As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created the design and management of a pocket neighborhood for a site near Maquoketa, Iowa for the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA).

The report outlines the recommended site designs as well as alternative options considered for the pocket neighborhood in Maquoketa. The purpose of the pocket neighborhood is to provide affordable housing while also creating a sense of ownership among residents and incorporating sustainable and green building concepts. The Maquoketa pocket neighborhood project includes ten 1,064 sq. ft. homes that have options for two or three bedrooms. The homes are designed to face a community common ground which includes a gazebo and appealing flower beds that also act as rain gardens.

The civil and environemtnal engineering students developed preliminary drawings for the site plan, grading plan, utility sizing and location, and road and pavement design, with a goal to keep cost down while creating an aesthetically appealing housing layout and community area. The students considered alternative designs for the pocket neighborhood including duplex housing, separating garages from housing units, as well as a range of housing placements on the site including placing the houses along the roads to eliminate the access road which would reduce costs.  Along with the designs, students calculated cost estimates for the project.