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American Institute of Architects - Housing and Community Design Awards

The Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in conjunction with the Residential Knowledge Community of The American Institute of Architects (AIA), recognizes excellence in affordable housing, community-based design, participatory design, and accessibility. These awards demonstrate that design matters and provide examples of important benchmarks in the housing industry. Awards are offered in four categories: Community–Informed Design Award, Creating Community Connection Award, Excellence in Affordable Housing Design Award, and Housing Accessibility— Alan J. Rothman Award.




American Institute of Architects - Housing and Community Design Awards

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Creating Community Connection Award
This award recognizes projects that incorporate housing within other community amenities for the purpose of either revitalization or planned growth.
 

Haven for Hope in San Antonio, Texas.

Haven for Hope has turned a formerly blighted area into an epicenter of promise and opportunity. Determined to change the plight of its homeless population, the city of San Antonio, Bexar County, and nonprofit and private organizations worked together to create a community that addresses and treats the root causes of homelessness. Bordering downtown and a low-income community, the site was an industrial park with several abandoned warehouses. The challenge was to create public spaces that invoked a campus environment while reaching out to the community. Architects and stakeholders held design charrettes and progress meetings with service providers, interest groups, law enforcement, and neighborhood associations. San Antonio-based agencies, including University Health Systems and the Center for Health Care Services, are intimately involved in the operations.

Website

Architect
James Andrews


Excellence in Affordable Housing Design
This award recognizes projects that incorporate housing within other community amenities for the purpose of either revitalization or planned growth.
 

New Carver Apartments in Los Angeles, California.

This project demonstrates design that responds to the needs and constraints of affordable housing. New Carver Apartments revived an underutilized neighborhood in downtown Los Angeles with funds from the Los Angeles Housing Department, California’s Department of Housing and Community Development, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This sustainable development (it exceeds California’s energy-efficiency requirements) includes 97 units for formerly homeless individuals who earn less than 50 percent of the area median income. Shared spaces and private units offer a safe and secure environment while encouraging interaction between residents. Onsite social services are available.

Owners/Developers
Skid Row Housing Trust
Website

Architect
Michael Maltzan


Housing Accessibility - Alan J. Rothman Award
This award recognizes projects that incorporate housing within other community amenities for the purpose of either revitalization or planned growth.
 

Magnolia Mid-Mod in Seattle, Washington.

A whole-house interior renovation of a mid-century modern home, this project is universally designed for a family of three that includes two wheelchair users (mother and daughter). The family needed both a larger kitchen that would accommodate two wheelchairs and private space in which the daughter could socialize with friends. Since adding a second story to the house was costly, would severely diminish the home’s mid-century scale and charm, and would require using an elevator multiple times a day, the solution was to find more square footage within the existing space. The result is a home that is highly functional and universally appealing. It is hoped that Magnolia Mid-Mod will inspire others to consider the investment potential, both financial and experiential, of planning for a broad range of mobility over a long period of time.

Website

Architect
Carol Sundstrom