NW Valley Times

Planning and Development Services (PDSD) is excited to announce the designs selected in the Casita Model Plan Design Competition. This initiative, made possible through the AARP 2023 Community Challenge grant awarded to PDSD in June, aimed to foster innovation in casita design and provide a platform for emerging architects and designers.

Selected Designs

• Jonathan Bean: TUx2
• Jack Robinson: 2 Bedroom Casita for Tucson
• Valerie Lane / Urban Infill Project: ROOST
• Kelsie Montgomery & Eric Nickerson / Archilabworks, PLLC: Desert Casita an ADU for Life in Tucson
• Caroline Cochran and Joseph Abbamonte / Opticos Design: The Flex Casita
• Stefan Mostert & Annheliza Jordaan / Casa Sama: Casita Sama
• Logan Havens / Silva & Havens: Detached Sonoran ADU
• Alejandro Fernandez / Modulbox: ADU Saltamontes
• Scott Neeley / Scott Neeley Architecture LLC: Tucson Casita
• Sofia Soto & Cameron Graupman / Graupman Soto: Casa Mini

The selected designs will benefit from waived building review fees for their pre-approved model plan and then be placed in the Casita Model Plan Library. The initiative aims to streamline the design and permitting process, ensuring a faster and more predictable experience for anyone interested in constructing one of the pre-approved casitas.

Watch the celebration video if you missed the Casita Model Plan Competition Celebration. To explore the selected designs, people's choice, and all entries submitted to the competition, visit the Casitas in Tucson website.

After an engaging three-week public voting period, which garnered over 1,400 votes for 63 different model designs and adhering to set scoring guidelines, a jury of local architects, designers, and builders selected the top 10 designs. These designs will not only receive accolades but will also be rewarded with a $1,000 prize, each having the building review fees waived and the honor of having their designs added to an online library of Casita Model Plans.

Casita Model Plan Library

Selected designs and any other designs the community would like included in the Casita Model Plan Library will need to go through the review process, resulting in the submission of complete construction documents for approval. Once approved, designs will be integrated into the pre-approved Casita Model Plan Library. Visitors to the Casitas in Tucson website will be able to explore the pre-approved plans, each accompanied by the contact information of the respective designer. Property owners interested in a particular design can contact the designer to initiate purchasing the casita model plan.

PDSD is actively working towards launching the Casita Model Plan Library by early 2024.

Original source can be found here.