Transcend Architecture enters the Complete the Community Competition
This July Travis Hicks, Morgana D'avila, and summer intern Henry Quillin chose to enter Complete the Community: A Housing & Urban Design Competition . The competition was organized by the Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Houston) and the City of Houston with Council Member David W. Robinson. The intent of this competition was to solicit conceptual designs that can be accessible and beneficial to the affordable housing landscape of Houston. The areas of study for the competition focused in on Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner's initiative, “Complete Communities,” which aims to revitalize five of Houston’s under-resourced communities: Acres Homes, Near Northside, Second Ward, Third Ward, and Gulfton.
All housing entries were designed to address the climate of the Gulf Coast region, home maintenance and material life span, energy effciency, meet LARA guidelines, and the social, economic, and environmental implications to its surroundings all for a cost of less than $180,000.
The east end of Houston's Second Ward neighborhood was the team's chosen study area their design entry, although it may transfer well into other Houston neighborhoods if needed. Most homes in this area are single story bungalows with front porches and fenced in yards bustling with everyday family life. Many of these bungalows have been added on to with additions and even second stories in what may have been in a d.i.y. coordinated by the homeowners.
EVOLVE HOUSE
Taking the homeowner expansion into consideration, the home focuses on a design that's not only integral aesthetically to the neighborhood, but is made future home additions the homeowner may need.Hinting at these additions in it's form, the team also estimated the initial cost of making the base design structurally adequate for such expansions. To protect the homeowners and reduce those structural costs when the time arises.
On August 21, City Council Member David Robinson recognized all competition winners at the City of Houston Council meeting with Mayor Sylvester Turner in attendance. All wining entries may be viewed at AIA Houston Chapter's website here.
CONGRatulATIONS, TRANSCEND TEAM !
