Project Data:

Completion Date:     12/31/2034

Square Footage:      39726720

Building Use:           Wellness-driven master planned community

Project Description:

Nestled amidst the picturesque landscape of north Santa Barbara County, Solomon Hills emerges as a beacon of sustainable urbanism and community resilience. As the area forecasts a major population increase and job growth by 2050, this 1,900-acre site is located within 15 miles of major employment centers and is slated to include 4,000 homes, with dedicated space for businesses, supporting up to 2,000 new jobs.

Guided by principles of smart design and responsible land use, Solomon Hills aims to be Santa Barbara County's first carbon-neutral community by 2040. Sustainability is woven into every aspect of the project, from energy-efficient building standards to innovative green initiatives. Planned with adaptability and flexibility, and over various phases, two-thirds of the project will be dedicated to parks, trails, recreation, open space, and protective conservation, while the remaining land will showcase residential neighborhoods prioritizing affordability, accessibility, and environmental stewardship.

Central to its vision is the concept of connectivity—both physical and social. Residents will find themselves seamlessly connected to a vibrant array of passive and active outdoor spaces. These interconnected spaces work in concert, creating a community backbone of highly engaging social and physically varied amenities, open spaces, and trails, all linked by a dedicated five-minute walk or bike trail network.

Design inspiration originates from the site’s natural terrain and rolling hills. The concept of a main village establishes the heart of the community, featuring the Central Park and Community Center, Neighborhood Fitness Center and Pools, and the Welcome Home Center, which will serve as a warm and inviting introduction to the community. Inspired by the region's heritage, the building features organic shapes and earthy tones, constructed using sustainable materials sourced directly from the site.

At the heart of Solomon Hills lies the Central Park and Community Center, a vibrant gathering place designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. The park features winding pathways, lush greenery, and native flora, while the Community Center exudes timeless elegance with its architecture inspired by local traditions, showcasing rammed earth walls and gabion structures throughout. The Neighborhood Fitness Center and Pools provide residents with spaces for holistic well-being, built with locally sourced materials and energy-efficient design elements.

What truly sets Solomon Hills apart is its reverence for the land's rich heritage. Formerly a site of oil and gas production, the project represents a transformative journey towards repurposing land to meet the evolving needs of the community. As the echoes of the past mingle with the promises of the future, Solomon Hills stands poised to redefine the very essence of community living—one sustainable step at a time.

Design for Integration, Design for Equitable Communities, Design for Ecosystems, Design for Water , Design for Economy, Design for Energy, Design for Well-being, Design for Resources, Design for Change, Design for Discovery 

Design for Integration

The preservation and integration of open space and nature: Solomon Hills embodies a forward-thinking approach to community design, aiming to become Santa Barbara County’s first carbon-neutral community by 2040. While the project integrates energy-efficient building standards, the community plan is driven by allowing the site's varied terrain and Santa Barbara County’s unique weather patterns to guide planning and design principles. From the project's land plan, its road network, neighborhood arrangement, density and segmentation strategies, architectural design, open space and amenity concepts, and landscape framework, every decision ties back to terrain, elevation, and orientation. The goal for Solomon Hills is to provide every resident with equal access to the beauty and splendor the site offers and an abundance of opportunities to engage with nature. With 360-degree distant views along the project's numerous hilltops, the environment provides limitless opportunities to engage. The plan is driven by a desire to create a community that values the natural land as its most valuable resource and to capitalize on the benefits a place’s flora and fauna have on one’s quality of life. Roadway alignments, land use designations, neighborhood arrangement and orientations, infrastructure design, and open space connectivity take cues from the topography and follow the forms of the natural land. Road widths are designed to their minimum to preserve open space and allow for a more robust community trail and path system.

While the plan does provide a complete pedestrian network, more importantly, each neighborhood system feeds into a master open-space trail. This master trail connects each of the unique neighborhoods to the various community destinations whether it be community retail, offices, senior living, hotels, schools, ride share, or parks. Neighborhoods arrange dwellings to maximize the site's prevailing wind and passive cooling opportunities. Parks are dispersed along the trail system to encourage an active outdoor lifestyle accessible to everyone. Programs and amenities within each of the parks are varied and purposeful.

