November 15, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — At certain historic moments, new ideas about domesticity have given form to radically different configurations of home and community. With worldwide interest in housing affordability, green design and the necessity for sustainable communities, a powerful opportunity to design affordable housing that responds to current economic, social and environmental challenges presents itself.
Lowering the Cost seeks to provide a new model for conceiving, siting, financing, building and sustaining, affordable housing. Selected teams will work on a specific site, proposing designs for multi-unit dwellings which present new methods for designing, building and financing housing affordable to individuals or families below 100% of Area Median Income. The goal of the competition is to create innovative models for cost efficient prototypes that are sensitive to the scale and composition of the existing conditions while providing a new vision that is legible to a wide array of existing and potential residents. Submissions should propose new and innovative approaches to affordable housing design while addressing statutory limitations, including current zoning and building code regulations. Proposals that work with their jurisdictions to investigate methods for clearing impediments to lowering the cost of housing will be scored highly.
Initial Submission Due: January 15, 2013
For more details and application informaiton, click here.
