In Aspen, demand for affordable housing is high. Nevertheless, the willingness to build dense, affordable, multi-family housing in a single-family residential neighborhood faced initial resistance. To bring our idea to life, we took on the roles of developer, architect, and builder for the project. The easiest thing would have been to build four single-family, free-market houses. However, wanting to make a positive impact on Aspen’s built and social fabric, we partnered with the City of Aspen, which agreed to subsidize half of the project on the condition that it be 100% affordable.

The Colorado easement tax credit program allows developers to donate a conservation easement on their property, transferring development rights in exchange for tax credits. Knowing that a public trail system ended at our site, we created a conservation easement on the back half of the site and extended the trail through it. This land strategy made the project economically feasible and seamlessly integrated it into its immediate surroundings. Initial resistance transformed into unanimous approval: today, Little Ajax belongs, fits in, it is part of the neighborhood.