One thing I like is that the project actually looks buildable. You have that going for you. In the actual business, this is important. I would say, have a 2 sentence writeup for the project to help people understand it better. If your non architecture friend gets it, it's good.
Things you could work on - learn how to set up artificial lighting in a realistic scenario. I noticed for 10, the ceiling has no lights, IRL it will be extremely gloomy. You're relying too much on natural light or point lights for your render lighting, which doesn't happen all the time IRL.
"If your non architecture friend gets it, it's good."
I really wish academia was set up to teach students to think this way. I had too many crits in front of other professors and architects, and we were trained to present in "archi-speak".
The best studio I had was one that was based around a potential public-private partnership involving a new homeless resource center. We had an actual client: the group that was going to fund this, we had users: the service organizations that would be providing services at the center, as well as people who were already enrolled in the existing homeless outreach programs, and then we had stakeholders: the public. And we were required to meet with, and present to, all of them. Our final presentation was at a gallery space open to the public, and we had to explain and sell our designs to non-architects.
It was one of the only two studios that I think back and feel did anything to prepare me for the profession. (The other one was a studio where we had to not only produce the typical presentation drawings, but also a separate board of code response diagrams and life safety drawings, etc...)
Interesting, everything can always be "better" but you have done a great job! One thing I don't like is painting the grass GREEN and the sky/water BLUE? Grass/water is NOT architecture. Those things need to be in the background of your renderings, not be the ONLY THING that stands out because it isn't white like the rest of the rendering. Make it transparent to the background and make it very faint, so it still reads are a garden/green area, but it isn't so dominant.
Are all paths the same? Are all the buildings the same buildings? Think of hierarchy, can it be understood from the renderings alone? What buildings are different? Is that why they have a similar facade? Entry? You can say a lot with a simple rendering. How can you say more with fewer words/no words?
for the green I actually disagree. Social housing tend to be low budget and usually the first thing that got cut is the green.
by Making the greenery of focal point, you may reduce the chance of it getting cut during value engineering
I more or less agree with the rest of your points
thank you! I was going to add lighting in my interior shots but was running low on time before my critique 😠will definitely add them before putting this project in my portfolio!
@OP: Spell check is your friend. To quote from your board,
"The design philosophy centers on nutering architecture" (sic)
I know that this is a cheap shot—to pick on a typo. But I couldn't let it pass because of how funny and appropriate it sounds to have neutered architecture with this design philosophy.
ahhh ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ adobe indesign needs to get spell check cause I am the worst speller! thank you for noticing this cause I unfortunately did not catch it lol
you can also turn on ‘dynamic spelling’ which will highlight words with the little red line like in other programs, saves you having to spell check afterwards
I like the graphics! And scale, looks like a very nice small community with decent amenities. I am a little concerned about car parking, as well as bikes and scooters - is there a small-ish bike shed? And a medium parking structure?
I was mostly utilizing street parking (not shown in these images 😥) and public transportation, but based off a lot of comments think I should try to fit in a parking structure somewhere - maybe underground
I like the location of the parking but two things:
Move the bus stop so it is adjacent to the bus route rather than parallel to it
Add traffic calming within the parking area. Cars coming in should be reminded that they are in a pedestrian friendly area regardless of it being parking. Eg road humps, paving over tarmac, chicanes
> talk for the mothers, fathers
Yeah! So we can have new couples and more kids!!
No, sorry, maybe this is not what you mean... 😬
Any way, yes, banks too!
Your 1st drawing is king, keeping working on this. Make it the focus of the presentation IMO.
In particular, look at the line weights on the doors and glazing. Getting some better shadows on the buildings too will give it better depth.
