“Less Than Zero Impact” is a multi-family apartment building on an urban brownfield site in Columbus, Ohio. It is located at the northeast corner of High at 5th Avenue, at the northern end of the Short North Arts District, a neighborhood that has transformed over the past two decades from a neglected crime-ridden area to a vibrant community.

The Short North sits between two important focal points, and with High Street, connects them: downtown Columbus to the south, and The Ohio State University to the north. The design is based upon extensive research of urban multi-family housing precedents, codes and regulations, sustainability, marketing, existing housing types in Columbus, design scenarios, and site characteristics. 

The schematic assignment given to this project is to design something that results in a surplus of energy, rather than a building that typically uses up energy. The design places photovoltaic solar panels on the south facade as well as the roof to generate its own electricity, and a system of rain collection on the west façade and over the central courtyard, is designed to be used for greywater for flush toilets. 

The central courtyard, although shielded from precipitation while allowing for open air, is where vertical and corridor circulation is located, as well as a space for residents to interact with each other and see across from one unit to another.