Reimagining the Suburbs: a new typology of adaptable, attainable, and agency-driven housing.

Reimagining the Suburbs:

a new typology of adaptable, attainable, and agency-driven housing. – Robin Wyckoff

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Dedications My Entire Family My entire family, esspecially my mom and dad, for always being there to guide me.

Jake Pirulli Jake Pirulli for never letting me forget my own strength and potential.

Eric Gabrielson Eric Gabrielson for always giving so much of himself for our family, and for acting as a constant inspiration, motivating me to act as selflessly he did.

Front Matter | 5

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Acknowlegements Thank you.

I would like to thank the following people: my thesis II professor, Mike Wolfson; our program director, Kelly Hutzel; the library research support staff; and, of course, my peers.

I would also like to thank Anne-Catrin Schultz, my thesis studio professor. I am very grateful for her constant dedication to helping her students learn. She exudes passion and is constantly encouraging her students to grow.

Front Matter | 7

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Contents 1 Framework

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2 Housing for the People:

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3 Design Explorations

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4 The New Suburb:

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5 The Future of the Suburb

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A Personal Housing Crisis

Lily Park

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Abstract Title

Keywords

Reimagining the Suburbs: a new typology of agency and community driven housing.

collective efficacy, agency, legibility, attainability, adaptability, organized complexity, housing, suburbs, home

Author Robin Wyckoff

Abstract

Professors

My thesis reimagines housing in the American Fall: Linda Weld; thesis I suburb by providing residents with a new typol- Mike Wolfson; thesis II ogy of housing that will activate a sense of collective efficacy through opportunities of agency, Spring: Anne-Catrin Schultz; thesis studio adaptability, and attainability. The current structure of housing in the American suburbs is an outdated and inefficient use of time, money, and resources. This system has barely changed since the 1940s. It is clear that not only has the “American dream� developed over time but so do the people and families living it. In the span of a family owning a home, the needs of the family can change drastically. It is important for the home, one of the most sacred spaces in a person’s life, to reflect the people living in it. Every person and family has different and ever-changing needs.

This new typology allows for anyone to adapt their home to these changes over time, as well as provide outlets for customization. Housing is not just for the rich, average, or knowledgable, it is a necessity for everyone. My thesis provides a housing system that allows all residents to make their house a home.

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Definitions Collective Efficacy:

Organized Complexity:

“When people are involved in creating and nur- “The richly diverse and layered solutions that turing their own environments, they also feel a balance a order and variety.”⁴ greater sense of agency, community and pride”¹

Agency:

Adaptability:

“The thoughts and actions taken by people that “The quality of being able to adjust to new condiexpress their individual power... the power peo- tions. The capacity to be modified for a new use ple have to think for themselves and act in ways or purpose.” ⁵ that shape their experiences and life trajectories.” ²

Legibility:

Attainability:

“Architectural legibility is the degree to which “Being possible to achieve, reach, or get” the designed features of the environment aid people in creating an effective mental image, or “cognitive map” of the spatial relationships within a building, and the subsequent ease of wayfinding within the environment.” ³

Front Matter | 13

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. – Maya Angelou 14 | Reimagining the Suburbs

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1 Framework and sense of connection. This can be done with a Reimagine housing in balance of public and private spaces, incorporating moments of intimacy and vulnerability, while the American suburb still providing moments of safety and grounding.

It isn’t about individualizing housing, but about by providing residents making a house a home for the users even as they change socially and physically. with a new typology of housing that will activate a sense of Framework: collective efficacy Growing up I had divorced parents and I moved lot, that meant at any given time I lived in two through opportunities of aplaces at once and those places changed a lot (I lived in about 7 places since I was born). While agency, adaptability, and in college, I have lived on Wentworth’s campus.

This means I move rooms frequently, sometimes attainability. as often as every semester. I always knew I had a house or a roof over my head, but my idea of “home” has always been somewhat distorted. I haven’t always felt safe, comfortable or happy where I was living for various reasons. This had to do with the inability to make a space my own, and the lack of community, distinguishing People need the opportunity to develop a sense between public and private spaces. of agency and self in their home environment.

The experience one needs to develop in their Summer of 2019, my step dad suddenly passed home is very personal, and changes over time. away from a heart attack while out to go pick up This will be done by creating moments where dinner. Besides the obvious pain of losing somethe user is in control of their own unit, and will one close to you, as a family we had to redevelop have control to adapt their system over time, as who we were and what roles we had in our home. their life changes. Besides agency, it is import- He was the glue that held the house together, ant not to lose legibility. The safety of infrastruc- almost literally. That means the home we once ture and context of community is integral to the lived in lost a lot of that sense of home. As a design process. Legibility is also important to future architect, I constantly think about where allow for the user to maintain an understanding I am spatially, and how it affects me and the peo-

Argument:

Framework | 15

ple surrounding me. After he passed, I took on a lot of the responsibilities that he was used to, like doing the dishes, grocery shopping, cleaning the bathrooms, and plenty more things that one tends to overlook. We were all struggling to feel like ourselves again in this house because we all had to make drastic changes to our lives just to keep going. Currently, I’m at school, and all I want is to be at home with my family, even though home doesn’t mean the same thing anymore. Home, to me, is more strongly linked to family and connection than a roof over my head.

This house doesn’t mean home anymore. This all begs the question: how could a house change to maintain the same value of “home” even when the circumstances of the people change? and how can architecture influence a feeling of home for each family. The importance is obvious to me, but I need to investigate how to overcome this roadblock, not only for me, but for anyone who is struggling to build connections and maintain individuality.

To understand how to provide successful housing it is important to develop a context. The United States history of housing and architectural culture dictate how housing is currently designed.

Unfortunately, the infrastructure and design of housing is still responding to a version of culture, that has changed. The American suburbs have yet to reflect the new generation of designers and residents, and their needs. The only way to move forward is to analyze the current system and learn from what is or isn’t working.

The cultural structure in the United States that had been dictating the way we design structures.

This infrastructure, was initially influenced by a reaction to the Revolutionary War. As a new country, post war conditions forced the culture to develop quickly. In this struggle for identity that the revolution brought, American architecture took inspiration from numerous sources.

Strong columns, often lining our government buildings, were mimicking the Greek, Roman

Urban, Suburban and Rural Investigation. 2019. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

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Repetative Nature of assembly line like Levittown houses. 1954, Street view in Levittown, New York, (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

civic structures. This was strongly influenced by the idea of democracy, and independence. This meant most forms were designed to take influence from other cultures, but develop a unique identity for the young country. Generally, American architecture can be seen as a mirror to American culture: a melting pot. The initial formation infrastructure played its role in shaping architecture culture as a whole. Inspiration is often an amalgamation, as a way to learn from the application throughout history, while adapting it to fit the necessities of the context. This element of combination and iteration created a sense of understanding of spaces, while still providing opportunities of individuality, something integral to the formation of the country.

The next cultural revolution in architecture came as a response to the second industrial revolution, WWII and post WWII conditions. This is notable especially in the breakdown of urban, suburban, and rural zones. Urban zones continued to grow along with industrialization beginning as early as the late 19th century. American’s transitioned from a rural agrarian culture, to a peo-

ple inspired by the industrial city spectacle. As the divide between rural and urban zones grew, the in between zones began to develop their own identity. The conflicting influences from the rural and urban cultures created the suburban zones. Suburban zones provide an infrastructure and stability, something that is influenced by the urban progression. Even with this, there is still an opportunity for change, expansion, and adapting, something that pulls inspiration for the rural experience. Unfortunately, this ideal bubble of suburban living, was muddled by the effects that WWII created. WWII started in 1939, and ended in 1945. While the war officially ended in 1945, the effects were still being translated into everyday life for Americans. Americans capitalized on their current expertise with industrialization and manufacturing and dove into an era of efficiency. While this seems exciting, it degraded the quality of life of the residents in the United States. WWII ending, meant that the energy that was directed to solely war efforts could be redistributed to the needs of the people. Unfortunately, the need for adequate housing, was so great, that the ideology of efficiency Framework | 17

overtook the initial culture of post revolutionary war architecture.