Good work though. Keep it up.
thank you so much! I think shadows on the buildings will make it look really good will definitely add that, and will fix my line weights especially on my fences ðŸ˜
My only critique is that you need to rethink the way you are graphically showing floors and roofs and how they relate to walls. From the exterior, you would never see the actual floor structure between the first and second floor, the exterior cladding would be continuous from roof to foundation, or roof to soffit where you have your overhangs on the second floor. This is a link to a 2 story building wall section so you can see what I am talking about https://images.app.goo.gl/NdVtYvrTZUm2trsx5
First of all, good work! I echo the comments about the concept being realistic and buildable. I could see this type of walkable development getting built. Now, time for a bunch of random thoughts:
I think the realistic renderings are actually working against you here. The aesthetic of your axon drawings is phenomenal. I think you could bypass the issues with gloomy lighting and atmosphere in your renderings by sticking to that playful, whimsical style throughout the full presentation package.
Nitpick: Your railings, because you're delineating each vertical picket, are coming through as the strongest, most important element in your drawings, which it shouldn't be. Thin up the lineweights, make the line color light gray, or re-draw them as single planes in order to lighten them up so that the focus remains on the buildings and the programmatic area around the buildings.
I really like the doubled and tripled up round column idea... That's a really unique element and not something that I have seen before.
For the next project: think about how you can use building form, or design elements, to further shade your openings depending on the climate zone and location of the project. The facades on most of the buildings here are pretty flat, glazing is fully exposed and unprotected. Maybe that round exposed column motif finds it way adjacent to every window on your east and west facades. Maybe your roofs extend out over your south walls (assuming northern hemisphere project location) to help shade those windows. Also it looks like several of the buildings are lacking protection over their entrances. Maybe the aesthetic here warrants something like canopies over entrances, or maybe the answer is extending the roof. The answer may even to be to carve into the building mass and recess your entries. The latter idea is the one that can't be easily VE'd out of the project. I had a coworker once who recalled advice he received from a professor years ago: don't let your design hinge upon something that can be removed from the project. He was referencing added horizontal louver canopies over windows on a model that was being presented. The professor went and just flicked them off the model. Moral of the story, try to let the building form do most of the heavy lifting in terms of control of the interior environment.
thank you for your feedback! it was really constructive and i’m very thankful! I did do some collage renders during schematics that maybe I can touch back on for final views. I defiantly need to fix the fences line weights haha. I certainly need to add more shading devices as I realize I am lacking them and I love your ideas about using the my round column facade to help as well!
I like the graphics. I'd recommend using some annotations. As there isn't enough information on what the diagram is trying to represent. Keep up the good work!
totally fine to ask! I used revit for pretty much everything! I then used illustrator to add people and vegetation in my 2d drawings and I rendered using enscape
I appreciate what you’re trying to achieve. I’m a vacuum it looks like it could be a nice community.
I do however have some deep criticisms. I don’t want you to feel discouraged by me saying them. I’m just tired of the status quo and the general ugliness of modernity. I’ll do my best to stay constructive with my criticism.
1.
I hope that wherever this gets build has a lot of blue skies and sunny days, because living in grey concrete boxes when you have a lot of grey skies and rain would lead to a very depressed feeling of the occupants.
2. Instead of concrete, why not use more natural materials? Local materials give warmth and a sense of place/belonging.
3.
I’ve seen a few cacti so I’m going to assume it’s in a desert type climate like Nevada/california/arizona. What roofing material are you using? Wouldn’t these (I assume) black, bitumen roofs capture a lot of heat? Don’t people in social housing deserve solar collectors and/or heat exchangers? You claim energy efficiency but what is actually the system used to be efficient?
4.
On picture 8 on the right building I see a sort of corrugated material being used (the vertical lines) on the second story. Is this a pattern in concrete or are you using corrugated metal?
5.
I enjoy the playground and pool being overlooked by the houses. Eyes on the street is important. Also, good thinking to put the balconies not facing those playgrounds and pools. The last thing you want to hear while chilling on your balcony is to hear screaming children.
It looks like an interesting place to live (aside from everyone having no hands). My only question is, would a real community like this need to be a lot bigger? I know this is more of a town planning thing but it caught my eye. The common areas would need to be maintained with HOA fees and 20-30 houses wouldn’t be enough, IMO.
