Our final presentation in Minimal Dwelling is Monday.(a'la SketchUp)
Showing posts with label minimal dwelling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label minimal dwelling. Show all posts
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Just For Fun
Our final presentation in Minimal Dwelling is Monday.(a'la SketchUp)
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Temporary Housing Project
Click image for a larger viewFor Professor Fifield's Minimal Dwelling Class
Temporary Housing
The ideas behind our temporary structures are as follows. A bundle of materials is sent to a site in need of emergency housing. Local materials like concrete block or mud brick can be used for the foundation and the shipped materials are lightweight, affordable, and low impact environmentally. The shipping container itself, a canvas bundle bound with cable, can be used as part of the structure so no packing materials are needed.
Thanks to project partners and UO Architecture classmates Wyatt Hammer & Eric Lindstrom.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The American Flophouse Revisited (Boards)
Its refreshing to see how much can be accomplished in a short time when working with a capable team. Thanks again to classmates Eric Lindgrin & Wyatt Hammer.
The American Flophouse Revisited (Research)
The following notes are derived from The HOME House Project : the future of affordable housing, by David J. Brown and Designing for the Homeless: Architecture that Works, by Sam Davis.
The idea of shelter is as core to America’s understanding of freedom and citizenship as are the rights defined within the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Even so, we as a country do not observe shelter, even in its most basic form, as a right afforded to everyone. This lack of support occurs at all levels, be it federal, state, city, or social, further exacerbating the issue of homelessness in America. We wish to find out what causes homelessness, who are the homeless, and how can architecture help?
What causes homelessness?
- Destruction of post-war housing projects
- Labor mobility
- Pursuit of jobs
- Movement to non-union states
- Outsourced labor
- Shortage of affordable housing
- Increasing gap between minimum wage and a living wage
- Growing population
- Gentrification of downtowns
- Longer lifespan of chronically ill
- Dwindling number of mental health facilities
- Weakening family ties
- Drug epidemic
Who does the design of shelter matter to?
- The homeless
- Those who work with them
- The neighboring community
- Society at large
Emergency short-stay shelter is a critical first step, but there is also a need for transitional housing for those who can return to the market economy, and permanent housing with support services for those who cannot.
How can architecture help?
1. Create facilities that sustain the dignity of those who have fallen on hard times
2. Well designed facilities can encourage those who are usually reluctant to seek services
- Many homeless have had previous experiences in other oppressive facilities such as prison or mental-health centers
3. Can help to manage modest budgets to create safe and welcoming places
4. Can play a critical role in overcoming communities’ reluctance to homeless facilities
- In order to be successful, homeless facilities must be:
- situated in residential and commercial areas
- near public transportation
- near jobs, social services, and schools
- The consensus among social workers is that the more remote the facility, the less effective it will be
5. Help policymakers and general public understand that it costs more to care for a homeless family in a shelter than in permanent housing, and that building permanent supportive housing for mentally ill homeless pays for itself through the reduction in services.
6. Create choice for the homeless
Choice and self-determination are the cornerstones of dignity; giving a homeless person a diversity of spaces within a single facility aids in restoring this dignity
Who are the homeless?
- 40% are families, the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. These are single parents, often young women and their children.
- 22% are employed. Some of these homeless earn minimum wage while others earn substantially more.
- 10% of homeless are seniors, but their numbers are steadily growing. Their reliance on fixed incomes limits their accessibility to market-rate housing, while many have no income at all and also suffer from poor health.
- 10 to 25% are continually homeless
- 10% live in rural communities
- 30% of the homeless are substance abusers. For some substance abuse contributed to their homelessness, while other began using in response to the despair of being homeless
- 30% of the homeless have some form of mental illness, including depression. These people are also some of the most resistant to using shelter facilities - those who distrust authority, cannot abide by rules, and feel threatened by group living
This last group, those resistant to traditional methods of facility treatment, is who we want to focus on for our design project.
The idea of shelter is as core to America’s understanding of freedom and citizenship as are the rights defined within the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Even so, we as a country do not observe shelter, even in its most basic form, as a right afforded to everyone. This lack of support occurs at all levels, be it federal, state, city, or social, further exacerbating the issue of homelessness in America. We wish to find out what causes homelessness, who are the homeless, and how can architecture help?
What causes homelessness?
- Destruction of post-war housing projects
- Labor mobility
- Pursuit of jobs
- Movement to non-union states
- Outsourced labor
- Shortage of affordable housing
- Increasing gap between minimum wage and a living wage
- Growing population
- Gentrification of downtowns
- Longer lifespan of chronically ill
- Dwindling number of mental health facilities
- Weakening family ties
- Drug epidemic
Who does the design of shelter matter to?
- The homeless
- Those who work with them
- The neighboring community
- Society at large
Emergency short-stay shelter is a critical first step, but there is also a need for transitional housing for those who can return to the market economy, and permanent housing with support services for those who cannot.
How can architecture help?