The origin of the suburbs is often attributed to Levittowns. Levittowns were a post WWII development, made to accommodate veteran families, and do so as efficiently as possible. This meant that houses were manufactured, not really designed and built. This was a necessary business model for housing that was designed to provide a little piece of the American dream to everyone, through the opportunity of owning a house and domestication. Levittowns were a way to build up a housing typology for the middle class. Even though every other house was identical, every family was able to have their own house and yard, and initially that was enough. The designs were repetitive, yet they were individual because they were single family. Although, immediately residents began to feel the pressure to “edit� their houses to fit their own needs. These simple structures, were just a base for people to take over, built around a neighborhood or community.

The initial Levittowns, were built so hastily that the structures were not built to last, so improvements were not just wanted, but necessary. This problem with the architectural infrastructure, was actually an opportunity for the residents to take over and develop their own sense of home within their little plot.1 Levittowns were simultaneously, dreams and nightmares for anyone searching for individuality and community. The sense of agency of the residents, came from the failings of the architect to provide context for them, while the legibility actually came from the mutual intent of the residents moving in. Both qualities, came from humans inert desire for the residents, not as something built into the typology itself.

1956, demolished 1973. Saint Louis: Pruitt-Igoe Housing Project: in the process of destruction. https://library.artstor.org/asset/ARTSTOR_103_41822000095677.

Levittowns, in the sense that it was developed as a quick and efficient way to house as many people, (generally middle to lower class) as possible. Initially the complex was almost filled to capacity, but that statistic dropped quickly. The buildings fell into disarray, and residents moved The infamous Pruitt-Igoe is another example of out due to the failed system. The residents were a failed housing typology, but one with valuable packed into identical buildings, 11 stories high. lessons embedded. Pruitt-Igoe systemically failed Even though there were plenty of people, there due to poor political timing, and social uprising. was now community connections, just closed Pruitt-Igoe was another design test, similar to off units. This meant the residents didn’t feel 18 | Reimagining the Suburbs

responsible for the failings of the infrastructure around them, so it just got worse. Eventually, the remaining residents rebelled and protests arose, encouraging the demolition of the crumbling highrises.2 Pruitt-Igoe, not only serves as a warning to designers, to NOT design closed off highrises to house people, but it serves as a beacon showing that the residents, do in fact care about their living conditions, and will fight for conditions that they are happy with. This shows how people are invested in their housing conditions. Pruitt-Igoe only reflected the Post WWII manufacturer model of housing, not the residents and their needs.

ones affected. Already established families are no longer the same nuclear family. Families are dynamic and all have different needs, needs that change over time. Divorce is a lot more common, meaning families are broken up into smaller units. Conversely, multigenerational families are becoming more common. This is seen more often in other cultures, and it is beginning to be the norm in America. The dynamic, often referred to as “millennial culture� doesn’t just affect millennials. This new wave of family structures, and the next generation need a place to live that reflects the current cultural standards.

Current housing typologies are in response to industrialization and Post WWII conditions. The All of this sets up a valuable history of the origins new culture demands a typology that accounts of housing in America and how it was shifted over for people, reminiscent of our post revolutionary time. Initially architecture was fueled by a desire war design fervor. for independence, and reflected that through its iterative design model. This driving force was halted during WWII and through the post war conditions. This breakdown of motivation is still plaguing the American housing system today.

Through these cultural shifts, it is clear that people still care about their housing, and want it to reflect on themselves, but they are trapped by the permanent infrastructure that was built as a reflection of Post WWII ideals.

People still have an inherent want for individuality, as well as connection, but their priorities and reality have shifted. It is less about doing everything as fast as possible, and more about developing and aesthetic and wanting to share in that. This transition, from a industrialization/ Post WWII model is generally being lead by millennial culture. With millennials being crippled by debt, and a lack of jobs paying livable wages, they resort to either living with their parents, or living in overcrowded apartments. They have taken this as a chance to slow down. Millennials are delaying marriage, careers, and more lifelong experiences. Through all of this, millennials are itching to be understood, identified, and independent given the current housing crisis. Interestingly enough, millennials are not the only Framework | 19

Notes: Front Matter

Framework

1. Lily Bernheimer, “How Architecture Shapes 1. Colin Marshall, “Levittown, the Prototypical Our Cities - and Our Lives,” The Guardian American Suburb,” The Guardian (Guard(Guardian News and Media, November 26, ian News and Media, April 28, 2015), 2017), https://www.theguardian.com/lifehttps://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/ andstyle/2017/nov/26/how-architectureapr/28/levittown-america-prototypishapes-our-cities-and-our-lives) cal-suburb-history-cities) 2. Nicki Lisa Cole, “What Is the Sociolog- 2. Colin Marshall, “Pruitt-Igoe: the Troubled ical Definition of Human Agency?,” High-Rise That Came to Define Urban ThoughtCo (DotDash, January 22, 2019), America,” The Guardian (Guardian News https://www.thoughtco.com/agency-defiand Media, April 22, 2015), https://www. nition-3026036) theguardian.com/cities/2015/apr/22/ 3. Michael J. Oneill, “Evaluation of a Conpruitt-igoe-high-rise-urban-america-histoceptual Model of Architectural Legibilry-cities) ity.”Abstract. Environment and Behavior 23, no. 3 (1991): 259–84. https://doi. org/10.1177/0013916591233001.

4. “Columns,” Columns, October 23, 2018, pp.

57-57, https://issuu.com/aiadallas/docs/columns-autumn-2018-webres, 57.

5. Oxford Dictionaries, s.v. “adaptability,” accessedFebruary 16, 2019, https://www. lexico.com/en/definition/adaptability

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Structure: Housing for the People: A Personal Housing Crisis

The New Suburb: Lily Park

The literature review dives into the issues at hand relating to collective efficacy, agency, and legibility. The sources discuss and argue the benefits of agency and legibility. As seen by the sources, agency and legibility are paramount to the success of housing for the residents. It is also shown that agency cannot exist on its own without an involuntary reaction to legibility. With this, an argument for a balance between the two is developed.

this chapter explains the final iteration of the design of the new suburb. The new development, named Lily Park, provides agency, adaptability, and attainability for all residents. This chapter presents the site, the design concept, the interior experience, timeline infographics, and exterior views. The design provides a housing system that allows for residents to change their home easily and affordably as needed.

Design Explorations

The Future of the Suburb

This chapter explores the balance layed out in the literature review. Agency and legibility are integral to the design process, and are the driving force for the housing typology. These designs test the legitimacy of the ways housing systems can balance agency and legibility. There are various methods explored. This ranges anywhere from extreme moments of agency, and extreme moments of legibility, as a way to find the correct balance between the two to apply to the newly imagined culture of the American suburb.

This chapter speaks to the implications of the design in the world, as well as how to move forawrd with the theories presented in this thesis. This chapter acts as a reflection of the process and of steps on how to move forawrd.

Framework | 21

To dwell means to belong to a given place, and furthermore to possess a house where the heart may blossom and the mind muse. – Christian Norberg-Schulz

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2 Housing for the People: A Personal Housing Crisis

Collective Efficacy “When people are involved in creating and nurturing their own environments, they also feel a greater sense of agency, community and pride – a quality known as ‘collective efficacy.’” ¹ Collective efficacy, as defined by Lily Bernheimer, environmental psychology consultant, writer, and researcher, is a way to analyze human behavior in relationship to space.² Specifically, in housing and housing communities, this ideology sets up a complex system that architects must attack to design housing that works for the residents. Housing is a universal need and linked to it is the social responsibility of an architect to provide housing that is not only a place to live but a place that a resident can feel at home. This seems like an impossible feat to achieve, but the concepts are simpler than they seem. Agency and Legibility are two concepts and design tools that can be tackled and applied to define an ideal housing typology that can reimagine was housing means for the current residents.

