Multi-generational Housing, 2022
Co-Auther: JingYu Xu
Advisor: Christopher Leong
Location: Elizabeth Street Garden, NYC
Academic Project
West Elevation
︎︎︎This project looks for a new form in New York City to integrate senior housing into the rest of society. Humans had the culture of multigenerational living for thousands of years, but we’ve lost it in our city in 21st century, which is a solution for the current housing crisis. In a nutshell, what we need today is architectural forms which can accomedate different types of living, and it’s a political act to empower residents to use, occupy, and reinvent the space.
Physical Model (1/32”, 1/8”, 1/2”)
︎︎︎The physical model is a crucial element of this
project, and we use it as our primary representation
and testing tool. By creating models at the scale of 1/32, 1/8, and 1/2, we carefully
test different concepts at different levels.
Financial Structure
Spatial Structure
︎︎︎In the article called “Counting Stops” by Michael K. Gusmano, the author introduces a housing complex in France that matches dual-income families with needs for childcare with seniors who don’t have full-time jobs but are happy to spend a few hours a day watching children. Starting from this type of Mutualism, we’ve developed a community structure that promotes different levels of sharing, from sharing between units to sharing between thecommunity and the city.
Unit Formation
Typical Plan - 3F︎︎︎+4F︎︎︎
︎︎︎At the program level, we create a new ownership structure to promote a new type of multigenerational living. At the building level, we create a sharing space to encourage people to interact without sacrificing privacy. From a community and city perspective, we create three levels of public space: the inner garden, inner street, and public garden. This gesture is made to continue the existing publicity on the site of Elizabeth garden.
Longitudinal Section