In many ways public policy in the United States penalizes those who rent their dwelling space rather than purchase it. The question arises—Is it possible to build dwellings so that a family’s cost of owning would be no more than they pay for rent?

The answer appears to be yes, if building and operating costs can be reduced sufficiently. This proposal is based on clustering 1350 ft2 dwellings in sets of four, with half of each unit’s walls in common, using simple compact volumes, grouping bathrooms, and thus rationalizing organization and saving energy. Construction is conventional wood frame with brick veneer painted, very common techniques that can adapt to favorable labor and material opportunities.

Socially, the dwellings offer advantages well beyond most apartments. There is fenced private open space and se- cure parking for two vehicles. The two-story units are small but flexible, with a ground floor room for those unable to climb stairs. A larger ‘flex’ area on the second level can become a fourth bedroom or a playroom/study.

The dwellings are served by a traffic-slowing lanes using trees and paving textures to define pedestrian zones. The system yields a density of over 14 units per acre.

In 2011 Prototype Housing for Modest Means received an American Architecture Award, given by the Chicago Athenaeum.

Exhibition of the 2011 American Architecture Awards, XIII
Biennial of Architecture, Buenos Aires
October 2011