Fellow Profile

Colin M. Arnold

“The most meaningful accomplishment for me during my Fellowship was the design, development and construction of the Tekoa Boys Residential Campus Buildings. This project was my first major project as a newly licensed architect and incorporated all three aspects of sustainability: environmental, social, and economic.”

— Colin M. Arnold

Fellowship Host:
Community Housing Partners Corporation
Christiansburg, VA

The fruits of Colin Arnold’s Rose Fellowship have been as varied as the communities his host organization serves. The standout among them for Colin was the design and construction of the Tekoa Residential Youth Campus on 15 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The facility provides housing, education and services for 20 at-risk boys. The project, a model for energy efficiency and environmental stewardship, today serves as a learning lab for the residents, industry colleagues and students from Virginia Tech’s departments of architecture environmental building science and building construction.

Backed by funding from an Enterprise Green Communities grant, Colin and his host also developed the Roanoke-Lee Street Housing Project as infill in an historic section of Blacksburg, Virginia. This award winning project provides 14 attractive, environmentally sustainable duplex homes for first-time homebuyers in this university town.

Colin founded Community Design Studio, LLC, a regional design firm with a staff of four LEED AP architects. He provides design assistance to community development corporations, including his host organization, Community Housing Partners. Colin holds a bachelor of environmental design from Texas A&M University and a master of architecture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Accolades for Colin’s work include: 2004 Virginia Housing Award for Best Housing Development; 2005 Virginia Green Innovation Award for Best Institutional Project; 2006 Virginia Green Innovation “Green Designer” Award; 2007 Home Depot Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing Built Responsibly; and 2007 Best in American Living Award for Excellence.

Enterprise Community Partners