Design Advisor Promotes Affordable Housing

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“Good design can make a world of difference to the people who will live in the affordable housing you help build, and to the surrounding neighborhood,” says the Affordable Housing Design Advisor website. The Design Advisor is a trusted resource for architects and other professionals taking on the challenge of producing well-designed affordable housing. The website succinctly addresses the questions of what constitutes good design, why good design is important, and how organizations and individuals can incorporate elements of good design in their housing projects.

The Design Advisor was created by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Policy Development and Research, in partnership with the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Center for Architecture and Building Science Research (CABSR), which maintains the website; the American Institute of Architects; Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.; and other organizations engaged in the production and preservation of affordable housing. The website is part of the Campaign for Excellence in Affordable Housing Design, which promotes good design to community-based development organizations.

Criteria for Good Design

Although opinions and definitions of what constitutes good design vary, the Design Advisor asserts that good design...

• Meets the users’ needs;
• Understands and responds to its context;
• Enhances its neighborhood; and
• Is built to last.

Meeting User Needs

Residents are the best and final judges of any design. According to the Design Advisor, “Well-designed projects understand the needs of their occupants and how these needs impact physical design.” For example, elderly residents might require certain accessibility features, such as a single-story floor plan, to make daily life more comfortable and convenient. Families with children might need quiet areas for studying and large gathering areas in which to play and spend time as a family. The Design Advisor website notes, however, that “...while occupant needs are a critical consideration, some design flexibility must also be maintained to allow for changes in use over time.”

Understanding and Responding to Context

Affordable housing developers rarely have the luxury of a blank canvas for their designs. They must instead work within existing neighborhoods with distinct characteristics that will influence their design decisions. The Design Advisor provides various elements and a list of questions that should be considered during the design phase to ensure that the project fits into the neighborhood: How have the surrounding homes been designed and built? Are there porches? How is open space handled?

Enhancing the Neighborhood

“All projects, no matter how small, have a responsibility beyond simply meeting the needs of their users. They have a public responsibility to add to and enhance the neighborhoods in which they are built,” says the Design Advisor. Although a project that simply meets the minimum housing code requirements might be acceptable for occupancy, the addition of simple amenities — such as landscaping, bay windows, or front porches — adds character, enhances the existing fabric of the neighborhood, and helps ensure its long-term success.

Built to Last

The selection of materials is another important aspect to consider when designing and building new affordable housing. The selection of high-quality materials helps create a look that makes residents feel proud of their homes. In addition, selecting energy-efficient and green building products can help reduce the home’s overall operating costs. Although the Design Advisor recommends using high-quality materials and finishes whenever possible, it also recognizes that affordable housing developments must work within limited budgets.

Why Good Design Is Important

“An affordable housing project can be resisted by the community every step of the way, or welcomed,” says the Design Advisor. Good design can help overcome some community resistance, because a well-designed project that enhances the neighborhood benefits everyone. In addition, a good design can help influence other neighborhood improvements that will increase the area’s attractiveness.

Achieving Good Design

According to the Design Advisor, “The principles of good design are the same for every project, no matter its cost, but designing affordable housing presents unique challenges.” The website incorporates the experience of design professionals, gives examples of exemplary projects, and provides step-by-step checklists to help ensure project success.

Tools and Resources

The Design Advisor includes various tools and resources to help affordable housing developers better understand the design process while improving the overall quality of their projects. Visitors will find forms, checklists, and worksheets created specifically for the Design Advisor. Resources include documents, handbooks, and manuals created by other organizations that expand on specific issues discussed on the site.

For more information on how the Affordable Housing Design Advisor can help shape your next affordable housing design project, visit the website at www.designadvisor.org.