ARCH 2020

Course Name

ARCH 2020 | ReHousing the American Dream

Course Type

Foundation Studio 3

Instructors

Margarita Jover (coordinator)

Eric Barr / Ryan Carbone / Ian Carr / Luis Pancorbo

Semester

Spring 2016

Institution

University of Virginia

The hypothesis of this studio is that the design of housing is embedded and necessarily attached to a specific urban or suburban culture.  The aim is to design dwellings within the context of an urban renewal of the suburban context aiming to increase density and complexity in a process of urban infill.

The site is a polarized urban condition composed primarily of "big box" commercial spaces and industrial facilities amongst a small grain of single-use houses on small parcels.  Presently, sprawl that emptied the mid-size American city seems to be slowing.  People - especially young generations now in college - are looking for more human interaction, ways to save resources, less car dependency and more flexible and varied models of living.  Based on that on that reality, we see the opportunity to combine an inevitable densification of the area well served by the presence of major infrastructure.  Beyond social issues, there are urban, architectural, and landscape strategies that can push the area into a better future for its citizens.

Aspects such as policy, public investment in infrastructure, and shifting investments from private to public realms are some applicable strategies.  We will try to improve a neighborhood while learning about housing typologies and pursuing innovations in housing culture.