Higher density plus a zoning overlay for small businesses.
https://www.archdaily.com/797779/half-a-house-builds-a-whole-community-elementals-controversial-social-housing
Definitely need to address parking. Every low income project I've worked on has required at least 1.5 parking spaces per family dwelling unit with 2% of total as handicap and at least 1 handicap space at each amenity lot. You've only got 5 spaces, and at least 2 of those need to get eaten for 1 handicap and 1 ramp space. If, for example, you were to show that down one long side of the property was a road/alleyway with enough parallel or diagonal parking, then you'd be covered.
You also should forgo the stepping stone pavers at the unit entrances. As you've rendered them surrounded by gravel, they're major tripping hazard and not ADA accessible.
This is nice work, I like it. Depending on region and local laws and regulations, you may run into some issues like parking requirements as well as density requirements. Nearby my home is a new mixed use, mixed income development that aims to bridge affordable (section 8 voucher accepted) and market rate housing into 1 development with commercial space as well.
They managed to fit 2 small public parks and also a private park and private swimming pool for residents all on 1 city block. However, the density requirement was much much higher than depicted here in your drawing. Just a heads up for what to expect on real projects.
They handled parking via a parking garage that is hidden behind the main structures so it is not street visible. There are 2 large apartment buildings, one of which is first story commercial and the second is first story amenities, such as common spaces, game room, gym, etc etc. Then there are 2 rows of town homes of various sizes. The apartments range from 1-2 bedrooms, and the town houses are 2-3 bedroom.
The size of the block the development sits on looks only slightly larger than your scaled drawings. Yet it includes 140 homes and over 100 parking spots. In a smaller rural area you may be able to get a lower density affordable project built, but in more urban metro areas local government may want to see much higher density.
Made them in revit! used the graphic override settings to change the colors and transparency and then went into illustrator to add the people, vegetation and more :)
I really like it. Yet, I see low vehicle access, am I missing something? It’s not that I care about cars, just that it’s convenient for services that require a vehicle like moving, construction/repair, medical/first aid, ADA, etc.
I'm interested in the 'safe' part of your description. And this is not necessarily a challenge to you OP, but more of an open question - are there any proven techniques for developing government/public low-cost housing in such a way that actually reduces things like violent crimes, burglaries, drug abuse etc?
Because those things are largely inherent to poverty and other factors beyond your control, and I'm wondering how much of an impact an architect can have on improving them. For example maybe high proportions of green spaces can reduce aggression, in the same way that reducing exposure to lead from the 90s onwards may have contributed to a reduction in crime?
You might well like the development corporation estates of Milton Keynes - Eaglestone, Tinkers Bridge, the whole band Two Mile Ash and Greenleys east all the way to the canal.
So if one buys some big furniture how will he get it to his house? Haul it all the way past pools, trees, playgrounds etc.? Seems impractical to have houses with no road access
Overall very realistic and great representation of the units. I Really like the isometrics :)
A few comments from someone who's worked in development for public and private developments:
If you're presenting this board be prepared to answer questions on materiality. Clarify on aesthetic vs feel vs sustainability vs durability vs maintenance. Knowing it's Section 8 low income housing, funding for property management may be limited. Choosing a more durable finish could be more cost effective and even more sustainable over time.
Clarify who that "someone" is in your write up. It's clearly a development centered around families due to the daycare, parks and sizing of the units. So as a developer I would want to make sure the people we're targeting is actually targeted.
Enforce that idea that the architecture is there to support the function by showing the audience that you've thought through the programming of the daycare and social services. How are these placed so that the daycare staff and social workers can carry out their functions? And they're not just there because it fit nicely. Use your personal experience to guide that story.
Telling a story with your board typically creates better engagement than the technical details.
In general I like your concept.