Agency “The thoughts and actions taken by people that express their individual power... the power people have to think for themselves and act in ways that shape their experiences and life trajectories.”³

Emotional Needs People have basic biological expectations in relationship to space. Harry Francis Mallgrave, distinguished architectural scholar and professor, investigates this and lands on the term “embodied simulation”.While the physiological breakdown of this is somewhat complicated, it boils down to an intense sensation of empathy based on learned experiences and memories.

Mallgrave sees this human replication of experience as a tool for designers.⁴ An architect can develop a space to purposefully elicit a desired response from the inhabitants. Knowing that designers have this ability to trigger physiological responses from the users, and this form of empathy is inherent is spaces, it is clear that designers need to harness this ability and design with it in mind. This technique, or tool, of design comes in handy at many building scales, but it seems especially important in housing. The architect John F.C. Turner distinguished himself in the architecture world by devising an in-depth understanding of housing, and the role people play in housing, summarized by his 3 main “laws of housing”. According to Turner’s 2nd law of housing, “The important thing about housing is not what it is, but what it does in people’s lives: dweller satisfaction is not necessarily related to the imposition of material building standards.”⁵ Residents’ needs in their housing, is determined by a complex biological response to the space itself. People have emotional responses, feelings that arise from them, and physical reactions that determine their understanding of the space. It is clear that the intentions must revolve around the human implications and the “dweller satisfaction”, not just the material implications on Housing for People | 23

their own. Designers must translate materials and spatial qualities into experiences for the residents. In housing, these experiences are so personal and individual that the housing must reflect that. Each family has its own emotional requirements, prerequisites, and biases, that something so personal as a home, needs to reflect what their involuntary reactions would be.

This is seemingly an impossible task for an architect to take on. How could an architect design for each resident specifically? Elemental, the design firm, developed a system to do just that. Pritzker Prize-winner and founder of Elemental, Alejandro Aravena, often speaks of his own design principles. When he designs housing he operates within a participatory design process. In his postdisaster relief work, this is seen very clearly. Aravena and his team, begin gathering information from residents by organizing community meetings to ask the public what they need. In these scenarios, Aravena is usually rebuilding from the ground up. He has a chance to redesign the infrastructure and social constructs of the area to fit the current needs of the residents. This is especially important when the needs of the residents have changed over time. This is important at the scale of a city, but he also implements this at the residential scale. He designed a half-house typology to provide agency in the users. When designing only half of the house and providing a framework for the future second half, he handed the residents opportunity. Each resident can now customize their house to suit their exact needs.⁶ Aravena, often cited in articles with Turner, began a movement with his housing typology that allowed for residents to be in charge of their own house, giving them freedom to turn their house into the home they need and want. Mallgrave and Turner both agree that a resident has emotional needs and responses to space and housing, and Aravena was able to apply these principles in a typology that has proven successful in multiple scenarios. For example, he has half-houses designed in Iquique Chile, and Constitución 24 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Confusion: Building a House. 2019. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

Chile.⁷ In both situations the residents report extreme satisfaction, something that Mallgrave and Turner believe is integral to design. All three can agree that design needs personal integration to perform properly for each user. This is done through agency and incorporation of the users.

The agency of residents must be a priority in housing design if the system is going to provide for the families’ emotional needs.

Self-Sufficiency In housing, a way to provide agency is with a certain degree of self-sufficiency from the residents.

John F.C. Turner believes “When dwellers control the major decisions and are free to make their own contribution to the design, construction, or management of their housing, both the process and the environment produced stimulate individual and social well-being. When people have no control over, nor responsibility for key decisions in the housing process, dwelling environments may instead become a barrier to personal fulfill-

ment and a burden on the economy.” He defines this as his first law of housing.⁸ This immediately relates to Aravena’s half-house designs. Not only do the people have the freedom of designing the second half of their house, they are also responsible for the construction of it as well. Elemental authored manuals that help guide the residents if they choose to build out their home, but none of this is required. Some residents choose to completely fill their framework, while others are content with their interior space and use the second half as an exterior courtyard and community connection point.⁹ Turner’s law also relates directly to Lily Bernheimer’s definition of collective efficacy: that “when people are involved in creating and nurturing their own environments, they also feel a greater sense of agency, community and pride.” This self-sufficiency in housing is directly related to the success of the system as well as the well-being of the residents and the community. Lily Bernheimer cites an instance of collective efficacy stating that on Rosa Parks Lane, a throughway was once overtaken by vegetation, bookended by jail-cell like gates, removed from the community, and fueled by crime. The street was taken back by the community. The gates were removed, overgrowth was cut down, and the street was generally cleaned up. Immediately, “neighbours — especially women — felt safer walking, cycling, and smelling wildflowers in this newly colorful corridor”.10 The obvious positive products of self-sufficiency, are undeniable.

Brandon Conforti was able to apply this idea of self-sufficiency in his thesis design test. Conforti is able to see that people and situations continually change, seeing “home” as a cycle of expansion and contraction. He saw that this is not supported by current housing typologies, so he designed a customizable, and modular housing typology. One example of how he incorporated self-sufficiency into his design is his distinguishing between public spaces, private spaces, slack space and what he calls shared spaces. The slack

spaces, are essentially empty zones, waiting to be filled with expanding family units. While residents can use the modularity to their advantage by adding or subtracting rooms/space as they need it, the shared spaces accommodate a faster-paced transition. Within the units, Conforti provided infrastructure to allow for semi-private common spaces. These sections can adapt within the mini-communities that would form around them, while also fitting into the larger community.11 Conforti’s approach is similar to Aravena’s in the sense that the architect provides a frame, then the resident takes over. Conforti sampled different scenarios to prove how his design could apply to any number of different family types and transitions. All of these moments of self-sufficiency of the residents prove how it is a defining factor in the success of housing, as outlined

by Turner.

Adaptability and Ability to Change over Time When speaking of customizable housing, it is easy to resort to the idea of custom building your own home, or moving when necessary to suit the needs of our family. What if you didn’t have to start over each time someone moves out, someone is born, someone loses their job, or someone dies? All of these changes are often not reflected in housing design. While it has already been mentioned, emotional needs must be met and self-sufficiency is needed to achieve this overarching idea is that of adaptability. Alejandro Aravena and his work with the half-houses is an example of how his designs are not only designed with the community’s needs in mind, but with adaptability in mind. As mentioned, half of the house frame is empty. The resident has the self-sufficiency to do whatever they desire to that half, but they are also free to do that at their own pace. They can continue to change this portion as their family grows and changes, as well as adapting the preexisting half.12 Housing for People | 25

Arguably, Brandon Conforti’s design offers more agency for the users. The frames are not limited to the 80m2 standardized frame like the half-houses. As mentioned, Conforti designed slack spaces. These void spaces are built around the entirety of the overarching structure. This implies that each family or group can expand to accommodate generations, or multiple types of lifestyles, and do so indefinitely.13 This is definitely extreme but it shows how to design without time being a limiting factor. Bernheimer attempts to investigate this as well. She interviews Alastair Parvin, co-founder of WikiHouse asking how he addresses adaptability. His WikiHouse model is an open-source platform, modeled and named after Wikipedia, that capitalizes on the endless possibilities of digital fabrication.

The great thing about this system is that any user can download a building framework, and build it. Not only can they use someone’s design, but

they can also edit and modify the design, and re-upload it. This creates a database of limitless customizability, the open house platform, will continually be learning. With each new modification, new users can decide what they need and want, from tested and approved designs. This puts the design in the hands of what Parvin calls the “citizen sector”. 14 Bernheimer summarizes this by saying “WikiHouse is a platform for collective and self-efficacy. It puts the power of vernacular building and piecemeal growth back into the hands of everyday people.” Alastair Parvin quoted John F.C. Turner’s ideas of housing when he said, “Housing is not a noun, housing is a verb.” Parvin then added, “We flip from seeing houses as objects, assets, to seeing them as a continuous process of supporting peoples’ lives.”15 All of this comes together to weave a story about how adaptable housing offers residents an ability to grow and change, with their housing reflecting that over time.

