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This  ambitious,  holistic  and  replicable  vision  seeks  to  provide  an  affordable, socially cohesive and climate change–resilient housing option for one of Houston’s most vulnerable communities.

It proposes that any new residential development  in  the  Texan  city’s  Third  Ward,  a  predominantly  Black  neighbourhood,  must  increase  density  to  bring  down  the  cost  for  developers  and   buyers  and  satisfy  demands  for  affordable  habitation  away  from  the  flood-plain; maintain the essential spatial and social qualities to which Houstonians are  accustomed;  and  protect  residents from  flooding  while  reintroducing porous surfaces to the urban landscape to mitigate runoff.

“Elegant solution, well-detailed building, great research. Hard to believe this is student work!”
Susannah Drake, AZ Awards 2021 Juror

It’s a tall order. And it’s encompassed by a novel, hyper-densified take on the shotgun house model typical of the area, where the  porch  has  long  been  a  place  for  gathering.  Within  a  permeable envelope  featuring  generous  operable  windows,  this  new iteration  flips  the  porches  from  the  short  end  to  the  long  side in order to organize units in a linear formation while maximizing opportunities for natural light and cross-ventilation.

All the units are situated on upper levels, opening up the ground plane for  green  areas,  parking  and  shared  amenities  while  providing   residents with protection from flooding. The prefab kit of parts also  includes  “chunky”  interior  walls  that  incorporate basic appliances  and  storage.  It’s  an  all-in-one,  A-to-Z,  tailor-made  response to the city’s housing problem.

Winner: A+ Award for Student Work
AZ Awards 2021 Winner: A New Housing Model for Social and Environmental Resilience in Houston’s Third Ward

This ambitious, holistic and replicable vision seeks to provide an affordable, socially cohesive and climate change–resilient housing option for one of Houston’s most vulnerable communities.

Explore more Award Winners

2016
Award of MeritA+ Award for Student Work
Location
Zhengzhou, China
School
Harvard University Graduate School of Design, U.S.
2014
Award of MeritA+ Award for Student Work
Designer
Rowan Liivamägi, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver, British Columbia
2013
Award of MeritA+ Award for Student Work
Team
Arina Agieieva and Dmytro Zhuikov, Dessau Institute of Architecture, Germany