The Civitas Residence in Memphis, Tennessee, has achieved a groundbreaking milestone as the world's first dual-certified Zero Energy and Zero Carbon building, according to the International Living Future Institute. Designed by archimania and photographed by Alan Karchmer, this innovative home occupies a small corner site in Harbor Town, a new urbanist development built on a downtown peninsula in Memphis.
The residence was strategically positioned to frame views of the Mississippi River and Delta beyond, relating in scale to its traditional surroundings. Through careful consideration of form, scale, and materiality, the design dissolves the visual threshold between interior and exterior spaces, opening up through a series of tunable and layered facades to enhance the shared experience between the family and the surrounding community. The project's name, Civitas, reflects its emphasis on community engagement and serves as a visible reminder of our responsibility as environmental stewards.
The construction utilized carbon-smart materials rooted in a hybrid structural system combining salvaged steel members, natural carbon sequestration cross-laminated timber, structural insulated panels, and a robust foundation system. The building envelope features recycled aluminum scrims and black locust exterior wood cladding, complemented by double and triple-glazed windows. Durable polished concrete floors extend both inside and outside, with each material selected for its inherently maintenance-free attributes.
Meeting the AIA 2030 Challenge a full decade ahead of schedule was a crucial goal to demonstrate a viable path toward positive climate change impact. The home produces all the same expressive elements as its new urbanist neighbors while introducing a new composition of materials and transparency that reframes spatial and architectural expectations for environmentally responsible housing. As a learning laboratory for the entire firm, the design embraced experimental processes for creative design strategies addressing community engagement, promotion of equitable communities, biodiversity and nurturing ecosystems, water conservation and reclamation, right-sizing for economy, energy efficiency and on-site renewables, wellness and health, local resources and low material waste, change and adaptability, and discovery of new design opportunities.
Climate resiliency was central to the design strategies, as the site faces flooding risks from the Mississippi River, which can rise as much as 50 feet annually. The location also experiences severe weather including straight-line winds, tornadoes, and ongoing seismic activity from the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which represents the most severe seismic zone east of the Rocky Mountains. These environmental challenges required innovative engineering solutions and robust construction methods.
The project team included Haltom Engineering for mechanical systems, OZER Structural Engineering for structural design, DePouw Engineering for electrical systems, Powers Hill Design for civil engineering, Plants & People for landscape architecture, and Benya Burnett Design for lighting. Additional consultants included BW Engineering for geotechnical work, Lightwave Solar, and Hydro-Temp for geothermal systems. The general contractor was Barry Alan Yoakum, who also served as the client alongside Kathy Yoakum.
In its first year of operation, the Civitas Residence exceeded its performance targets by producing more energy than it consumes annually, serving as a testing ground for thoughtful exploration into transforming the climate impact of the residential market in the hot, humid southern United States. With a 200-year design life cycle, the home offers scalable solutions that will evolve and adapt to the changing needs of future families and environmental conditions. The project achieved an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of -2.6, earned LEED v4.1 Homes Platinum certification, and won the AIA 2021 Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Award for defining the New Domestic Landscape through innovation.
