What is Architecture?
Architecture is…design of values and goals, design through collaboration, design for everyday and everyone.
Architecture should be…available, attainable, accessible, affordable, sustainable.
Architecture is embedded in our daily lives, affecting us in ways we could never have expected, and yet the practice has widely remained attainable to only those who can afford it. The lack of affordability in architecture is continually explored by students and professionals in an effort to widen the availability of architecture to everyone, for every day, and everything.
Affordable Architecture in Practice
The concept of affordable architecture is not new or revolutionary within the industry; however, it is a topic of continual exploration by students and professionals. Within the exploration of affordable architecture, there are many topics of discussions that ensue to define what is affordable architecture.
The history of affordable-housing advocacy movement in the United States has reflected the tensions between our culture’s commitment to provide for the common good and our enshrinement of self-reliance and self-help: between a desire to provide well-designed and durable homes and the long-held belief that housing built with any form of assistance should not “look too good, or cost too much”. (Hinson 2013, pg. XVI)
Architecture is for everyone, every day, and everything; and each architectural manifestation should be addressed and approached in the same manner, no matter the cost. Industry professionals are also arguing this point, that there should be no difference in the architecture and design approach solely based on the project cost or affordability. Specifically, the architects Shigeru Ban of Shigeru Ban Architects and Alejandro Aravena of ELEMENTAL, have both been recognized as Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureates for their focus on affordable architecture.
Work by Shigeru Ban, Source: https://archinect.com/news/article/96419252/shigeru-ban-named-as-2014-pritzker-prize-laureate
In 2014, Shigeru Ban of Shigeru Ban Architects was selected as the Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate, for the reasons as stated by Tom Pritzker, “Shigeru Ban’s commitment to humanitarian causes through his disaster relief work is an example for all. Innovation is not limited by building type and compassion is not limited by budget. Shigeru has made our world a better place” (Shigeru Ban 2014).
Shigeru Ban’s architecture practice has not only created quality architecture that serves society but also intrinsically integrates sustainability as a part of architecture instead of as an add on concept (Shigeru Ban 2014). His practice exudes a sense of professional responsibility to widen the reach of architecture at a consistent level of quality and respect for everyone. Shigeru Ban sets this example in “his respect for the people who inhabit his buildings, whether victims of natural disaster or private clients or the public, is always revealed through his thoughtful approach, functional plans, carefully selected appropriate materials, and the richness of spaces he creates” (Shigeru Ban 2014).
Housing by ELEMENTAL, Source: https://archpaper.com/2016/01/alejandro-aravena-elemental-wins-2016-pritzker-prize/
In 2016, Alejandro Aravena of ELEMENTAL was selected as the Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate, for the reasons as stated by Tom Pritzker:
The jury has selected an architect who deepens our understanding of what is truly great design. Alejandro Aravena has pioneered a collaborative practice that produces powerful works of architecture and also addresses key challenges of the 21st century. His built work gives economic opportunity to the less privileged, mitigates the effects of natural disasters, reduces energy consumption, and provides welcoming public space. Innovative and inspiring, he shows how architecture at its best can improve people’s lives. (Alejandro 2016)
Alejandro Aravena’s architecture practice has focused on a variety of projects of public interest and social impact at different scales in an effort to communicate architecture at many levels. Most notably is the innovative approach of ‘incremental housing’ for low-income social housing projects, to “allows for social housing to be built on more expensive land closer to economic opportunity and gives residents a sense of accomplishment and personal investment” (Alejandro 2016). The public interest and social impact projects pursued in Aravena’s practice display the impact of architecture at many levels no matter the cost or affordability.
Both Shigeru Ban and Alejandro Aravena have been recognized as Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureates and serve as an exemplary sampling of architects taking on the exploration of affordable architecture as a responsibility of the profession to widen the impact of architecture.
Inquiry of Affordable Architecture
Inquiry: How can a prefabricated housing prototype for Habitat for Humanity widen the availability of well-designed and sustainable low-income housing?
At the core of architecture for everyone, every day, and everything; is the house. The current housing market is filled with cookie-cutter designs by home builders, because architect designed homes are out of reach for the masses. Why shouldn’t architecture reach the masses in low-income housing?
“Three things you can depend on in architecture. Every new generation will rediscover the virtues of prefabs. Every new generation will rediscover the idea of stacking people up high. And every new generation will rediscover the virtues of subsidized housing to make cities more affordable. Combine all three – a holy trinity of architectural and social ideals.” – Hugh Pearman (Smith 2010, pg. 3)
On Hand, Hands-On, Hand Up 3D Model by Author
Architecture should reach further, and through an on hand, hands-on, and hand up architectural approach, the everyday house can be available, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and well-designed.
On Hand architecture is…available, attainable, and affordable. It’s about architecture making well-designed low-income housing available to the masses, design innovation with available and affordable resources (programs, materials, systems, etc), and incorporating affordable sustainability and energy efficiency measures in low-income housing.
Hands-On architecture is…collaborative, integrated, and hands-on. It’s about architecture being a process of collaboration between the disciplines, stakeholders, community, and users; a process of design integration so that construction and sustainability are not applied as afterthoughts; and designing for the Habitat’s hands-on approach with unskilled labor from volunteers and homeowners (sweat equity hours).
Hand Up architecture is…raising the bar and transformative. It’s about architecture raising the bar of design and sustainability [social, economic, environmental] in low-income housing, transforming communities through developments that enhance the quality of life, and transforming the lives of the homeowners through the provision of well-designed, quality low-income housing.
References
Alejandro Aravena of Chile receives the 2016 Pritzker Architecture Prize. (2016, January 13). Retrieved from https://www.pritzkerprize.com/announcement-ale-jan-dro-ara-ve-na
Hinson, D., & Miller, J. (2013). Designed for habitat: Collaborations with habitat for humanity. New York, NY: Routledge.
Shigeru Ban. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.pritzkerprize.com/laureates/2014
Smith, R. E. (2010). Prefab Architecture: A Guide to Modular Design and Construction. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.
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