Legibility “Architectural legibility is the degree to which the designed features of the environment aid people in creating an effective mental image, or ‘cognitive map’ of the spatial relationships within a building, and the subsequent ease of wayfinding within the environment.”16

Infrastructure

Parti study of Elemental’s half-houses in Villa Verde. 2019. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

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Inherently, all built structures follow some sort of infrastructure. The physical relationship of space to people is determined by the infrastructure in place. There are different levels of stability, coming from infrastructure, that can determine how a person would operate in a space.

In housing, a priority is safety. A roof over your head, indoor plumbing, and heating and cooling,

are all integral to creating a house that provided safety and comfort to a resident. These systems can be active or passive, but must always be thought about in the design process. For example, Aravena’s half-houses, as mentioned earlier, are structured as a frame, with half of the frame being built in. Within the built half, there are plumbing hookups, and all of the basics, as well as a larger roof and structural system, occupying the entire frame.17 While Aravena’s design allows for agency, it also provides a physical infrastructure and base that applies to the specific site context and urban relationships. The manuals that Elemental wrote, provide insight into a continuation of infrastructure as well, to ensure they are providing safety and comfort to the residents, even when they take over. The current tiny house movement somewhat conflicts with this idea of infrastructure. Anne Wyatt, in her article written for the American Planning Association’s journal, Planning, describes how owners of tiny houses, often give up the stability of strong infrastructure, in favor of freedom from an exorbitant mortgage. Stemming from her personal experience, Wyatt said, “especially for short periods, that [tiny houses] can work well in good weather, in good health, and with adequate common infrastructure nearby. But doing physical chores in less than robust health, feelings of isolation if far removed from others, and the constraints of small spaces in poor weather conditions may become challenging. And then there’s the infrastructure issue: Photographs of tiny homes often depict them placed alone in natural settings, as if roads, garages for storage, water tanks, and other supports can be dispensed with.”18 This “marketing technique”, capitalizes on the naive. Without substantial infrastructure, the work falls directly on the resident to make up for what the infrastructure cannot handle. This is problematic for the resident, in their attempts to feel comfortable and safe within their space.

Aravena is an example of how the influence of an architect, is somewhat necessary, to provide stability, comfort, and safety to the resi-

dents. Turner also speaks about the importance of infrastructure. He refers to the “end, ways, means” concept, meaning, the end (result), is determined by the ways (methods), and means (resources). Turner sees “the ways” as political and social infrastructure, implying planning and consensus. “The means” are seen as the material and immaterial resources, like building materials and labor. It is important to note that Turner sees all of this as very site-specific, and it all must be reevaluated in each proposed scenario (the end).19 Aravena develops contextual manuals, and develops site-specific infrastructure, something that Turner continually advocates for. Wyatt would agree and would claim that the current tiny house movement likes to ignore the concerns surrounding infrastructure. It is clear that substantial infrastructure is important for an applicable housing typology to all people.

Community, Understanding, and Context Bernheimer speaks about the importance of community engagement as mentioned earlier. In the scenarios she brings up, such as Rosa Parks Lane, and WikiHouse, there is an element of community involvement. On Rosa Parks Lane, without the involvement of the community, the street had fallen into disarray and crime. Once the community, with the help of Sustrans, the UK organization whose intention is that of “cycling networks”, made improvements to the street, it became a community gathering place, bettering the people themselves. The community intervention was a way to jumpstart connections, acting as a way the residents can control and influence their future.20 Alastair Parvin, the creator of WikiHouse, created a virtual community. With this online database (pseudo community), residents around the world are able to learn from each other, by continually iterating and refining the structures.

Without this community piece, the database and Housing for People | 27

integrity of the designs would never grow. Parvin even said, “ You can’t rewrite the built environment by just changing the built environment, you’ve got to lift up the bonnet [hood] and look at the economics that are the real forces that shape it.” 21. Mallgrave also agrees with this, he examines the ideas of “embodied simulation”.

A concept based on users finding an inherent understanding of a space, just from the physical qualities of the space itself. This “cognitive map” is something that architects need to cognizant of.22 Contradicting, Conforti didn’t seem to grasp this in his thesis. There is no consistency or understanding of spatial qualities that would allow for an understanding between the architect, residents, and members of the community. Yes, the user can create their own space in Conforti’s scenario, but it only works internally.

Bernheimer, Parvin, and Mallgrave all agree that community understanding and contextual relationships are a necessity for successful housing design.

Standardization and Context Providing context is a way to create legibility for a community and a resident, but it's a difficult concept to tackle. One of the initial arguments is standardization. Clearly, agency has proven to be integral for housing design, so how would standardization actually help? Turner would argue it doesn’t help. It would be irresponsible to impose standardization on housing, something with completely variable clients. In fact, one of his core design principles states “It is proving as disastrous to build and manage houses in ways that impose standardized housing types and lifestyles, as it would be to fail to impose those rules for driving powerful (and necessarily standardized) machines at high speeds in public space".23 Bernheimer also agrees, she calls out the WELL building standards. She agrees they are a well-intentioned first step, but they often fail to address the root of the problems.24 While standardizing 28 | Reimagining the Suburbs

housing is clearly not the best option, it seems that context might be. Aravena commits to his participatory design process as a way to devise context. His urban scale redesigns are designed by him, but he purposefully learns from the users to detect the actual needs and responses that would come from the space. Analyzing “economics, psychology, [and] behavior”25 is the only way to develop a sense of legibility and continuity.

Standardization hurts the process, while context analysis defines the process.

Balance “The agile management of ever-increasing levels of complexity and interconnectedness is one of the essential prerequisites of the new reflexivity.”26

Intentions Alastair Parvin and Alejandro Aravena have distinctly similar views on how to address design.

Both challenge the way most designers look at the process. Bernheimer documents Parvin’s ideology in the quote “‘What most people call bad design isn’t bad design,’ said Parvin, ‘It’s really good design for a totally different set of economic outcomes, which is producing real estate.’ Until we start driving housing production with the goal of housing people rather than producing real estate, it will continue to be badly designed for the social, environmental, and economic needs of everyday families. ‘The housing crisis is mis-framed as a numbers game when it’s not,’ Parvin explained.”27 Aravena says a very similar thing, “participatory design is not a hippie, romantic, let's-all-dream-together-aboutthe-future-of-the-city kind of thing. It is actually not even with the families trying to find the right answer. It is mainly trying to identify with precision what is the right question. There is nothing worse than answering well the wrong ques-

tion.”28 For Aravena, he saw the half-houses as an opportunity: provide legibility and guidance, to allow for self-sufficiency and agency, to create a successful system for residents to thrive. Simply stated, both designers design with intention, with the priority being that of the residents: the ones who need and use the space.

Guidance and Control A common thread in determining the balance between agency and legibility is the idea of guidance and control. Aravena, Bernheimer, Parvin, and Turner all have investigated and learned to balance a system of guidance and control in their design ideologies. As mentioned, Aravena and his team authored manuals to offer guidance to the residents, especially those who might not have expert understandings in design or construction. This relates strongly to the IKEA effect, something Bernheimer dives into. It is general knowledge that IKEA furniture is a kit of parts, that one can purchase and build at their leisure.

The IKEA effect suggests that, even though the user is not involved in design, when they are involved in the building process, and can act on their own accord, they feel a greater connection to the piece. “Beauty is in the eye of the builder,'' Bernheimer states. Any imperfections, or tiny edits, provide the user with their own sense of agency and control, even though the product is a manufactured good. The balance comes from the illusion of control and choice, “‘they want the freedom to customize, but don’t necessarily want the burden of choice over it.’”29 This sentiment that Parvin explains in his interviews with Bernheimer also reflects the WikiHouse model.

The plans in the forum are editable but are often used as is, with minimal changes, but there is choice involved in the system, and control over time. All in all, this is complementary to the ideals Turner proposes. He analyzes the differences between autonomous and heteronomous housing cultures. As seen in the image below he depicts the breakdown of control based on the two structures. In autonomous systems, control is mainly placed on the users, but it is more

Turner, John F.C. Diagram contrasting autonomous and heteronomous housing systems. Housing by People Towards Autonomy in Building Environments. Marion Boyers Publishers, 1982.