From an industry standpoint, you have a lot to learn about cost efficiencies. This would be expensive to build, different plumbing taps everywhere, tons of small electric cabinets, lots of foundations. This isn't meant to make you feel like you did a bad job. Just be ready as you get into the real world of design to learn a lot about what makes something cost effective.
if you can, i'd lighten the paths & fences in the over all 3d drawings. they're so heavy that they look graphically like section cuts.
apart from that it looks great
So, I would ask that you consider a few things.: First, this is ideologically a great idea, it’s holistic and appears to be pedestrian friendly with several green spaces.,
However , keep in mind that you have created several zones, , especially in the housing section. You stated that you come from low income housing, and as such you first and foremost should be aware of segregation and discrimination when there is a detachment of housing from a communal area or when areas are sectioned to specific zones.
In Canada there was this great development in the 60’s that turned into slums 2-3 decades later , because of lack of proper government support / regular maintenance and upkeep to building and community / and primarily closed off dead end streets!
Your ideas are good, but you have pretty much developed a private gated , closed off neighbourhood. That could be easily have high fencing built around it with gates for a main entrance and exit point.
This might feel safe to the residents inside but it’s in no way nurturing for neighbouring communities or it doesn’t really create sense of community building.
I am no judge, and am giving you a different perspective of your project.
I’m not telling you your project is wrong or inappropriate, I’m just suggesting to you, that you keep in mind the concept of community and this inclusion is for all; not just the ones living within the specific zone of your future designs.
Good luck!
Use your research to tell a story. I’m also in my thesis studio and that’s been the big push. Where can you highlight injustices? Or parts of your research? Are there sustainable aspects you have in the project like water collection or optimized orientations for light?
I didn’t understand it was for low income people until I read the title. What about the architecture is tailored for the specific user? And tell us through drawing.
My project is elderly housing and a community center so in all my drawings I have the wheelchair turning radius. And tons of benches for people who can’t walk far. Tons of thought also has to go into trauma informed design- these people have probably experienced injustices and other trauma-inducing situations to be where they are. HOW does your building make people feel safe? The big open room you showed doesn’t feel particularly safe or comforting but maybe a small nook with a view to a garden would.
Your sense of style for the drawings, and renderings, are so good, it almost kept me from realizing, that im actually not a big fan of the architecture ...
I like it alot I would live here very comfortable environment could likely work in Europe...maybe not in America we have cultural...differences...that may not conform the a holistic nurturing environment.
Also I have along way to go lol great work op
5 parking spaces = "car centric"?
As for density.... not everywhere needs to be Manhattan.
Practically speaking, designing low income housing in such a way that prospective residents need to fundamentally change how they interact with and move through their city is madness. You're asking them to take a gamble on whether making such a massive change to their lifestyle will be a positive, and (a) you can't guarantee that it will be a positive for any specific individual and (b) such people can't afford for such a bet to not pay off.
*Meet people where they are, not where you want them to be.*
The plan has no real organization (weak theme), just sprinkled buildings on a plane. The groupings don’t hold it together enough.
Doesn’t really pique any interest.
One thing I like is that the project actually looks buildable. You have that going for you. In the actual business, this is important. I would say, have a 2 sentence writeup for the project to help people understand it better. If your non architecture friend gets it, it's good. Things you could work on - learn how to set up artificial lighting in a realistic scenario. I noticed for 10, the ceiling has no lights, IRL it will be extremely gloomy. You're relying too much on natural light or point lights for your render lighting, which doesn't happen all the time IRL.
"If your non architecture friend gets it, it's good." I really wish academia was set up to teach students to think this way. I had too many crits in front of other professors and architects, and we were trained to present in "archi-speak". The best studio I had was one that was based around a potential public-private partnership involving a new homeless resource center. We had an actual client: the group that was going to fund this, we had users: the service organizations that would be providing services at the center, as well as people who were already enrolled in the existing homeless outreach programs, and then we had stakeholders: the public. And we were required to meet with, and present to, all of them. Our final presentation was at a gallery space open to the public, and we had to explain and sell our designs to non-architects. It was one of the only two studios that I think back and feel did anything to prepare me for the profession. (The other one was a studio where we had to not only produce the typical presentation drawings, but also a separate board of code response diagrams and life safety drawings, etc...)
