La Sandia, or the watermelon, is an urban design project proposed as an alternative to single family sprawl in New Mexico.  The design calls for a mixed use and mixed income development which combines the public realm into private life as the project wraps a public courtyard open to the city.  A series of open garden terraces meanders through the form and onto the roof creating communal spaces for residents. The design occupies a single city block and has the potential to populate large portions of Albuquerque's downtown, thereby creating a walkable urban zone at all times of day.  The design also seeks to create economic vitality by proposing live work units and spaces for low income start up companies, the concept of sustainable design is addressed through urban density, materiality and socio-economic factors.