Architects Add Creative Design To Public Housing

January 31, 2008

Architects are seeing designing new public housing as a creative opportunity.

Today, most affordable housing is built by private developers or local agencies financed with a mix of public and private money as communities adopt “inclusionary zoning” ordinances. These laws require developers to set aside units in new construction that will be affordable for families of modest means.

Good design is increasingly important because the homes must appeal not only to full-price buyers, but also be economically built so affordably priced units don’t stand out.

Architecture is also being used as a wedge against NIMBYism (Not in My Back Yard). Well-designed projects reassure neighbors and potential buyers that the homes won’t deteriorate into slums.

The chance to do ground-breaking architecture is also wooing architects who wouldn’t consider such projects if they weren’t a chance to do creative work.

A single-room-occupancy building that opened in Chicago in March was designed by Helmut Jahn, internationally known for his glass-sheathed skyscrapers. The 96-unit SRO, where most residents pay less than $160 a month in rent, resembles a train, with its long, narrow shape, curved roof, and glass-and-steel exterior.

And in Santa Monica, Calif., a recently completed 41-unit apartment building, designed by Pugh + Scarpa Architects, incorporates green design elements. It is partially clad in blocks made of recycled crushed aluminum cans and has a sail-shaped metal screen that helps shield the building from the sun.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Posted in Real Estate, Things of Interest