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SUSTAINABLE & AFFORDABLE HOUSING

ABSTRACT

The urban housing crisis has long been an issue not only here in the United States, but all around the globe. With urbanization rates rapidly increasing, cities have long struggled to keep up with the rise in demand.As a result, many cities have faced a severe housing shortage. In turn, this has led to a lack of adequate and affordable housing options for many citizens.

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In combating the housing crisis among college students it is my proposal to implement affordable and sustainable housing options within a

1-2 mile radius of Auburn University’s Campus. In doing so I hope to create equal opportunities for students of all demographics.This can be achieved by assessing material usage in terms of sustainability, recyclability, and accessibility. While also considering the simplicity of design and construction through the use of prefabrication and type v construction. Thus in order to provide stability and optimize efficiency.

RESEARCH

National Scale: According to national reports it has been estimated that globally there are 1.6 billion people that lack adequate housing, 567,715 of those people being American citizens. In addition to those numbers, a survey was conducted in 2019 by Hope Center for College. In their survey they found that out of 167,000 college students, 17% were reported to be homeless with the leading cause of these staggering statistics being the lack of affordable housing.

Local Scale: HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) conducted research that found that “for many college students, living costs exceed and even dwarf the cost of tuition and fees.” At Auburn University, the annual cost of room and board is estimated to be $13,778. This means that the average rent per month for students attending Auburn is around $1,148 a month, almost equaling the average cost of rent for Lee county.

Axonometric Drawing of Existing Issue At The City Scale

• High rise apartments in downtown Auburn.
• With a rise in demand comes a rise in cost. Thus causing low     income students to be pushed further away from campus due to a lack of affordable housing.

• 320 West Mag: 1 BR: $1,424 - 2 BR: $1,074 

• The Uncommon: 1 BR: $1,459 - 2 BR: $1,049 

• West & Wright: 2 BR: $1,060 

• 191 College: 1 BR: $1329 -  2 BR: $1049 

• The Standard: 1 BR: $1,540 - 2 BR: $1,020 

CASE STUDY

 

David Baker Architects Best Practices Used:

• The Five 88 is the largest affordable and sustainable housing complex in San Francisco, CA. Cost: $68,000,000

• Size: 224,370 Sq. Ft.

• Construction: Type V

• Material: Self- weathering steel, cement plaster, cedar, and aluminum 

• Green Point Rating: Gold 

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SUSTAINABILITY

MATERIAL & LAND USAGE

 

In order to move towards more sustainable and affordable options we must rethink land usage as well as material usage. This begins by thinking about housing orientation and how the land can be used in order to conserve energy. In doing so, this will cut back on the overall expense of the monthly utilities that add up over time. This in turn will save college students a lot of money in the long run. In addition to this, it is equally important to think about usage and access to certain materials with some of the most sustainable and affordable materials being bamboo, steel, and concrete.

Moreover, we must also take into consideration the advocacy for policy change. By doing so, it will allow housing units to fall below the market price thus allowing affordability for low income college students. Our goal in doing this is to allow housing options for students that cost no more than $500 a month. It is with all of these things that I believe we can move forward in designing, building, and implementing sustainable and affordable housing neighborhoods in Auburn, Alabama for low income college students.

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ORIENTATION

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In designing a sustainable home it is important to pay special attention to housing orientation. This begins by positioning the home in accordance to the sun’s path in the sky, from the moment it rises to the moment it sets. In doing this the home can be naturally heated and cooled in the win- ter and summer months. In turn this not only conserves energy but it also cuts back on utility costs. In addition to this it is equally important to evaluate the angle of the sun in accordance to the area’s latitude. In Auburn, Alabama the angle of the summer sun is approximately 80 degrees. While the winter sun is set at approximately 34 degrees. With this one can then incorporate an overhang that is 2-3 feet long in order to block the north side of the home from the peak of the summer sun.

VENTILATION

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In correlation to housing orientation it is also important to consider passive ventilation. In Auburn, Alabama alone the average heat index during the summer months is 87 degrees. Thus meaning that for many households the HVAC systems stay running. This in turn leads to higher utility bills. However, through designing a shotgun style home and intentionally incorporating doors and windows in certain areas to allow for natural air to flow through the home, these costs can be cut down dramatically.

ITERATIVE DESIGN PROCESS

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Vision: In designing affordable and sustainable housing It is my vision to see the housing crisis brought to an end. In doing so I wish to provide all citizens with equal rights and opportunities to affordable housing. However, such a task will not come easily. In tackling the issues related to the housing crisis we must first realize that affordable housing is a chronic disease embedded in an even larger systemic issue. Therefore, in order to fully eradicate the housing crisis we must do more than build structures, we must rebuild infrastructure. We must be a people willing to go beyond the superficial. We must be willing to delve deep into policy change and activism. And as designers it is our responsibility to not only look at the infrastructure of the built environment but to look at the larger context of the human infrastructure. For it’s where design and humanity collide where the doors of global change are swung wide open. 

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Funding: This project will be created and run by an affordable and sustainable housing non- profit. The nonprofit itself will be funded by local community partners including the university, city, and private investors. By doing this, the hope is to get enough investors to donate and pay in full for the building and construction of the project. Once completed, the affordable and sustainable housing com- plex will operate on a reinvestment system. Meaning that the profit made from the housing complex will then be directly reinvested back into the nonprofit in order to successfully maintain and keep the property running and up to date.

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Policy: In designing and implementing affordable and sustainable housing it is imperative to enact policy change in order to create a design system that is effective and lasting. With that, Auburn needs a policy that allows for every college housing complex that is built for 30% of its units to fall under market price. This in turn will allow for low income college students to have equal rights and opportunities to affordable housing.

PROPOSAL: AUBURN, ALABAMA

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In combating the housing crisis among college students it is my proposal to implement affordable and sustainable housing options within a 1-2 mile radius of Auburn’s Campus. In doing so I hope to create equal opportunities for students of all demographics. This can be achieved by assessing material usage in terms of sustainability, recyclability, and accessibility. As well as looking into the simplicity of design and construction through the use of prefabrication and type v construction in order to provide stability and optimize efficiency.

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