Housing for People | 29

evenly distributed than in the heteronomous sys- 3. Nicki Lisa Cole, “What Is the Sociologtem.30 This breakdown is much more successful ical Definition of Human Agency?,” for the users, and that can be seen through AraThoughtCo (DotDash, January 22, 2019), vena, Bernheimer, and Parvin’s work. https://www.thoughtco.com/agency-definition-3026036) 4. Harry Francis Mallgrave, “Cognition in the Flesh… the Human in Design,” ed. Tyler Collective Efficacy Stevermer, Thresholds 42 Human, (2014): It is obvious that agency and legibility are intepp.76-87, p. 83-87) gral to the housing design process. They come 5. John F.C. Turner, Housing by People : Towards together to develop a sense of collective efficacy.

Autonomy in Building Environments, Lily Bernheimer defines this quality as “when Ideas in Progress. (Marion Boyars, 1982) people are involved in creating and nurturing 6. Alejandro Aravena, "My Architectural Phitheir own environments, they also feel a greater losophy? Bring the Community into the 31 sense of agency, community and pride”. Agency Process," filmed in October 2014 in Rio de acts as a point of emotional exploration, self-sufJaneiro, Brazil. TED video, 15:50, https:// ficiency and adaptability for the users. Legibility www.ted.com/talks/alejandro_aravena_ prescribed by infrastructure, standardizations, my_architectural_philosophy_bring_the_ and context, provides a sense of community and community_into_the_process?utm_camunderstanding. These two qualities are very simpaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referilar and also very different, and their application ral&utm_source=tedcomshare. is determined by intention and a system of guid- 7. Alejandro Aravena, "My Architectural Philosance/control. When implementing these strateophy? Bring the Community into the Progies to a new housing typology, the necessity is cess," filmed in October 2014 in Rio de clear, and the application is possible, but but the Janeiro, Brazil. TED video, 15:50, https:// architect needs to design strategically to provide www.ted.com/talks/alejandro_aravena_ the most from a house to turn a resident’s house my_architectural_philosophy_bring_the_ into a home. community_into_the_process?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare.

8. John F.C. Turner, Housing by People : Towards Autonomy in Building Environments, Ideas in Progress. (Marion Boyars, 1982) 1. Lily Bernheimer, “How Architecture Shapes 9. Alejandro Aravena, "My Architectural PhiOur Cities - and Our Lives,” The Guardian losophy? Bring the Community into the (Guardian News and Media, November 26, Process," filmed in October 2014 in Rio de 2017), https://www.theguardian.com/lifeJaneiro, Brazil. TED video, 15:50, https:// andstyle/2017/nov/26/how-architecturewww.ted.com/talks/alejandro_aravena_ shapes-our-cities-and-our-lives) my_architectural_philosophy_bring_the_ 2. Lily Bernheimer, “How Architecture Shapes community_into_the_process?utm_camOur Cities - and Our Lives,” The Guardian paign=tedspread&utm_medium=refer(Guardian News and Media, November 26, ral&utm_source=tedcomshare.

2017), https://www.theguardian.com/life- 10. Lily Bernheimer, “The Shape of Things to andstyle/2017/nov/26/how-architectureCome: Half a House, WikiHouse, and the shapes-our-cities-and-our-lives) IKEA Effect,” in The Shaping of Us: How

Notes:

30 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Everyday Spaces Structure Our Lives, Behavior, and Well-Being (San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press, 2019), pp.

253-292, p.255) 11. Brandon Conforti, “Adaptable Home: Expansion & Subtraction for our Ever-Changing Life,” (master’s thesis, Wentworth Institute of Technology, 2016) 12. Alejandro Aravena, "My Architectural Philosophy? Bring the Community into the Process," filmed in October 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. TED video, 15:50, https:// www.ted.com/talks/alejandro_aravena_ my_architectural_philosophy_bring_the_ community_into_the_process?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare.

13. Brandon Conforti, “Adaptable Home: Expansion & Subtraction for our Ever-Changing Life,” (master’s thesis, Wentworth Institute of Technology, 2016) 14. Lily Bernheimer, “The Shape of Things to Come: Half a House, WikiHouse, and the IKEA Effect,” in The Shaping of Us: How Everyday Spaces Structure Our Lives, Behavior, and Well-Being (San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press, 2019), pp.

253-292, p.260) 15. Lily Bernheimer, “The Shape of Things to Come: Half a House, WikiHouse, and the IKEA Effect,” in The Shaping of Us: How Everyday Spaces Structure Our Lives, Behavior, and Well-Being (San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press, 2019), pp.

253-292, p.265) 16. Michael J. Oneill, “Evaluation of a Conceptual Model of Architectural Legibility.”Abstract. Environment and Behavior 23, no. 3 (1991): 259–84. https://doi. org/10.1177/0013916591233001.

17. Lily Bernheimer, “The Shape of Things to Come: Half a House, WikiHouse, and the IKEA Effect,” in The Shaping of Us: How Everyday Spaces Structure Our Lives, Behavior, and Well-Being (San Antonio,

TX: Trinity University Press, 2019), 253292) 18. Anne Wyatt, “Tiny Houses: Niche or Noteworthy?,” Planning, Vol. 82 Issue 2 (2016): 39-42 pg. 40.

19. John F.C. Turner, Housing by People : Towards Autonomy in Building Environments, Ideas in Progress. (Marion Boyars, 1982), 102-112) 20. Lily Bernheimer, “The Shape of Things to Come: Half a House, WikiHouse, and the IKEA Effect,” in The Shaping of Us: How Everyday Spaces Structure Our Lives, Behavior, and Well-Being (San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press, 2019), pp.

253-292, p.256) 21. Lily Bernheimer, “The Shape of Things to Come: Half a House, WikiHouse, and the IKEA Effect,” in The Shaping of Us: How Everyday Spaces Structure Our Lives, Behavior, and Well-Being (San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press, 2019), pp.

253-292, p.256) 22. Harry Francis Mallgrave, “Cognition in the Flesh… the Human in Design,” ed. Tyler Stevermer, Thresholds 42 Human, (2014): pp.76-87, p. 83-87.

23. John F.C. Turner, Housing by People : Towards Autonomy in Building Environments, Ideas in Progress. (Marion Boyars, 1982) p. 104) 24. Lily Bernheimer, “The Shape of Things to Come: Half a House, WikiHouse, and the IKEA Effect,” in The Shaping of Us: How Everyday Spaces Structure Our Lives, Behavior, and Well-Being (San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press, 2019), pp. 253292, p.256) The WELL building standards being addressed are a system architects can prescribe to similar to LEED, but the implications are not environmental. The goal is to set standards of the well-being of the users of the space, through numerous methods.

25. Lily Bernheimer, “The Shape of Things to Housing for People | 31

Come: Half a House, WikiHouse, and the IKEA Effect,” in The Shaping of Us: How Everyday Spaces Structure Our Lives, Behavior, and Well-Being (San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press, 2019), pp.

253-292, p.257) 26. Robert Cowherd, “Notes on Post-Criticality: Towards an Architecture of Reflexive Modernisation,” Agency In Architecture: Reframing Criticality In Theory and Practice, (2009): pp. 65–76, p. 74.

27. Lily Bernheimer, “The Shape of Things to Come: Half a House, WikiHouse, and the IKEA Effect,” in The Shaping of Us: How Everyday Spaces Structure Our Lives, Behavior, and Well-Being (San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press, 2019), pp.

253-292, p.259) 28. Alejandro Aravena, "My Architectural Philosophy? Bring the Community into the Process," filmed in October 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. TED video, 15:50, https:// www.ted.com/talks/alejandro_aravena_ my_architectural_philosophy_bring_the_ community_into_the_process?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare.

29. Lily Bernheimer, “The Shape of Things to Come: Half a House, WikiHouse, and the IKEA Effect,” in The Shaping of Us: How Everyday Spaces Structure Our Lives, Behavior, and Well-Being (San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press, 2019), pp.