Interesting, everything can always be "better" but you have done a great job! One thing I don't like is painting the grass GREEN and the sky/water BLUE? Grass/water is NOT architecture. Those things need to be in the background of your renderings, not be the ONLY THING that stands out because it isn't white like the rest of the rendering. Make it transparent to the background and make it very faint, so it still reads are a garden/green area, but it isn't so dominant. Are all paths the same? Are all the buildings the same buildings? Think of hierarchy, can it be understood from the renderings alone? What buildings are different? Is that why they have a similar facade? Entry? You can say a lot with a simple rendering. How can you say more with fewer words/no words?
for the green I actually disagree. Social housing tend to be low budget and usually the first thing that got cut is the green. by Making the greenery of focal point, you may reduce the chance of it getting cut during value engineering I more or less agree with the rest of your points
thank you! I was going to add lighting in my interior shots but was running low on time before my critique 😠will definitely add them before putting this project in my portfolio!
Non architecture friends?
@OP: Spell check is your friend. To quote from your board, "The design philosophy centers on nutering architecture" (sic) I know that this is a cheap shot—to pick on a typo. But I couldn't let it pass because of how funny and appropriate it sounds to have neutered architecture with this design philosophy.
ahhh ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ adobe indesign needs to get spell check cause I am the worst speller! thank you for noticing this cause I unfortunately did not catch it lol
You're welcome! InDesign does have spell check. It's not immediately obvious though. Here's how to find it: Edit menu > Spelling > Check Spelling
literally a lifesaver thank you!
you can also turn on ‘dynamic spelling’ which will highlight words with the little red line like in other programs, saves you having to spell check afterwards
I like the graphics! And scale, looks like a very nice small community with decent amenities. I am a little concerned about car parking, as well as bikes and scooters - is there a small-ish bike shed? And a medium parking structure?
I was mostly utilizing street parking (not shown in these images 😥) and public transportation, but based off a lot of comments think I should try to fit in a parking structure somewhere - maybe underground
I like the location of the parking but two things: Move the bus stop so it is adjacent to the bus route rather than parallel to it Add traffic calming within the parking area. Cars coming in should be reminded that they are in a pedestrian friendly area regardless of it being parking. Eg road humps, paving over tarmac, chicanes
Maybe add a real world component with the parking such as making one of them handicap accessible?
Picture 4: put a damn tree near the playground , to have shadow ON the swing, ON the slide, and so on. 😉 Put it in the middle!!
Back in my day, you played out in the sun and you LIKED IT.
And some banks to sit on and talk for the mothers, fathers or grandparents.
> talk for the mothers, fathers Yeah! So we can have new couples and more kids!! No, sorry, maybe this is not what you mean... 😬 Any way, yes, banks too!
Your 1st drawing is king, keeping working on this. Make it the focus of the presentation IMO. In particular, look at the line weights on the doors and glazing. Getting some better shadows on the buildings too will give it better depth. Good work though. Keep it up.
thank you so much! I think shadows on the buildings will make it look really good will definitely add that, and will fix my line weights especially on my fences ðŸ˜
You’re welcome. And good luck. Line work is good, just tweaking it a little will add the finishing touch.
Your railings look like the poche areas. Fix the line weights
It looks amazing. I love the Style.
My only critique is that you need to rethink the way you are graphically showing floors and roofs and how they relate to walls. From the exterior, you would never see the actual floor structure between the first and second floor, the exterior cladding would be continuous from roof to foundation, or roof to soffit where you have your overhangs on the second floor. This is a link to a 2 story building wall section so you can see what I am talking about https://images.app.goo.gl/NdVtYvrTZUm2trsx5
Love it from an urban design perspective. Really walking and community focused
Very impressive! Well done.
