A new Urban Structure for Equitable Housing
Sector
Urban Design
Location
Chicago, US / London, UK
Year
2020
Featured in: Between the Leaves: Volume 1, On Housing
by Canopy / architecture + design | May 25, 2021
NLA,Housing Londoners : Innovation in Delivery and Design | September 21, 2023
CORE MODULE
A timber structure 4mX4mX4m as simply designed as possible so that the result can easily be replicated by a small builder team.
This structure can take many forms depending its intended use.
Main uses (but not limited to)
- Communal / circulation area - vertical or horizontal
- Main usable area (office, residential etc)
- Wet area (kitchen, bathrooms etc)
- Open protected amenity area
- Utility and M&E area
The core module will have one fixed solid side that will add to the structural rigidity and will incorporate any piping and cabling required. The 4m height allows for suspended floors and ceilings for any horizontal piping and cabling that need to connect to the vertical ones.
CITY BLOCK - COMMUNITY
A city block of 100mX100m has been modeled for the purpose of this exercise.
It is very important not to separate the housing from other uses - work, education or leisure related. A small community should be self reliant for most of its requirements. This urban unit can accommodate lots of uses over multiple levels.
The city block will house a local community. People will be able to live based on a services based system. Users can subscribe to the community uses allowing them to use modules and shape them according to their needs, while contributing either financialy or by working for the community providing services - each community will be able to provide shelter for people who cannot temporarily or permanently contribute in a work/financial way and care for them. When additional housing is required an Engineering team with the help of AI systems which will monitor structure, light, availability etc, will rearrange the existing modules and add new ones allowing the uses in place to relocate while keeping the same layout of homes/office space etc with minimum disruption to everyday life. The simple design of the Core Modules will make it easy to produce them locally, and the flexible design nature of the add-on structural panels will make sure the structural integrity is uncompromised and the users get their required sizes and layouts.
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This project was an exercise in modularity, adaptability and equitability in housing. Following Canopy/architecture's call for entries, this proposal was shortlisted and included in the 1st publication on Housing. It is currently under development and more infromation will come soon on the constructability of the modules, the structural integrity, the diversity of the facades and the overal costs and technical requirements.
The project has recently been featured in the New Lonond Architecture (NLA) report - Housing Londoners: Innovation in delivery and design.
You can download the report here
https://nla.london/insights/housing-londoners-innovation-in-delivery-and-design