253-292, p.266) 30. John F.C. Turner, Housing by People : Towards Autonomy in Building Environments, Ideas in Progress. (Marion Boyars, 1982) p. 29) 31. Lily Bernheimer, “How Architecture Shapes Our Cities - and Our Lives,” The Guardian (Guardian News and Media, November 26, 2017), https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/nov/26/how-architectureshapes-our-cities-and-our-lives)

32 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Housing for People | 33

A house is a home when it shelters the body and comforts the soul. – Phillip Moffitt

34 | Reimagining the Suburbs

.

3 Design Explorations An architect is tasked with designing housing. How can they design to incorporate feeling of selfidentity and connection for the residents?

Design Research | 35

LEVITTOWNS 36 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Levittowns were the first suburbs, which highlight attainability. Levittowns were designed to provide the American dream to as many people as possible, as quickly and affordably as possible.

This started a wave of suburban living throughout the United States. While this was a great start, it has negative implications over time. The homes being built were generic and only applied to the most “normal” of families. In the 21st century, there is no “ideal family”, which translates to ideal houses such as these being inadequate.

Levittowns, designed by Levitt & Sons, 1947.

Scherschel, Joseph. A suburban community in the 1950s. Getty Images. April 20,2020. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/newsphoto/street-scene-from-levittown-with-kids-jumping-rope-onthe-news-photo/50338958?adppopup=true Hulton Archive. An aerial view of a suburban community. Getty Images. April 20,2020. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/newsphoto/aerial-view-of-the-suburb-of-levittown-new-york-the-tractnews-photo/2695675?adppopup=true Scherschel, Joseph. Levittown in the 1950s. Getty Images. April 20,2020. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/ rial-view-of-rows-of-modest-houses-in-new-housing-news-photo/92923899?adppopup=true Hoffman, Bernard. A family in front of their new home in Levittown. Getty Images. April 20, 2020. https://www.gettyimages. com/detail/news-photo/truck-supervisor-bernard-levey-standing-w-his-family-in-news-photo/50324702?adppopup=true

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PRUITT IGOE 38 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Pruitt Igoe is an example of how important it is for residents to be involved in their environment, showing how without agency the system fails. Pruitt-Igoe is widely known for its failure as a housing system. The scale of the complex was extreme, and the design was generic. While intentions were good, the outcome failed to accommodate the residents. Without incorporating residents, a housing system is bound to fail.

Pruitt-Igoe, designed by Minoru Yamasaki, 1954.

1956, demolished 1973. Saint Louis: Pruitt-Igoe Housing Project: in the process of destruction. https://library.artstor.org/asset/ARTSTOR_103_41822000095677.

Freidrichs, Chad. women and children in a courtyard. April 20, 2020. http://pruitt-igoe.com/about.html Pruitt Igoe corridor image. Wikimedia. April 20, 2020. https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pruitt-Igoe-corridor-actual.jpg#filelinks Cadastral. Pruitt Igoe site photo. Wikimedia. April 20, 2020. https://www.archdaily.com/870685/ad-classics-pruitt-igoe-housing-project-minoru-yamasaki-st-louis-usa-modernism/590cbe05e58ece1f98000091-ad-classics-pruitt-igoe-housing-project-minoru-yamasaki-st-louis-usa-modernism-image JunkyardSparkle. Pruitt Igoe aerial photo. Wikimedia. April 20, 2020. https://www.archdaily.com/870685/ad-classics-pruitt-igoe-housing-project-minoru-yamasaki-st-louis-usa-modernism/590cbdfae58ecee9b200002c-ad-classics-pruitt-igoe-housing-project-minoru-yamasaki-st-louis-usa-modernism-image

Design Research | 39

JAVA-EILAND 40 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Java-Eiland is an example of organized complexity, there is freedom within a framework, balancing order and variety. The neighborhood consists of units that are limited by their dimensions but are allowed freedom within that framework to design the exterior facade. There are guidelines that must be followed but within that, residents have the freedom to break up patterns and develop variety, while still maintaining some level of order.

Java-Eiland, master planning by Sjoerd Soeters, 1990’s.

Jynto. Modernist houses - Java Eiland. August 4, 2007. Wikimedia.

April 20, 2020. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Modernist_houses_-_Java_Island_-_panoramio.jpg MartinD. Postmodern architecture on the Lamonggracht, Java-eiland, Amsterdam. October 31, 2009. Wikimedia. April 20, 2020. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amsterdam_Javaeiland_ Lamonggracht.JPG Building Butler. House on Java-Eiland Ansterdam, Netherlands.

April 20, 2020. http://www.buildingbutler.com/bd/Amsterdam/ house-on-Java-eiland/6508#buzz Rouiller, Alain. Java Eiland. May 10, 2008. Wikimedia. April 20, 2020. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amsterdam_Java_ Eiland_11_(8337856676).jpg The School of Life. January 26, 2015. Ted-Ed. April 20, 2020https:// ed.ted.com/best_of_web/IBuac8Xb

Design Research | 41

VILLA VERDE 42 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Villa Verde’s design allows for the residents to expand their house, however, and whenever that want. This system highlights agency and legibility balanced. Residents are provided infrastructure within the pentagon frame. This classic representation of a home helps provide mental legibility. The empty half provides the residents an opportunity to expand, and whenever and however they desire. The houses create a scenario that lets the residents feel comfortable in their house while making it feel like home.

Villa Verde, designed by Alejandro Aravena, 2016.

Cotsifas, Anthony. Aerial View of Villa Verde. The New York Times Style Magazine. The New York Times, May 23, 2016. https:// www.nytimes.com/2016/05/23/t-magazine/pritzker-venice-biennale-chile-architect-alejandro-aravena.html?searchResultPosition=2.

Cotsifas, Anthony. Exterior view of a Villa Verde unit. The New York Times Style Magazine. The New York Times, May 23, 2016. https:// www.nytimes.com/2016/05/23/t-magazine/pritzker-venice-biennale-chile-architect-alejandro-aravena.html?searchResultPosition=2 Villa Verde build-out in progress. 99% Invisible. April 20,2020. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/half-a-house/ Greenspan, Sam. Villa Verde in 2016. 2016. 99% Invisible. April 20,2020. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/half-a-house/ Elemental. Villa Verde in Constitucion, Chile. 99% Invisible. April 20,2020. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/half-a-house/

Design Research | 43

livinHOME 44 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Woodview Mews is an example of the livinHOME typology. The concept of these homes is to provide housing for people and families and allow the home to transition with them during multiple phases of life. The units are broken up and can be changed and adapted within a rigid structure. The design was made to account for all different types of people and life cycles. The building type itself is also adaptable, as it is manufactured off-site and assembled onsite. livinHOME, designed by Geraghty Taylor Architects, 2015.

Geraghty Taylor Architects. Exterior close up view. April 20, 2020. https://geraghtytaylor.com/project/livinhome-woodview-mews/ Geraghty Taylor Architects. Exterior view. ArchDaily. April 20, 2020. https://www.archdaily.com/769804/woodview-mews-geraghty-taylor-architects/559b3c43e58ece97a4000041-woodview-mews-geraghty-taylor-architects-image?next_project=no Geraghty Taylor Architects. Exterior alley view. April 20, 2020. https://geraghtytaylor.com/project/livinhome-woodview-mews/ Geraghty Taylor Architects. Interior view at top of stairs. April 20, 2020. https://geraghtytaylor.com/project/livinhome-woodview-mews/ Geraghty Taylor Architects. Plans showing the interior units and configurations. April 20, 2020. https://thespaces.com/adaptable-homes-by-geraghty-taylor-architects/

Design Research | 45

46 | Reimagining the Suburbs

This is the model livinHOME by Geraghty Taylor Architects. An architect creates legibility by creating recognizable base frameworks as a backdrop. While the exterior has a language that is legible to all people, the interior is where the user begins to take control. Its broken down into customizable units, that can be adapted over time.

This creates agency for the users so their home can adapt to the changes in their lives. The piece often missing in housing is a sense of community.

Geraghty Taylor Architects. Elevation. April 20, 2020. https://geraghtytaylor.com/project/livinhome-woodview-mews/ Elevation view of 2015 livinHOME, in London England by Geraghty Taylor Architects. (Robin Wyckoff, CC BY).

