Given the collapse of the housing market under the current and prolonged recession, local professional institutions and housing-related government agencies convened a design competition to “re-invent” social housing. Sadly, it became very evident from the competition guidelines that the organizers were looking to perpetuate the existing suburban housing growth model, that has, to this day, proven to be very costly for the state in terms of infrastructure, associated maintenance costs, natural resource consumption, and also in terms of impact to the environment. We decided to participate with a contemporary housing proposal to challenge the current urban growth plans, and the strategies validated by this competition.
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Our proposal presents a dense residential architectural development (within the competition’s zoning provisions), which allows us to dedicate a large segment of the site to a park through which most residents are forced to cross in order to reach their homes. The modern residential modules surround the park and help define it. Using typical second and third floor “informal” additions in suburban developments as precedent, we developed a “parti” with the flexibility to be distributed in a number of configurations, like irregular infill lots, and with units ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms. All configurations start from a single family home at ground level, to meet the demands of those still attached to the idea of a house with an open garage and yard; then, 1 to 2 bedroom units on the 2nd and 3rd levels, some of which enjoy double height spaces; and 2 bedroom units with ample terraces on the 4th floor. Thus, meeting the diverse needs and profiles of this social interest group. Formally, the buildings are segmented both horizontally and vertically for reasons of scale and rhythm. The use of vivid colors in projected volumes has the intention not only to develop a sense of identity for owners but also allude to the Caribbean spirit of Puerto Rican architecture.
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