ARCH_419 International Housing Studio: ‘Dublin. A Door of One’s Own’

Eighteenth-century Dublin was the second city of the British Empire, known for the elegance of its architecture. In 1801, the Irish Parliament was dissolved and the ruling classes moved to London. The city declined until the 20th century when rural dwellers flocked to the city, which spread outward and neglected its center. In recent decades, the Irish government has relied on market forces to increase the housing stock, but there is now a severe housing shortage at a time of population growth.

The Irish are obsessed with owning their own home, a deep-rooted need explained in part by the famine of 1845–1849, when tenant farmers lost their holdings. There is likewise a deeply ingrained distinction between living in a house and apartment and resistance to apartment and high-rise living. Terraced housing has traditionally predominated. Ireland is graced with a temperate climate characterized by its changeability with prevailing winds, plentiful rainfall, and a lack of sunlight.

In this studio, students studied the provision of housing, which is neither apartment nor house, but rather a hybrid between the two. Students also considered how to create a sustainable community that contributes to city life while also providing privacy within the intimacy of the home.