Design Research | 47

48 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Without these connections people become territorial. Here there are a lot of opportunities for the users to engage at a community level, from balconies, to windows. This building highlights moments of legibility, providing safety and a sense of grounding, while also providing agency and flexibility to provide a sense of comfort and freedom. This comes together to create housing typology that allows for residents to feel at home no matter what changes may happen in their lives.

Elevation view of 2015 livinHOME, in London England by Geraghty Taylor Architects. (Robin Wyckoff, CC BY).

Design Research | 49

50 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Housing structures that don’t account for the resident are often chaotic, and lack the necessary elements to create a successful environment.

Successful housing systems engage the community, provide legibility and infrastructure, as well as providing moments of agency. The contrast of these images to the left show that repetative design isn’t necessarily the problem. Design with lack of intent, and scale is a root cause of failing housing systems

Dark, unsuccessful housing collage. 2020. (RobinWyckoff CC BY).

Light, successful housing collage. 2020. (RobinWyckoff CC BY).

Design Research | 51

52 | Reimagining the Suburbs

This is my original analytique, looking at the contrasts between Levittowns, and Villa Verde.

While Levittowns were the start of the American suburb, the houses were all the same, and they were not the most efficient. They were built as fast and as cheap as possible so the most amount of American’s could afford the “American Dream”. The Chilean half houses consist of a complete side, which includes utility hookups, and an efficient basic layout. Overtime the resident can opt to take over the other side. This could imply building out the home, with the help of instruction manuals written by the architect, or just decorating the new covered patio. I see the empty half of these half-houses as a lens to re-shape the community and residents of the suburb. With creative freedom, the ability to achieve it, and instruction, the residents feel happy, responsible, and connected.

Villa Verde and Levittown housing collage. 2020.

(RobinWyckoff CC BY).

Design Research | 53

This housing typology works best at a maximum of 4 stories. Here in the design test artifact, I worked with the idea of modules but being placed in a track like threshold. Each one or twostory unit could be bought as an opening, and they can fill their horizontal plot with their kitof-parts module. These units could be mobile as well as very stationary allowing the resident to decide how much outdoor space to have and how public or private they choose to have their plot. These balconies can act as areas to engage the community, as well as manageable private backyards.

54 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Design test model. 2020. (RobinWyckoff CC BY).

Design Research | 55

Design Tests - Timeline 1 Couple

Programatic Needs

0

years

A

• • • •

1 bedroom Kitchen Living room 1.5 bathrooms

• • • • •

3 bedrooms Kitchen Living room 2 bathrooms Playroom

• • • • •

1 bedroom Kitchen Living room 1.5 bathrooms Office

B

Family 8

years

A

B

c

d

Empty Nest 22 years

A

B

56 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Timeline infographic 1. 2020. (RobinWyckoff CC BY).

Design Tests - Timeline 2 Roommates

Programatic Needs

0

years

A

B

C

• • • •

4 bedrooms Kitchen Living room 2 bathrooms

• • • •

1 bedroom Kitchen Living room 1.5 bathrooms

• • • • •

2 bedrooms Kitchen Living room 2 bathrooms Guest room

D

Couple 5

years

A

C

Family 10 years

A

C

e

Timeline infographic 2. 2020. (RobinWyckoff CC BY).

Design Research | 57

This new housing typology is dependent on residents having an active role in the design of their housing. At its core, this typology needs to suit the needs of the resident over long periods.

In this test, participants were asked to “build their own home”. An exterior frame was provided, and guides were in place. In this model, the role of the architect is shown in the types of options available. While a resident can fill in space however they want, they are required to choose from the options provided. For example, they must choose a floor plate, and have freedom over how many walls to choose, with a limit of 3. The next steps allow for more freedom, all within an infrastructure. This experiment provided a look into the curiosity of the participants’ minds.

58 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Floor plates and walls:

Choose 1 floor plate, add up to 3 walls, and slide into place

Interior Spaces:

Choose interior progamatic spcaes

Framework:

Place and arrange your choices within the frame

Facade:

Choose an exterior facade

Home:

Enjoy your completed home

Housing artifact model game. 2020. (RobinWyckoff CC BY).

Design Research | 59

60 | Reimagining the Suburbs

4 The New Suburb: Lily Park

Site Design Concept Interior Timelines Exterior

Outcomes | 61

Rural: Woodbridge

Suburban: Orange

Urban: Milford

62 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Moving forward, I began to research site conditions to understand what existing qualities of the suburbs I was looking for when choosing a test site. To understand the suburbs I looked at their relationship to urban and rural areas. The urban systems provide infrastructure and legibility, while the rural zones provide freedom, and opportunities for customization. The suburbs are fueled by both and act as the middle ground between the two zones. I wanted to find a town that was sandwiched between these two opposing zones, to create a strong balance between the two.

I decided on Orange, CT. Orange is sandwiched between Milford, a city that is coastline on the majority of the southern edge. To the North of Orange is Woodbridge, a very spread out rural town. Orange has a strong balance between the two. Highways and main roads run through, but nothing dominates. There are multiple parks, plenty of trees, and a quaint town center.

Urban, suburban and rural Investigation model photo. 2019.

(Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

Orange, CT urban suburban and rural investigation. 2020. (RobinWyckoff CC BY).

Outcomes | 63

I looked deeper into the qualities that Orange has, and what it is lacking. There are inconsistent orientations, and a lack of community connections, but still lots of trees, large yards, and private driveways.

Orange, CT suburb detail investigations. 2020.

(RobinWyckoff CC BY).

64 | Reimagining the Suburbs

I went further and looked at these criteria on different types of suburbs, I was able to identify some key issues. Overcrowding and lack of community were the main drawbacks. A sense of individuality, private driveways, and trees were some things I knew I wanted to maintain.

Pros • trees • individuality • private driveways Cons • cramped lots • individual lots • confusing layouts • over crowded • all private yards • no community spaces

Suburb aerial view 1. Johner Images. Aerial view of suburb - stock photo. Getty Images. April 20, 2020. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/aerial-view-of-suburb-royalty-free-image/535586455?adppopup=true Suburb aerial view 2. David Roberts. Little boxes on the hillside.

May 2, 2018. https://www.vox.com/2017/6/23/15815510/toderian-suburbs Suburb aerial view 3. Jandrie Lombard. Aerial view of a typical suburb in Australia. Shutterstock. April 20,2020. https://www. shutterstock.com/image-photo/aerial-view-typical-suburb-australia-641035918

Outcomes | 65

Option 1

Shared Backyard

Option 2

Wooded Areas Option 3

66 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Public Green-space

Here is a possible site plan or neighborhood layout. I came up with three nodes to act as my base units and built out from there. I had drawn a circle, square and an octagon. By connecting the homes in this way, I was able to provide a backyard, shared by the 8 families, a smaller public green space between blocks, and private frontyards. I also left some blocks out, allowing for more wooded areas, to break up the scale, and add another layer of privacy. This site plan can be applied to many towns. It reflects concerns that are present in all suburbs.

Private Frontyard

Lily Park site plan. 2020. (RobinWyckoff CC BY).

Outcomes | 67

Community Land Trust:

68 | Reimagining the Suburbs

In this specific new development, that I have named Lily Park, I am adopting a community land trust model. Typical suburban ownership implies a deed to the house and the plot of land it’s on. In a land trust system, the house is owned by the resident while the land is leased. This keeps the cost down for families. This helps keep this suburban dream affordable and attainable.

Along with the technicalities, as the architect, I would author and provide a manual to the residents. This would include basic info, layout and orientation guides, how-tos, instructions, and resource connections.

Community land trust infographic. 2020. (RobinWyckoff CC BY).

Lily Park design manual mock-up. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

Lily Park exterior view rendering 1. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

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The Growth Model

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This brings me to my current home model I have named the growth model. The end units which include kitchens, bathrooms, laundry, and storage are the pieces that are owned in the land trust model. The bays and the yards are leased.

