Team challenged to conceive affordable housing site for seniors, people with disabilities
An interdisciplinary team of graduate students from UMD’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation has landed one of four finalist slots in the fifth annual HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning (IAH) Competition 2018, beating out over 40 teams from some of the finest and most prestigious graduate-level programs in the United States. UMD will go head-to-head against UT Austin, University of Colorado Denver and Pratt Institute on April 18, 2018, at HUD’s Washington, D.C., office to vie for the winning title. Team Maryland is: Sacheen Scott (Team Leader, M.C.P.), Nathan Robbins (MRED, M.B.A.), Lauren Gilmartin (M.ARCH, M.C.P.), Daniel Green (MRED) and Adan Ramos (M.ARCH, MRED). Maria Day-Marshall, Director of the Real Estate Development Program and Bonstra | Haresign’s Rob McClennan, AIA, are the team’s advisors.
The philosophy behind the IAH competition is that ideas and innovations from the next generation of professionals are essential to fulfilling the need for affordable, sustainable housing. The IAH challenges interdisciplinary, graduate-level teams to address the social, economic and environmental issues that surround a real-world housing problem in the United States, by creating innovative and original solutions through development, design and finance. This year’s competition asks teams to design a 154-unit housing complex, in Dover, N.H., that caters to senior citizens and adults with disabilities. The site challenges include increasing the density of the site and balancing the number of dwellings with communal supports, such as common areas, office space, security and a high level of accessibility. The first round required schematics and a preliminary pro forma. While UMD’s design is under wraps until the final competition, the team hopes that the connectivity, community facilities and sustainability featured in this project highlight the spirit of Dover as an innovative place to live and work.
“Working on this competition has been a stimulating challenge,” said team member Daniel Green. “The interdisciplinary nature of the project provides the opportunity to gain perspective on various aspects of development. We put a lot of time and energy into crafting our proposal, so we are all very excited to have the platform to present it at HUD's headquarters.”
"This interdisciplinary team of students has worked hard over the last two months to produce a quality proposal,” said Day-Marshall. “Their ability to work together as a unit reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation here at the University of Maryland. We are very proud of their success!"
The team will refine their project and produce more detail in the weeks leading up to the competition, including a site visit in early March. The winning team will be awarded $20,000. To learn more about HUD’s IAH competition, visit their website.