Built around the character of the site, and embracing terrain, physical activities complement a healthy and mobile lifestyle. Swimming, running, hiking, biking, nature watching, exploration, and recovery embody the community’s core activities. Iconic architectural appointments within each of the community parks lend themselves to providing an elevated community with a sense of pride and identity. These spaces have refinement and elegance with the purpose of inspiring and inviting residents to engage and celebrate together. By promoting nature first, and allowing the site to more directly inform design, the site’s future community is offered an elevated experience benefiting its social, economic, and environmental fabric.

Design for Equitable Communities

Integrated ideas for retail, employment, home ownership, education, recreation, and transportation: By harnessing “open space” as Solomon Hills’ community identity, the solution results in offering every resident an accessible, walkable, nature-rich community that addresses the needs of working families and first-time buyers. The project aims to provide social equity through affordable housing options and inclusive amenities that promote community togetherness. By placing a priority on open space accessibility, and minimizing car dependency, Solomon Hills creates a human-scaled nature-based community that encourages mobility through walking, hiking, and biking. The integration of a work campus and proximity to other major employment centers in the area ensures a range of economic opportunities for residents, fostering a resilient and diverse community. Community spaces provide both large-scale flexible spaces for community gatherings and events, while other spaces provide solace and reflective moments embedded with nature. Retail experience along with the community’s schools and offices face the community open space system engaging nature in their designs equally.

Design for Ecosystems

Inspired by natural terrain, embracing local habitat, and enriched community experience through agriculture: An emphasis on ecological health is incorporated and prioritized in the project’s design by dedicating two-thirds of its 1,900-acre site to parks, trails, and open spaces. The community’s landscape framework is built around Santa Barbara native plants and showcases the site's majestic Coastal Live Oaks. Built from the habitats on site, the design embraces the existing plant communities and how they are structured. That natural system and its biodiversity create the foundational plants throughout the community and serve as an outdoor classroom building community stewardship for conservation and preservation. The project’s goals and strategies align to preserve local ecosystems and provide residents with equitable access to nature, fostering a deeper connection and appreciation of the local environment. Accompanied by sustainable practices such as green roofing, fog harvesting, and rainwater capturing, we reduce environmental impact and support regional habitat restoration efforts. Through utilizing site-sourced materials and construction methods like rammed earth and gabion walls, we elevate the project's resilience and adaptability to climate change.

Design for Water

Native plant habitats adapted to natural weather patterns, embracing natural open space, and employing the power of fog harvesting: By employing innovative water conservation techniques, including fog harvesting, rainwater capture, and a goal to exceed California’s Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, Solomon Hills ensures efficient water use throughout its design and programming. Community landscapes incorporate native plants that support and complement existing habitats and plant communities. Green roofs, stormwater diverging systems, and bioswales help to manage water responsibly and enhance overall water quality. By integrating these systems, Solomon Hills contributes to a healthy regional watershed and ensures water availability during emergencies. This comprehensive approach to water management supports the community’s sustainability goals while protecting a precious natural resource.

Design for Economy

The value found locally and in nature: Solomon Hills balances cost with long-term value by implementing energy-efficient building standards and scalable sustainable practices. The use of locally-sourced materials and construction techniques reduces construction costs and carbon emissions while highlighting the importance of the goods, materials, and skillsets within the local economy. These measures further enhance the project's economic and environmental value by emphasizing the resources of the Santa Barbara region and ensuring what creates this community comes from this community. By providing abundant amenities within walking or biking distance, Solomon Hills minimizes transportation costs and fosters a self-sufficient community. Through education, community involvement, and stewardship practices, we shift the community emphasis away from overly appointed architecture, with unused or underutilized space(s), and focus on the importance and value of the land and the role it plays in the health and wellness of its residents. This overall project approach supports creating a more affordable and meaningful community, and enhance the quality of life for its residents, making Solomon Hills an economically viable and attractive place to live.

