Team of architecture faculty confront housing challenges with smart technology

SMART CITIES SYDNEY PROJECT

Professors Joe Colistra, Gregory Crichlow, Casey Franklin, and Nilou Vakil were awarded an AIA Kansas 2020 Honor Award for Unbuilt Design for their Sydney Alternative Housing Ideas project.

The project used research from the KU School of Architecture & Design’s Institute for Smart Cities to develop affordable housing units for aging populations that – through the use of smart home technology and innovative design – could essentially serve as medical devices to help keep residents safe and self-sufficient in their own homes.

The project was developed for the Sydney Alternative Housing Ideas competition. Among 230 international entrants, the KU proposal was the only non-Australian team project selected for the final round of seven.

Sydney, similar to many metropolitan cities, is seeking solutions to affordable housing, growth, transportation and connectivity challenges. The KU team...offered innovative ideas to tackle these challenges from the angle of urban design, architecture, transportation, human behavior, and data collection. NILOU VAKIL