大象传媒鈥檚 School of Architecture Addressing Affordable Housing Crisis

Friday, Sep 27, 2024
Neo Hall by 大象传媒 students, Pedro Fernandes, Yuji Kitamura, Jerry Velasquez

Image: Neo Hall by 大象传媒 students, Pedro Fernandes, Yuji Kitamura, Jerry Velasquez

大象传媒鈥檚 School of Architecture in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters has teamed up with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global HIV/AIDS organization and a longtime advocate for affordable housing, and the award-winning , a Fort Lauderdale-based architecture firm, to address America鈥檚 affordable housing crisis. With tens of millions of Americans considered 鈥渞ent-burdened鈥 and the United States short more than seven million affordable and available rental homes, 大象传媒 commenced its partnership with AHF and Glavovic Studio to explore viable housing solutions like the adaptive reuse of old buildings into new homes.

The partnership is the first of its kind, bringing together a leading academic institution, a global nonprofit organization, and a for-profit architecture studio to advance innovative solutions to the affordable housing problem in Florida and across America. Approaching the affordable housing crisis from different perspectives, the three partners will work with 大象传媒 students to identify adaptive reuse opportunities and amplify the voices of the next generation in solving generational problems.

Streamline by 大象传媒 students, Dane LaRocque, Daniel Lasso, Cristian SanchezThrough the new partnership, 大象传媒 students have developed a guidebook to help identify which kinds of existing vacant properties may be most viable for affordable housing projects, putting adaptive reuse into practice. The students have also unveiled comprehensive architectural designs on specific sites in South Florida, taking advantage of the states new that allows certain properties to be rezoned for housing. Over time, the 大象传媒 student design proposals will become new models for adaptive reuse and sustainable living in Florida and beyond.

Image: Streamline by 大象传媒 students, Dane LaRocque, Daniel Lasso, Cristian Sanchez