With its slanted roof and viewfinder windows, the 2017 Jim Vlock First Year Building Project is a triumph of smart single-family residential design. It’s also much more than that. The project is the result of a partnership – called Homeless:Housed – between the Yale School of Architecture and non-profit Columbus House, which team up to address the need for high-quality affordable housing. First-year students designed and built the residence with a prefab-panel system. The 93-square-metre home features two double-height volumes – an individual unit and a family space – separated by a central breezeway yet connected by the pitched metal roof. Six large bay windows double as resting nooks, carving out more space in the home while fostering a relationship with the neighbourhood.

Project: 2017 Jim Vlock First Year Building Project Location: New Haven, USA
School: Yale School of Architecture with Columbus House, USA

Team:Adam Hopfner, Alan Organschi, Kyle Bradley and Alison Cunningham with the 2017 Yale School of Architecture First Year Class, Haylie Chan, Zelig Fok, Kerry Garikes and Dan Whitcombe