fixtures, and native desert xeriscaping. Students conducted energy modeling using Sefaira, achieving an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 8 kBtu/sf/yr, which is significantly below the U.S. average of 43 kBtu/sf/yr.

Rowhouse 2 is a 1,200-square-foot, single-story home with two bedrooms and one bathroom. Like Rowhouse 1, it utilizes passive solar design principles and all-electric mechanical systems, while featuring a different exterior assembly composed of insulated 2×4 wood framing with CMU walls. Students performed energy and daylight modeling in Sefaira, achieving an EUI of 9 kBtu/sf/yr. Daylight studies explored various window and wall systems to optimize interior natural lighting, ultimately informing the use of translucent polycarbonate panels to enhance natural daylight, while reducing construction costs.