Suburbia Forever

RISD, «Am I Your Type» Studio Analytical Drawing Spring 2022

In collaboration with Crescent Feng, Jaime Dunlap

This analysis was started by studying plans of pre-fab homes from the 1950’s and 1960’s from archival catalogues. We studied floor plans of typical middle class suburban homes from each decade from 1950’s to 1990’s and reconstructed these homes. Through the means of collage we documented not only architectural trends of each decade, but broader social issues. For example, living room shows the progression of family values and women’s role in the family; the kitchen shows the progression of women’s domestic labor; bedroom - progression of the self of the woman; the bathroom - privacy, cleanliness and sexual liberation of the said woman. The drawing becomes a sort of treasure hunt for small details elaborating on the life of women in American suburbia from the 1950’s to the 1990’s.

The time periods we selected can be categorized as consumption (1950s), reduction (2050s) and survival (2150). Throughout all decades we collaged in easter eggs which communicate our satirical and critical analysis of these times.

Pictured on the lest are drawings from consumption (1950s) and survival (2150).

Consumption (left):

Our group started out research by studying the origin of the modern American suburban home and reconstructed the ideal home from pattern books and magazines, tracing the disposition of these domestic spaces. The 1950s in America are categorized by booming consumption encouraged by the government to re-build post-war America. Consumerism and participation in capitalism (not communism) were deemed as patriotic. In the drawings we demonstrate the obsession with branded goods and the commodities that show status and middle-class standing. The post-war optimism disregarded the limits of non-renewable resources and thus largely contributed to waste culture.

Survival (right):

Even though the ecological effort of the 2050s is notable, the responsibility of an individual does not compare to the impact of the large companies which continue to contribute to environmental damage. and global warming.

Additionally, continuing population growth and hotter climate threaten suburbia as we know it to be. We imagine that the suburban home and the other types of the built environment would move under the ground to withstand the increasing global temperatures.

The typology of a single family suburban home is changed by compounded living, where many generations of one family or even different families come together to survive. As the food is scarce, the kitchen becomes the focus of the home, where the compound gets together.

Technology is tasked to remedy the lack of natural environment and outdated connections to nature. The transportation and community connections also move under the ground as a web of tunnels.