24 Oct 2022-2023 UGA Senior Capstone Design Kicks Off In Suwanee
Georgia’s second most populous county, Gwinnett, faces a challenge shared by many large metropolitan areas in the country, a lack of affordable housing. The population of Gwinnett is expected to rise to nearly one million in the coming years. Capstone Senior Design students from The University of Georgia College of Engineering are working alongside engineers from Thomas & Hutton’s Atlanta Region this year on Richmond Row Townhomes. The master-planned community will consist of 150 townhomes and 345 apartment units, bringing much-needed housing options to the town of Suwanee and Northern Gwinnett County.
The students observed design elements and site conditions related to topography and existing utility locations on their first site visit, including the impact of elevation changes on the building foundation and grading. Together they discussed the water and sewer systems, erosion control methods, storm ponds, and shared traffic access for the apartment and townhome site. Over the year, the students will work on a prototypical site design that meets Gwinnett County land development regulations and use the site efficiently. The group of students that selected Richmond Row as their Capstone Senior Design project will produce plans for traffic control within the subdivision, on-street parking, pocket parks, stormwater retention, open space access, recreational facilities, and landscape design.