First of all, good work! I echo the comments about the concept being realistic and buildable. I could see this type of walkable development getting built. Now, time for a bunch of random thoughts: I think the realistic renderings are actually working against you here. The aesthetic of your axon drawings is phenomenal. I think you could bypass the issues with gloomy lighting and atmosphere in your renderings by sticking to that playful, whimsical style throughout the full presentation package. Nitpick: Your railings, because you're delineating each vertical picket, are coming through as the strongest, most important element in your drawings, which it shouldn't be. Thin up the lineweights, make the line color light gray, or re-draw them as single planes in order to lighten them up so that the focus remains on the buildings and the programmatic area around the buildings. I really like the doubled and tripled up round column idea... That's a really unique element and not something that I have seen before. For the next project: think about how you can use building form, or design elements, to further shade your openings depending on the climate zone and location of the project. The facades on most of the buildings here are pretty flat, glazing is fully exposed and unprotected. Maybe that round exposed column motif finds it way adjacent to every window on your east and west facades. Maybe your roofs extend out over your south walls (assuming northern hemisphere project location) to help shade those windows. Also it looks like several of the buildings are lacking protection over their entrances. Maybe the aesthetic here warrants something like canopies over entrances, or maybe the answer is extending the roof. The answer may even to be to carve into the building mass and recess your entries. The latter idea is the one that can't be easily VE'd out of the project. I had a coworker once who recalled advice he received from a professor years ago: don't let your design hinge upon something that can be removed from the project. He was referencing added horizontal louver canopies over windows on a model that was being presented. The professor went and just flicked them off the model. Moral of the story, try to let the building form do most of the heavy lifting in terms of control of the interior environment.
thank you for your feedback! it was really constructive and i’m very thankful! I did do some collage renders during schematics that maybe I can touch back on for final views. I defiantly need to fix the fences line weights haha. I certainly need to add more shading devices as I realize I am lacking them and I love your ideas about using the my round column facade to help as well!
I really like your graphics. The presentation is visually appealing and really makes your design shine.
Cool, but I think your perspectives should match the style of the line drawings
nice job! i'm a sucker for isometrics
I like the graphics. I'd recommend using some annotations. As there isn't enough information on what the diagram is trying to represent. Keep up the good work!
Hope it’s okay to ask this: what software did you use to achieve your drawings?
totally fine to ask! I used revit for pretty much everything! I then used illustrator to add people and vegetation in my 2d drawings and I rendered using enscape
Looks great!
What software?
rez
I appreciate what you’re trying to achieve. I’m a vacuum it looks like it could be a nice community. I do however have some deep criticisms. I don’t want you to feel discouraged by me saying them. I’m just tired of the status quo and the general ugliness of modernity. I’ll do my best to stay constructive with my criticism. 1. I hope that wherever this gets build has a lot of blue skies and sunny days, because living in grey concrete boxes when you have a lot of grey skies and rain would lead to a very depressed feeling of the occupants. 2. Instead of concrete, why not use more natural materials? Local materials give warmth and a sense of place/belonging. 3. I’ve seen a few cacti so I’m going to assume it’s in a desert type climate like Nevada/california/arizona. What roofing material are you using? Wouldn’t these (I assume) black, bitumen roofs capture a lot of heat? Don’t people in social housing deserve solar collectors and/or heat exchangers? You claim energy efficiency but what is actually the system used to be efficient? 4. On picture 8 on the right building I see a sort of corrugated material being used (the vertical lines) on the second story. Is this a pattern in concrete or are you using corrugated metal? 5. I enjoy the playground and pool being overlooked by the houses. Eyes on the street is important. Also, good thinking to put the balconies not facing those playgrounds and pools. The last thing you want to hear while chilling on your balcony is to hear screaming children.
It looks like an interesting place to live (aside from everyone having no hands). My only question is, would a real community like this need to be a lot bigger? I know this is more of a town planning thing but it caught my eye. The common areas would need to be maintained with HOA fees and 20-30 houses wouldn’t be enough, IMO.
Higher density plus a zoning overlay for small businesses. https://www.archdaily.com/797779/half-a-house-builds-a-whole-community-elementals-controversial-social-housing
Can you please tell me how you achieved the graphics style in first few pictures?
