ARCH002 → International Housing Studio
Housing makes up most of our built environment, the facades playing an essential role in forming a city’s character. Open - ings in these facades reveal and support political, social, and cultural manifestations, such as balconies that allow citizens to protest collectively or talk to each other in times of isolation.
The studio focuses on exploring the complex arrangement of individual and collective programs through the development of supports for the everyday; frameworks that can host intimate do - mesticity yet be open ended enough to absorb change and fu - ture uses. In addition, focuses on individual development of a col - lective housing proposal (of approximately 25-30 dwelling units) that is attentive to the particularities of the climate, culture, history, and social and physical contexts of the featured city.
Before the actual design starts, our studio worked on an introductory exercise with two different critics/cities to become ex - posed to different design approaches, methodologies and climates. French Qua - ters is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans and the city’s cliché postcard im - age. French Quaters’ architecture has one central concept that is the units always has a strong direct connection to the community space and indirect connection to the street.
The design emphasizes adaptable layouts, with spaces defined by potential activities rather than fixed room labels. Co-living apartments serve di - verse groups, offering shared spaces alongside private rooms with kitchenettes and bathrooms. Passive energy strategies, such as optimal ori - entation and cross ventilation, ensure thermal comfort with minimal energy use. The plan fos - ters inclusivity through a mix of dwelling types, accommodating various socioeconomic groups, household structures, and age ranges.
A combination of
approximately 25 housing units
with enough variety within the
system to accommodate diverse
groups of families-people living
together and communal facilities
The design consists of two primary components: one supporting the public plaza and the other housing the residential units. The ground floor serves as a community plaza, constructed with a concrete framework to support the cross-laminat - ed timber (CLT) structure above. A central court - yard enhances the spatial quality of the project, promoting cross-ventilation throughout the hous - ing units while creating a seamless connection between public and private spaces.