Community Design Center's Housing, Greenhouse Project Wins 2023 Future House Award

UArk news on GrowLofts award-winning social-housing+greenhouse design using a climate battery (underground perforated pipes + fans) for four-season food forest and loft heat exchange—walipini-adjacent earth-heat architecture. GrowLofts by U of A Community Design Center (Steve Luoni) won 2023 Future House Award (Affordable/Social/Community Living) from Global Design News and The Chicago Athenaeum. Design sandwiches urban lofts between street hyperporch and shared greenhouse supporting a food forest. Climate battery described as solar heat storage/air exchange: soil stores heat/humidity pulled through underground perforated pipes and overhead fans; reduces irrigation; warm air returned in cool periods; heat exchange with lofts. Combines solar collection, thermal mass, and insulation using soil–air temperature differentials.

Evidence tier: news. Awarded unbuilt/typological research design, not a walipini pit.

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