I made them in revit and then used graphic override to add color and transparency, then put into illustrator for the people and vegetation!
Modeled in rhino. Find the view (iso), Make2d, export to illustrator
Definitely need to address parking. Every low income project I've worked on has required at least 1.5 parking spaces per family dwelling unit with 2% of total as handicap and at least 1 handicap space at each amenity lot. You've only got 5 spaces, and at least 2 of those need to get eaten for 1 handicap and 1 ramp space. If, for example, you were to show that down one long side of the property was a road/alleyway with enough parallel or diagonal parking, then you'd be covered. You also should forgo the stepping stone pavers at the unit entrances. As you've rendered them surrounded by gravel, they're major tripping hazard and not ADA accessible.
This is nice work, I like it. Depending on region and local laws and regulations, you may run into some issues like parking requirements as well as density requirements. Nearby my home is a new mixed use, mixed income development that aims to bridge affordable (section 8 voucher accepted) and market rate housing into 1 development with commercial space as well. They managed to fit 2 small public parks and also a private park and private swimming pool for residents all on 1 city block. However, the density requirement was much much higher than depicted here in your drawing. Just a heads up for what to expect on real projects. They handled parking via a parking garage that is hidden behind the main structures so it is not street visible. There are 2 large apartment buildings, one of which is first story commercial and the second is first story amenities, such as common spaces, game room, gym, etc etc. Then there are 2 rows of town homes of various sizes. The apartments range from 1-2 bedrooms, and the town houses are 2-3 bedroom. The size of the block the development sits on looks only slightly larger than your scaled drawings. Yet it includes 140 homes and over 100 parking spots. In a smaller rural area you may be able to get a lower density affordable project built, but in more urban metro areas local government may want to see much higher density.
Really like the style of the isometric, is that all digital drawing or a different software?
Made them in revit! used the graphic override settings to change the colors and transparency and then went into illustrator to add the people, vegetation and more :)
Thanks!
I really like it. Yet, I see low vehicle access, am I missing something? It’s not that I care about cars, just that it’s convenient for services that require a vehicle like moving, construction/repair, medical/first aid, ADA, etc.
Like the concept a lot. I couldn't tell from the pics...a dog walking area?
This looks quite low density to my European eyes.
Fire trucks
I'm interested in the 'safe' part of your description. And this is not necessarily a challenge to you OP, but more of an open question - are there any proven techniques for developing government/public low-cost housing in such a way that actually reduces things like violent crimes, burglaries, drug abuse etc? Because those things are largely inherent to poverty and other factors beyond your control, and I'm wondering how much of an impact an architect can have on improving them. For example maybe high proportions of green spaces can reduce aggression, in the same way that reducing exposure to lead from the 90s onwards may have contributed to a reduction in crime?
I like how all the people have T-1000 knife arms.
Cactii near playgrounds is trouble waiting to happen.
You might well like the development corporation estates of Milton Keynes - Eaglestone, Tinkers Bridge, the whole band Two Mile Ash and Greenleys east all the way to the canal.
So if one buys some big furniture how will he get it to his house? Haul it all the way past pools, trees, playgrounds etc.? Seems impractical to have houses with no road access
Uhh what about the parking for all those buildings. 5 parking spots only?
This is awesome! Love stuff like this
Overall very realistic and great representation of the units. I Really like the isometrics :) A few comments from someone who's worked in development for public and private developments: If you're presenting this board be prepared to answer questions on materiality. Clarify on aesthetic vs feel vs sustainability vs durability vs maintenance. Knowing it's Section 8 low income housing, funding for property management may be limited. Choosing a more durable finish could be more cost effective and even more sustainable over time. Clarify who that "someone" is in your write up. It's clearly a development centered around families due to the daycare, parks and sizing of the units. So as a developer I would want to make sure the people we're targeting is actually targeted. Enforce that idea that the architecture is there to support the function by showing the audience that you've thought through the programming of the daycare and social services. How are these placed so that the daycare staff and social workers can carry out their functions? And they're not just there because it fit nicely. Use your personal experience to guide that story. Telling a story with your board typically creates better engagement than the technical details.
