RCH

70
by 2050,

of the worlds population is projected to live in urban environments.

researchers understand cities in terms of the

socio spatial
a word for describing how people interact with space in the context of social relations

problem the city is traditionally associated with isolation, poverty, homelessness, and crime. it is clear that housing has an incredible impact on quality of life it is most peoples biggest expense. in richmond, most residents pay ten to fifteen dollars a night just to have a legal and safe place to sleep. housing also defines our social interactions. many living situations are incredibly isolating, especially in the constantly changing urban environment. arch theorizes that affordable and renewable community-based housing can combat these problems by creating a respect for both social and spatial interactions.
in the universal declaration of human rights, everyone has a right to shelter.

solution we named our progressive housing communities compisos. they are designed to
create community by having a large communal space within the foot traffic pattern. encourage neighbourly involvement and social activities with facilitative design. develop new relationships between different cultural groups compisos are not religiously or politically affiliated. la renta sube, sube el pueblo sufre, sufre encourage innovation and creativity by letting people of different disciplines interact and work together. allow people to have their own space with their own amenities. enable ownership of a space through community consent after a pre-set length of timeallowing people to modify and identify with space. encourage more nonviolent communication through workshops and practice. combat poverty by relieving the overbearing financial burden of traditional housing costs. create a sense of investment in a movement of social change. all rent collected prior to unit ownership is used to fund the community and future compisos. be small, renewable, and sustainable.

budget because this project will eventually be constructed, it extends beyond the scope of this grant. however, fundraising and other grants will be used as necessary. the project is also scalable to insure that the project will not be stifled due to lack of funding. each unit is expected to cost approximately $7,000. suitable land for this project has been identified within a mile of downtown richmond and virginia commonwealth universitys monroe park campus for $5,600. additional costs will include getting plans approved by a licensed architect and acquiring permits from the city of richmond.

proposed timeline

jan

feb

mar

apr

may

jun

jul

aug

sep

oct

nov

dec

>

>

work on drafting plans estimate costs

fundraise talk to licensed architect

(gallery opening, documentary opening, apply to other grants, kickstarter, etc)

apply for city permits buy land

gallery shows begin construction phase

associates

students

ira birch is a junior in gdes at vcu. she believes that art and design should serve humanity, and that space is an often overlooked catalyst for social change. she has explored space and social relations by staying at multiple communes, with squatters, in a barn, in her car, and in tents.

andrew adere is a sophomore in interior design at vcu. he is intrigued by how space works in relation to basic human rituals and interactions as well as how it can be manipulated in synergy with day-to-day problem solving to improve the human condition.

graduating students
chelsea moody is a senior in interior design at vcu. she has taken extensive courses in historic preservation and urban planning. she interns at smbw architects and at todd yoggy designs. she is currently working on the vcu memorial garden proposal with local architect. kc cosier is a senior in art education with a bfa in painting and printmaking. her studio work pertains to the development of identity in relationship to society. she is interested in how neighbourhoods shape communities and how this can directly affect personal attributes and socialization.

community

faculty

advisor sandy wheeler is an associate professor of gdes at vcu. she was a senior designer in cambridge, ma, developing and designing interpretive exhibitions for numerous institutions, including new mexicos office of cultural affairs; the smithsonian; the u.s. national park service; and the strong museum. her work has been recognized in i.d. magazines annual design review, prints regional design annual, metropolis magazine, and the american association of museums.

assisted by david coogan, ph.d, is an english professor at vcu. he has made a career out of crossing the boundaries of race and class with his teaching. his essays about doing community-writing projects in public housing and in struggling public schools have appeared in a number of journals. in 2006, he launched a prison writing course. more recently coogan was featured on the radio show, with good reason, and has appeared as a guest columnist in the richmond times dispatch. john malinoski is a professor of gdes at vcu. he maintains a steady practice catering to the needs of non-profits and benevolent businesses. awards, publications, presentations and exhibitions include aiga, ucda, adcw, tdcny, print, step inside design, gdea, seaca, zed, aam, various galleries and rotovision. he currently teaches in the departments design center, an honors studio that works for non profit and community organizations. leyla peachy is interested in sustainability, especially ecological design. she currently works at vcu in the human genetics department on mcv campus doing cancer research. she is also on the vcu sustainibility committee. she has participated in other urban design community projects including jrgbc (the james river green building council) green spaces design competition. kendall perkinson has been involved in social justice work for nearly a decade. he is a professional photographer, a documentary filmmaker and a richmond radio host. he has spent time at multiple communes and intentional communities, worked with the homeless for years, and produced documentation and commentary regarding the housing and foreclosure crisis. he believes that the fabric of our everyday lives the places we reside, our social interactions and environment shape our understanding and experience of the world. ben crabtree has done hvac work for five years. he is currently is devoting himself to nonprofit work, specifically in the area of emergency shelter and housing. he believes that to fix worldwide systems, the systems closest to us must be fixed first. he believes this project speaks to basic and immediate human needs and can facilitate change on a grassroots level.

outcome
applied design. better fundraising, networking, and marketing skills. a community based apartment building. a social movement. rejuvenation of upper jackson ward without gentrification. a solution to the problems of urbanism. gallery shows. documentary openings. happier people. more peace.

further reading and inspiration wirth, louis. urbanism as a way of life. american journal of sociology. 44.1 (1938): 1-24. low, setha. spatializing culture. american ethnologist. 23.4 (1996): 861-879. low, setha. the edge and the center. american anthropologist. 103.1 (2001): 45-58. caldeira, teresa. fortified enclaves. public culture. 1996 8(2): 303-328. rabinow, paul. ed. the focault reader. new york: pantheon books, 1984. tumbleweed tiny houses. http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/