ARCH_419 International Housing Studio: ‘Seattle. Yesler Congregation’

This studio focused on growing cities sustainably. Students looked at the impacts of tech booms, the nature of community building and urban placemaking, and the types of housing that thrive in the current housing market. They tested their 21st-century proposals at the former site of Seattle’s first public housing development, Yesler Terrace.

Seattle is one of the fastest growing cities in America, with the population increasing by almost 19 percent since 2010. To keep up with the demand, developers are battling for efficiency. This search has led to the renaissance of congregate housing where residents can affordably rent a sleeping room but share most other basic housing amenities. Critics of congregate housing decry its lack of connection with the community. Furthermore, there are concerns over how these buildings will adapt with the ups and downs of the global economy.

Students considered how to re-envision a more socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable congregate community. How can communal housing foster a more robust sense of community both internally and within its greater urban context? And finally, how can these homes help foster the identity of the individual within a larger collective?