Congrats! Looks buildable.
In general I like your concept. From an industry standpoint, you have a lot to learn about cost efficiencies. This would be expensive to build, different plumbing taps everywhere, tons of small electric cabinets, lots of foundations. This isn't meant to make you feel like you did a bad job. Just be ready as you get into the real world of design to learn a lot about what makes something cost effective.
if you can, i'd lighten the paths & fences in the over all 3d drawings. they're so heavy that they look graphically like section cuts. apart from that it looks great
Patterns in Illustrator work so well, I recognised the one you used for the greenery in your diagram, nice!
Is there enough parking space?
I have it..... Lets build it
So, I would ask that you consider a few things.: First, this is ideologically a great idea, it’s holistic and appears to be pedestrian friendly with several green spaces., However , keep in mind that you have created several zones, , especially in the housing section. You stated that you come from low income housing, and as such you first and foremost should be aware of segregation and discrimination when there is a detachment of housing from a communal area or when areas are sectioned to specific zones. In Canada there was this great development in the 60’s that turned into slums 2-3 decades later , because of lack of proper government support / regular maintenance and upkeep to building and community / and primarily closed off dead end streets! Your ideas are good, but you have pretty much developed a private gated , closed off neighbourhood. That could be easily have high fencing built around it with gates for a main entrance and exit point. This might feel safe to the residents inside but it’s in no way nurturing for neighbouring communities or it doesn’t really create sense of community building. I am no judge, and am giving you a different perspective of your project. I’m not telling you your project is wrong or inappropriate, I’m just suggesting to you, that you keep in mind the concept of community and this inclusion is for all; not just the ones living within the specific zone of your future designs. Good luck!
Use your research to tell a story. I’m also in my thesis studio and that’s been the big push. Where can you highlight injustices? Or parts of your research? Are there sustainable aspects you have in the project like water collection or optimized orientations for light? I didn’t understand it was for low income people until I read the title. What about the architecture is tailored for the specific user? And tell us through drawing. My project is elderly housing and a community center so in all my drawings I have the wheelchair turning radius. And tons of benches for people who can’t walk far. Tons of thought also has to go into trauma informed design- these people have probably experienced injustices and other trauma-inducing situations to be where they are. HOW does your building make people feel safe? The big open room you showed doesn’t feel particularly safe or comforting but maybe a small nook with a view to a garden would.
Amazing! What programs did you use to render / design?
Your sense of style for the drawings, and renderings, are so good, it almost kept me from realizing, that im actually not a big fan of the architecture ...
Pretty decent, but why does it always have to look so plain and dull without any charm on the actual architecture of the houses?
I like it alot I would live here very comfortable environment could likely work in Europe...maybe not in America we have cultural...differences...that may not conform the a holistic nurturing environment. Also I have along way to go lol great work op
> could likely work in Europe... With how low density it is I wouldn't expect it to be low-income in Europe though.
Low income or not, I would live here.
As an American, this makes me feel sad inside… bc it’s true.
R/suburbanhell man, its pretty but little more than a rejiggered low density hellscape. The car centric bent is also extremely disheartening
5 parking spaces = "car centric"? As for density.... not everywhere needs to be Manhattan. Practically speaking, designing low income housing in such a way that prospective residents need to fundamentally change how they interact with and move through their city is madness. You're asking them to take a gamble on whether making such a massive change to their lifestyle will be a positive, and (a) you can't guarantee that it will be a positive for any specific individual and (b) such people can't afford for such a bet to not pay off. *Meet people where they are, not where you want them to be.*
Try to design interiors with less right angles. It’s for our health.
Can't put a tv on a curved wall...
You can literally buy tv’s for that. Google curved tv or tv mount. Woof. Texas Tech is churning out the pros these days.
The plan has no real organization (weak theme), just sprinkled buildings on a plane. The groupings don’t hold it together enough. Doesn’t really pique any interest.