Advanced Studio: Affordable Dream

With the present state of the economy and continuing crisis in real-estate markets + financing, it is critical that we re-examine the nature and design of affordable housing. Be it rural, suburban or urban, families and individuals of middle or lower incomes face growing divides between the supposed ideals of American living (most often portrayed damagingly by bloated housing of bad design) and what is available to them.

Student Work by Camille YuThis studio focused on developing critical and progressive strategies for the problem of affordable housing through the design of prototypical single family housing solutions. The goal was to design projects within a 100k (+20) budget, where the (+20) was used specifically for a special condition or technologies that will advance the living experience beyond contemporary standards. Emphasis was placed on architecture which addressed and promoted the expression of identity, both of the architecture itself (material identity) and the inhabitants (personal identity) as a direct critique of the blighted American housing landscape and it’s beige boxes. A smaller than average square footage was seen as a positive move away from bloated McMansion aspirations, where a smaller footprint is more environmentally friendly and hopefully added value to the cost per sq foot of the living conditions. For the studio, the smaller size enabled students to take a more intimate approach to design and detailing, ultimately seeing the documentation of the project further than a typical semester would allow. As alluded by the +20, the studio promoted the integration of advanced technologies, be they sustainability systems with increased upfront costs usually out of reach for affordable housing, or embedded digital/interactive technologies that transform the way a house is occupied.

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With the present state of the economy and continuing crisis in real-estate markets + financing, it is critical that we re-examine the nature and design of affordable housing. Be it rural, suburban or urban, families and individuals of middle or lower incomes face growing divides between the supposed ideals of American living (most often portrayed damagingly by bloated housing of bad design) and what is available to them.