Design for Energy

Passive systems, stringent standards, and reduced dependence: Solomon Hills is committed to energy efficiency and renewable energy, striving to become Santa Barbara County’s first carbon-neutral community. Passive design strategies, community-wide solar integration, and adherence to stringent energy standards reduce fossil fuel dependency and improve building performance. Through efforts such as the inclusion of a community rideshare built into its amenities and infrastructure and connecting community trails to the regional trail system, the plan creates a more robust and interconnected model that emphasizes reducing vehicle dependence and emissions. Higher density development is planned adjacent to the community’s ride share while mixed-use development has been planned in a manner where residential, commercial, and recreational spaces are thoroughly integrated and take advantage of the site's natural terrain maximizing the region's weather for passive cooling opportunities.

Design for Well-being

Emphasis on open space, walkable community with access to trails, and park programs with varied terrain: The Santa Barbara County region is different than any other in California and elsewhere in the world due to its east-west orientation of the coastal mountains, forming valleys opening directly to the Pacific Ocean. This unique topography, the coastal range of the Santa Ynez and San Rafael Mountains, allows the natural flow of fog and ocean breezes to create distinct microclimates, which became this project's key design influences. With cool and moderate temperatures in the west and warm days with cold nights in the east, community planning was formed around this understanding, resulting in a thorough consideration of regional and site-specific weather patterns.

Community activities and amenities are designed to maximize passive cooling, provide necessary shade and shelter, and offer ample outdoor spaces that complement the interior community areas. The plan also encourages and promotes walkability by reducing parking requirements and increasing distances to parking spaces. Mid-block crossings and trail systems are embellished along with small interstitial spaces throughout the master trail system promoting community connections. This emphasizes the pedestrian realm, performing a higher level of function for the community than roadways and streets. The use of natural materials and sustainable design elements enhances indoor air quality and occupant comfort. Community spaces, such as parks, fitness centers, and trails, foster social interaction and connection with nature. By promoting and emphasizing physical, mental, and emotional well-being, Solomon Hills creates a dynamic, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all residents.

Design for Resources

Informed material selection is a cornerstone of Solomon Hills, focusing on reducing embodied carbon and environmental impact. The use of locally sourced, sustainable materials like rammed earth and gabion walls ensures durability and celebrates local craftsmanship. The project prioritizes zero waste principles throughout its lifecycle, from construction to operation. By considering factors such as longevity, safety, and equitable labor practices in the supply chain, Solomon Hills promotes a sustainable and responsible approach to resource management.

Design for Change

Solomon Hills is designed with adaptability and resilience, anticipating future social, economic, and environmental changes that can accommodate evolving resident needs and market demands. Strategies such as passive survivability and robust infrastructure enhance the community’s ability to withstand and recover from emergencies. The project’s mission to incorporate eco-friendly & durable materials, renewable energy sources, water conservation measures, waste reduction programs, and implement green roofs, permeable paving, and passive cooling designs help build a strong community foundation. Having flexible spaces designed for multiple uses contributes to the community’s adaptability. Including residents in the process of feedback loops helps steer the community in its future development, regardless of the challenges.

Planning with flexibility and adaptability is crucial for accommodating the communities’ changing needs over time, new technology developments, and unforeseen local and regional challenges. This forward-thinking approach ensures that Solomon Hills remains a functional and valuable community asset over time, capable of adapting to changing conditions and future uses.

Design for Discovery

Owners and designers as part of the community: The design process of Solomon Hills fosters a collaborative relationship between designers, users, and operators ensuring that design intentions are realized, and performance improves over time. By sharing performance data and resident experiences, the project creates opportunities for continuous learning and refinement. Planning with the intent of building this community over phases allows feedback from initial residents to inform and guide future phases. Community amenities, housing opportunities, retail types, and mobility systems can all be guided through a collaborative and community outreach program. As the community landscape establishes itself, the project team learns what works and builds future phases around these successes. They discover where systems can be improved to further refine sustainability goals, learn how the community uses its spaces, and determine what programs may serve them better as more residents move in. The project team plans for advancements in technology and encourages their implementation where they can offer better solutions for residents, businesses, and schools. Through the community’s social media, gatherings, and sporting and nature events, they share, educate, and learn about the greater community needs. By encouraging surrounding communities and neighborhoods to participate in the events at Solomon Hills, they become good neighbors and ambassadors for the greater Santa Barbara County.

Completion Date:     12/31/2034

Square Footage:      39726720

Building Use:           Wellness-driven master planned community

Location:                 Orcutt, CA

AO

Solstra Communities

RRM Design Group (Civil)

AO