Site History & Context
Originally purchased in 1983 as a ranch home for raising horses and goats, this property included pastureland for growing alfalfa. At the time, the site was surrounded by almond orchards. During the mid-1980s and early 1990s, developers began purchasing these orchards and subdividing the land into single-family tract homes on half-acre lots. This area then existed outside the City of Chico within Butte County's jurisdiction.
As the city continued to grow, it established the 2030 General Plan—a comprehensive framework providing long-range policy guidance for Chico's growth and preservation. The plan established community priorities to guide public decision-making on land use changes, budget decisions, and development proposals. It delineated a Sphere of Influence Boundary and began annexing properties within this boundary into the city, providing connections to municipal water and sewer systems and other city services. The Butte Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) was formed as an independent state agency to oversee this process. This property is located inside the western edge of the Sphere of Influence Boundary but was initially an unincorporated "island" requiring annexation into the city.
Regulatory Framework
Facing rapid population growth and a housing shortage, the city created standards for Small-Lot Subdivisions within R-1 districts that allowed increased density without requiring rezoning. This permitted 10-12 units per acre rather than 4-6 units per acre. As stated in Title 19, Land Use & Development Regulations:
"The purpose of the small-lot subdivision regulations is to implement the General Plan goal of allowing and encouraging 'small-lot single-family housing development in new and existing neighborhoods to provide compact development and efficient infill.' Small-lot housing can increase opportunities to conserve land and protect environmental resources."
Vision & Design Approach
Within this context, we created a vision plan and subdivision proposal for the 2.75-acre property at 1325 W. Sacramento Avenue. Departing from the typical cul-de-sac model, we proposed extending the cul-de-sac form to create a central community green space with required street parking flanking the eastern and western edges. By programming this green space with a dog park and children's playground, we designed a place for community connection and interaction.
User Analysis
Our planning process included analysis of the surrounding area utilizing input from local real estate professionals to develop a profile of potential users. California State University Chico and Enloe Medical Center, two of the city's biggest employment and population magnets, exist adjacent to the one-mile study radius we established. Based on this analysis, we identified two primary user groups: healthcare professionals associated with the medical center, and professors, administrators, staff, and students associated with the university. Local real estate professionals indicated that these groups typically consist of families relocating to Chico from larger metropolitan areas such as Sacramento and San Francisco. They also noted interest from local investors purchasing income properties to rent to families and young professionals. Additionally, anecdotal information suggested a market for parents of CSU Chico students purchasing properties as investments for their children. The rental market for ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) was also identified, with units often rented to university students or occupied by young adults or elderly family members. Considering this information, we envisioned potential users ranging from families with children and aging parents to young adults in their twenties attending university or beginning their careers.
Housing Design Strategy
In response to this diverse user profile, we proposed a range of floor plans that deviate from the ubiquitous one-story, three-bedroom, two-bath model typical of residential housing in Chico. Instead, we established a two-story model that consistently includes a ground-floor room adjacent to a bathroom—designed to function flexibly as a home office, guest room, or bedroom for an elderly family member. On the second floor, we varied bedroom and bathroom layouts to offer multiple arrangements:
-> Two and three-bedroom layouts with ensuite bathrooms catering to roommates and young renters.
-> Three and four-bedroom layouts with a mix of shared and ensuite bathrooms catering to families with grade-school or adult children.
-> Variations in stair location modulate building forms across the site, balancing visual cohesion with architectural variety.
Environmental Resilience Features
One of the vision plan's primary goals was responding to California's environmental conditions. The region regularly experiences periods of drought punctuated by intense rain that can cause flooding. Additionally, the City of Chico's location on the western edge of the Sierra Nevada mountain range means it is frequently affected by smoke from nearby wildfires. With these conditions in mind, the vision plan proposed several resilience features:
Water Conservation & Management
-> Community cisterns for rainwater and graywater reuse integrated below the dog park and playground.
-> Bioswales planted with native riparian species integrated into the Right-of-Way, allowing localized infiltration and filtering of stormwater.
Heat Mitigation & Shade
-> Native oak trees specified along streets to create a shaded canopy responding to intense summer heat and heat island effect.
-> Western sycamores integrated into bioswales for additional shade and habitat.
Energy & Air Quality
-> Solar arrays designed into the roof forms of proposed Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), linking to a shared Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) located in the green space buffer zone along W. Sacramento Avenue.
-> Roof terraces with shade structures prepared for additional solar power generation integrated into two-story homes.
-> Homes built to Passive House standards, to provide constant filtration and heat exchange of incoming air to increase indoor air quality during wildfire smoke events.