This semester the Graduate Design 8 studio has been learning about and testing potentials in redevelopment at different scales and from from different perspectives. Below is a synopsis of the projects and links to the initial assignments. See the Projects and Process tab for links to the work.
Project One engaged students from the "ground up" perspective. After first-hand observation of patterns of activity and establishing perceived needs, students proposed small scale interventions to aid, encourage, enrich the urban life of the Parramore District. This proposed project were to be at a scale that each student along with a couple of friends could raise funds and construct it. This was primarily a "public realm" project. Here is a link to the initial assignment which includes links to text.
Project Two introduced housing. It placed the students in the position of an affordable housing developer. The students were charged to figure out hoe to redevelop a block in Parramore that contained 16 existing housing units in 8 separate identical buildings. This building represents a post-war "type" within Parramore district. It is ubiquitous. We have been testing the land use code and affordable housing development incentives from our architect/designer POV. Students worked within the requirements of the land development code but were encouraged to make changes that could improve the intent of the code and improve the developability of the district in terms of both quality and profitability. Students used a proforma to establish that their proposals were viable. Proposals were meant to test existing and proposed density in the Parramore District. Here is a link to the initial project assignment.
These first two projects were focused on Parramore District. The City of Orlando Planning are in a conundrum concerning how and if to rezone Parramore (they are writing the new code now) so we have offered some input. The final project expands research into the region.
Project Three carries the semester study on urban design with a focus on affordable housing beyond Parramore.
We will investigate the results of decades of housing development tangled with decades of (sub)urban development. We will look for ground up opportunity and top down opportunity, as we have in the first two projects, in this broader context. To frame Project Three I offer a set of resources. The resources are found at the Shimberg Center for Housing Studies. In particular, a recent study performed by a group of students under the direction of William O'dell. This study looks at suitability of affordable housing in the Orlando region, Orange County as a whole. It introduces a tool for the investigation of the quality of current affordable housing stock and proposes a method of finding best sites for new affordable housing. The tool relies heavily on utilizing the positive impact of linkage and networks. These are systems which we have identified as being necessary contributors to defining the urban condition. It also points out a diminishment issue with current affordable housing availability with units at risk of deterioration or conversion to market rate rents.
This project is set up as an exploration of the Shimberg housing suitability model (HSM) that is meant to grade the sustainably of existing affordable housing development locations in Orange County. We are using a critique of the model (HSM) to theorize ways of siting and developing new affordable housing units. We recognize a crisis in affordable housing on the horizon, as a full 1/4 of the existing tax credit units drop off the roles in the next ten years. We aim to offer ways to redevelop and or rezone strategic areas to preserve existing or promote new affordable housing development while also increasing the quality of the developments. This has been a short project and has not resulted in a "building". It is really a neighborhood site planning exercise.
We focused investigation on projects that fall into the "high risk of affordability loss (for-profit owned, well-located and in good condition)" category.