This means that a family would move into their home by populating the end unit and, through my system, lease the bays they need, while still having the freedom to adapt these bays, lease more, or give them up. This keeps adaptability and agency at the forefront. The land trust system also allows for these changes to be attainable to every family.

Lily Park exterior view rendering 2. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

Lily Park exterior view rendering 3. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

Growth model shadow section isometric drawings. 2020.

(RobinWyckoff CC BY).

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Permanent • • • • • • •

plumbing utility hook-ups kitchen bathrooms laundry parking storage

Flexible • • • • •

As mentioned, ownership is a land trust system, so the end units are owned by the family, while the land itself is leased and the bays are leased.

The manual for Lily Park would specify resources for leasing and adapting the bays themselves.

Again, the program is broken up by the owned and leased spaces, The permanent end units include all the plumbing, utility hookups, the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, storage, and a patio/parking spots. The flexible program is for all the living spaces, in custom layouts, aided by the architect manual.

living spaces flexible program flexible scale custom layout adaptable

Owned Leased Unit ownership diagram. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

Unit program diagram. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

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I would provide a manual for each resident. This manual is site-specific and will provide orientation based layout suggestions, leasing information, as well as construction methods. Here is an example of some uses of the bays. Some are empty, some are double, and some are used as patio space. The possibilities are somewhat endless, allowing the residents to not feel overpowered by their homes, and have the freedom to adapt their spaces to their changing family.

roommates, children, or guest bedrooms. There is plenty of room in a single bay for an individual bedroom. A single bay can also be used as a patio, which is seen in the exterior renders. Seen below is a double bay. This is used as a living room and office. A double bay can be used for so many things, like a playroom, home gym, master bedroom and anything else that might require more space than a single bay.

Taking a closer look at these two highlighted scenarios: The top image is a single bedroom, for

Bay program utilization diagram. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

Interior render of a single bay. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

Interior render of a double bay. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

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Timeline 1 Couple 0

years

A B

Family 8

years

A B c d

Empty Nest 22 years

A B 76 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Timeline 2 Roommates 0

years

A B C D

Couple

Here I looked at some possible family dynamics and how they could use the spaces. The warmer colors, on the left, relate to family timeline 1, and the cool colors on the right are of family timeline 2. In the initial state, timeline one is a new couple, while timeline 2 is 4 roommates. A stereotypical suburban home would likely be too expensive and too big for a new couple while finding a home with 4 bedrooms for 4 roommates would be a challenge in and of itself. In this system, the bays can be used as a master bedroom, seen on the ground floor in pink, or as 4 single bedrooms like on the top floor on the right.

5

years

A C

Family 10 years

A C e

Timeline 1 and 2 breakdown 1. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

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Timeline 1 Couple 0

years

A B

Family 8

years

A B c d

Empty Nest 22 years

A B 78 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Timeline 2 Roommates 0

years

A B C D

In this model, you are only paying for what you are using. Here in the next stage, timeline one now has two children so the parents added two bays to their lease and created two bedrooms. In timeline two, two roommates moved out and the other two are now a couple. They took over two of the rooms as a patio and combined their two rooms to make a new master bedroom. While all of these changes are going on in the bays, the end units stay consistent providing infrastructure, and parking, as well as a sense of permanence.

Couple 5

years

A C

Family 10 years

A C e

Timeline 1 and 2 breakdown 2. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

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Timeline 1 Couple 0

years

A B

Family 8

years

A B c d

Empty Nest 22 years

A B 80 | Reimagining the Suburbs

Timeline 2 Roommates 0

years

A B C D

Lastly, I looked at timeline one becoming empty nesters, then created a patio, and gave up another unit. Timeline 2 had a child, so they added a single bedroom, as well as took over another bay for a larger patio. Even though these families are operating very differently, and have very different needs, they can thrive in this growth model and create a sense of home, whenever or whatever that may look like.

Couple 5

years

A C

Family 10 years

A C e

Timeline 1 and 2 breakdown 3. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

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Finally, looking at materiality, I have decided on CLT as the main method. As far as the framework it is structural and easily built. CLT panels as the walls of the bays help stream-line the modularity of the bays. In the manuals, there would be resources for sourcing the panels through the land trust, as well as either instruction on how to install them yourself, or resources to call someone to have it installed. Again, this building method and the manuals act as a way to streamline the process assuring that adaptability is attainable at all times for the homeowner. The exterior screening is also a timber-based louver.

Materiality diagram. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

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The shared backyards are large enough to provide privacy, but are easier to be cared for as a system, rather than an individual's property. The patio can extend into the yard, acting as a sitting area for barbecues, and play areas for kids. The louvers allude to the classic pentagon gable roof shape while separating identities into separate owners. This new home system reimagines the American suburb by creating and implementing moments of agency, attainability, and adaptability.

Lily Park exterior view rendering 4. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

Lily Park exterior view rendering 5. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

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Lily Park exterior view rendering 6. 2020. (Robin Wyckoff CC BY).

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Home is not where you live, but where they understand you.

– Christian Morgenstern

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.

.

5 The Future of the Suburb Moving Forward Throughout the process of developing this thesis, I developed a passion for the work I was uncovering. Fueled by my own struggle with defining “home�, I set out to create a housing typology that can bring home to anyone. I would love to take what I have learned and apply it to my career and hopefully begin to shape architecture to respond to people who will be using it.

It has been said many times that a thesis is never really finished. I wholeheartedly agree and believe that the sign a thesis was successful is if the author ignites a passion within themselves to continue working on the theories presented within their thesis. Not only would I like to continue working with housing and developing housing that reflects the residents, but I also hope to begin to shape architecture as a profession to be more open to reflexive communication with communities to develop housing to suit the needs of everyone. Regarding this specific design outcome, I would have liked to develop the tectonics of the structure and facade more in-depth. In my design, the architect provides a manual to guide residents in adapting and changing their home. If I had a few more weeks, I would have liked to have developed this manual explicitly, and highlighted the exact connections that would be in place in the bays.

Besides the tectonics, the manuals became a very useful tool for the design. It was used to define the system and how it would operate over time, as well as providing a resource for the residents to use. While I believe in the manual and how it would work, it was definitely something that needed to be explicitly stated with every design

decision. I would have loved to have made a sample of the manual as a supplement to the design itself. Lastly, my design is specifically made to be applied in any suburb around the country, with minor differences, that would be reflected in the site-specific manual. My main critique was of how to adapt the site plan for different areas, and develop a more site-specific environment, wherever the development might be. I would have loved to have tested more sites, and developed site plans for each site around the country.

One of the core values of my thesis is that everyone deserves a house that fits their needs throughout their life. As a result of quarantine requirements due to COVID-19, I completed this thesis from the comfort of my room, back home in Connecticut. Due to the stay-at-home orders in place around the world, it has become very apparent to many families how their house may not be working to satisfy their needs. Many people have never worked from home. Now that it has become a necessity, it has greatly changed how people look at their home. This scenario is a perfect example of how important a home is to a family. When the quarantine is over, life will very likely return to normal, but, for example, many people might be more willing to work from home, but now need a home office. My system would allow for the house to change. A crisis like COVID-19 shows how resilient people are, and also shows how important it is for their homes to mirror that resiliency in its ability to adapt over time.

I believe this thesis is as important now, as it will be in 20 years. I see architecture wrestling with a balance between agency and legibility on Reflections | 89

90 | Reimagining the Suburbs

a daily basis. I would love to see a thesis like this, and students like me move into the professional work with open minds, wanting to change the world.

To conclude, on the left is an image to summarize the outsomes of this thesis. The goal was to balance architectural legibility and angency in the American suburbs. Through extensive research and testing, I was able to design a new housing typology that is driven by adaptability, attainability and agency.

Design photo collage. 2020. (RobinWyckoff CC BY).

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Conforti, Brandon, “Adaptable Home: Expan- Turner, John F. C. Housing by People : Towards sion & Subtraction for our Ever-Changing Autonomy in Building Environments. Ideas Life,” master’s thesis, Wentworth Institute in Progress. Marion Boyars, 1982. of Technology, 2016.

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