1. Create facilities that sustain the dignity of those who have fallen on hard times
2. Well designed facilities can encourage those who are usually reluctant to seek services
- Many homeless have had previous experiences in other oppressive facilities such as prison or mental-health centers
3. Can help to manage modest budgets to create safe and welcoming places
4. Can play a critical role in overcoming communities’ reluctance to homeless facilities
- In order to be successful, homeless facilities must be:
- situated in residential and commercial areas
- near public transportation
- near jobs, social services, and schools
- The consensus among social workers is that the more remote the facility, the less effective it will be
5. Help policymakers and general public understand that it costs more to care for a homeless family in a shelter than in permanent housing, and that building permanent supportive housing for mentally ill homeless pays for itself through the reduction in services.
6. Create choice for the homeless
Choice and self-determination are the cornerstones of dignity; giving a homeless person a diversity of spaces within a single facility aids in restoring this dignity
Who are the homeless?
- 40% are families, the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. These are single parents, often young women and their children.
- 22% are employed. Some of these homeless earn minimum wage while others earn substantially more.
- 10% of homeless are seniors, but their numbers are steadily growing. Their reliance on fixed incomes limits their accessibility to market-rate housing, while many have no income at all and also suffer from poor health.
- 10 to 25% are continually homeless
- 10% live in rural communities
- 30% of the homeless are substance abusers. For some substance abuse contributed to their homelessness, while other began using in response to the despair of being homeless
- 30% of the homeless have some form of mental illness, including depression. These people are also some of the most resistant to using shelter facilities - those who distrust authority, cannot abide by rules, and feel threatened by group living
This last group, those resistant to traditional methods of facility treatment, is who we want to focus on for our design project.
The American Flophouse Revisited (Goals/Statagies)
Goals
We want to design a new approach to the traditional flophouse, one that meets contemporary standards for safety while supplying very low-cost temporary housing to those individuals who will not use the services of group shelter facilities.
In proceeding with this particular area of housing, we understand that this type of shelter is not ideal when observing long-term goals of homeless rehabilitation. For many homeless, the traditional movement from assisted living in highly organized facilities to transitional housing and then to market-rate homes is an effective strategy and has worked well in many cities. This being said, there remains a significant portion of homeless who will not use these services, due in large part to previous experiences in other institutions, be them mental, correctional, or otherwise. Simple accommodations, for an individual, that provide shelter from the weather and some level of safety and security are the paramount concerns.
Strategies
1. Develop a core module for the individual that supplies a place for rest, some storage for personal belongings, and a sense of privacy.
2. Develop an arrangement of these modules that maximizes the use of a given space, while supplying necessary egress space and restroom/washroom needs.
3. Develop a materials palette for these modules that will make them affordable to construct, easy to move and erect, and resistant to abuse
4. Develop a way to maximize ventilation and daylighting of these modules while providing some form of safe enclosure at the top.
We want to design a new approach to the traditional flophouse, one that meets contemporary standards for safety while supplying very low-cost temporary housing to those individuals who will not use the services of group shelter facilities.
In proceeding with this particular area of housing, we understand that this type of shelter is not ideal when observing long-term goals of homeless rehabilitation. For many homeless, the traditional movement from assisted living in highly organized facilities to transitional housing and then to market-rate homes is an effective strategy and has worked well in many cities. This being said, there remains a significant portion of homeless who will not use these services, due in large part to previous experiences in other institutions, be them mental, correctional, or otherwise. Simple accommodations, for an individual, that provide shelter from the weather and some level of safety and security are the paramount concerns.
Strategies
1. Develop a core module for the individual that supplies a place for rest, some storage for personal belongings, and a sense of privacy.
2. Develop an arrangement of these modules that maximizes the use of a given space, while supplying necessary egress space and restroom/washroom needs.
3. Develop a materials palette for these modules that will make them affordable to construct, easy to move and erect, and resistant to abuse
4. Develop a way to maximize ventilation and daylighting of these modules while providing some form of safe enclosure at the top.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Prescedents
Project: Puzzle Loft
Architect: Kyu Sung Woo Architects
Location: New York, New York
Project: The Eastlake Lofts
Architect: Unknown
Location: Seattle, Washington
Project: Z-Box
Architect: Dan Hisel Design
Location: Lynn, Massachusettes
Project: Sarti Residence
Architect: Unknown
Location: Seattle, Washington
Project: Equinox Condos
Architect: David Sarti
Location: Seattle, Washington (Eastlake)
Project:Engawa House 1 & 2
Architect: Tezuka Architects
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Project: Z-Glass
Architect: Tumbleweed Houses
Location: Sebastopol, CA
Friday, February 01, 2008
Despark Hotel
I discovered the Despark Hotel while searching for information on Historic Flophouse design and Japanese Capsule Hotels. These appear to be concrete sewage pipes converted into minimalist hotel rooms. An ingenious use of recycled materials but I'm not sure how secure I would feel sleeping in a giant cylandar with only a small portal for light when the door is closed.
Babel Fish Translation:
- Reopening
With the season opening on May those park hotel starts 4 as a new form of hospitality equipment in the public area already 2007 into its third season.
As offer to everyday life refugees, culture travelers, cyclists... or those the one little distance to the daily surrounding field and a new "inspirative" environment to individual horizon the extension search, would like to offer those park hotel with its on substantial reduced luxury, temporary, comfortable, uncomplicated at home.
All love and until soon.
Gunda Wiesner and Andreas's bunch
For more information:
Despark Hotel - Official Website
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)