Sault Tribe Elder’s Apartments

Sault Tribe Housing Authority

Case study

The Sault Tribal Housing Authority wanted to study the options for land use and design on a five (5) acre parcel of land located near St. Ignace, Michigan. The end result was the design of a 20 unit elderly apartment project. Elderly Housing is unique design problem. With baby boomers, increased elderly life expectancy & Tribal Elders deciding to retire to their “home” reservations - Elderly housing is in high demand. This fastest-growing elderly population with housing needs, is also the group that most needs appropriately designed environments. When you consider the value that most Tribes assess the “Elders”, culturally appropriate environments become a consideration - as these Elders may want to reconnect with their culture or pass it on to their family or community youth. Each 900 sf unit is two bedroom, has it's own kitchen, living room and bathroom. Outdoor access is provided to each unit. Facility amenities include a public area for watching TV, playing cards or visiting, a dining area and serving kitchen and laundry facilities. The Sault Tribal Housing Authority is going to self-perform most of the general contracting work and it was decided to build the shell out of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and the foundations out of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs). Both systems allowed their employees to put up the building quickly and to also include the energy efficient building systems.

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