Luna Azul offers permanent housing in the Phoenix metro area for adults with intellectual, developmental, and acquired disabilities.

When developer Mark Roth approached us about creating a safe and supportive pocket neighborhood design for disabled adults like his daughter, we were all for it.

The neighborhood offers innovative options for adults with disabilities and their families. Phoenix has a very different climate condition and cultural heritage than most sites we’ve worked with. However, the community includes many of the design bones we’ve used in virtually all of our pocket neighborhoods: small clusters, shared commons at the heart, corralled cars, layers of personal space, room-sized front porch, private back yard, and nested houses.

A visiting guest will first see the front of the two-story Center House—appearing like a gracious larger home. It is decidedly non-institutional. The housing clusters, while similar, are laid out with differentiating elements. For spatial clarity, especially for residents with autism, a central linear walkway ties the pocket neighborhoods through the Center House.

Builder Online posted an enlightening article about Luna Azul and we discuss the project in more detail in our blog. Listen to its story on NPR. and visit the Luna Azul website. The first phase is complete.