Skalholt 1 is a massive, to a large extent vacant old office building in Kista, a business park 13 km northwest of central Stockholm. As are many other offices in this area; all while housing is desperately needed and very expensive.This thesis work aims to suggest a few, cost effective actions that can change this building into attractive, long term housing – considering both the identity of the building and the qualities of the homes created there. Fundamental values are to reuse as much as possible and respect the longevity and quality of the materials, while  seeking to crate homes that can accommodate the needs and desires for a diverse range of families.The result of the project is a suggested Strategy with actions in 5 aspects: -    To create a visible, welcoming and attractive entrance with services and amenities. -    To change the color scheme of the building. -    To create an lush garden in the vast inner courtyard. -    To offer large areas that can be shared in various ways in order to create a feeling of ownership and security also outside ones own apartment (home elasticity). -    To carefully distribute apartments in such a way that individual preferences can influence how daylight and space is used.

The growth in cities has sparked an increase in the cost of living, making it harder for local residents and families to remain in the city. In Washington DC, the gentrification of neighborhoods and lack of affordable housing is causing low-income residents to be displaced and forcing them to look elsewhere for affordable options. The DC neighborhood, Navy Yard, saw one of the most intense displacements of low-income residents. My thesis asks the question: can architecture and its design sustain the primary function of housing but also create a positive long-lasting effect on the occupants' wellbeing? In navigating that question, my thesis explores how human-centered design provides sustainable housing options for low-income residents while also supporting and strengthening the already existing communities within the city. The building, designed for single-parents with children, serves as a space of refuge and community despite the loneliness and isolation that can come with living in a city. All the individual spaces create a building that understands the needs of its occupants, and re-defines how affordable housing should be designed.The private amenities, used exclusively by its occupants, positively adds to their everyday comfort and serves as a place of gathering for those living in the building. The public spaces included in the building address the needs of the neighborhood and provide support to the surrounding residents as well. This project was designed to create spaces that improve the occupants mental and physical health, and design an infrastructure that will affordably sustain itself for years to come. Incorporating biophilic and human-centric design allows the focus to shift from simply creating housing to also investing in the quality of life of our residents. / Master of Architecture / The growth in cities and rise in the cost of living, has made it harder for local residents and families to continue living in the city. In Washington DC, the development of neighborhoods and lack of affordable housing is forcing low-income residents to move and look elsewhere for affordable options. My thesis asks the question: can affordable housing be more than just a place of refuge, but can it also improve the residents wellbeing and strengthen the surrounding community. The design of this building focuses on the importance and the effect that a healthy building and a strong community can have on a single-parent and their child. Each space within the building was designed with the families in mind and the value it brings to their wellbeing. The private spaces gives the residents a support system and a space to gather. The public spaces included in the building provide support to the neighborhood and allows for the entire community to interact. Using my research and by incorporating design elements that are scientifically-proven to have positive benefits to the residents mental and physical health, a building is created that adds value to the residents everyday life. The goal is to design spaces that improve the occupants mental and physical health, and design a building that creates a community within and with the surrounding neighborhood. With the resident's health and wellness in the center of the design, my building shifts the focus from simply creating housing to also investing in the quality of life of our residents.

The intent of this thesis is to investigate whether there is a place for low-income residents in gentrified neighborhoods by examining how the housing needs of these households are provided. Affordable housing development and maintenance are key components for preserving a place for low-income residents in gentrified communities. This paper investigates the provision of affordable housing through the renovation of the historic Whitelaw Hotel in Washington, D.C. by recreating the renovation events from interviews with participants in the project to document the obstacles to and benefits of the success of these projects. The paper also examines the issue of affordability and sustainability of affordable housing projects. Affordable is a subjective term. Local jurisdictions determine the income criteria that establish eligibility for affordable units. In many cities such as Washington, D.C., the area median income (AMI) used to determine eligibility is higher than the median income of the neighborhoods in which the affordable housing is located. A high AMI increases the number of households eligible for subsidized housing, which heightens competition for these units pitting very low-income households against households earning almost twice their income. Also, the sustainability of affordable units is contingent on many factors. There are mechanisms for preserving affordability and many limitations, including personal decisions, which impact their longevity. This paper found that while the renovation project successfully created affordable housing there was little consensus by interview participants on the definition of affordability or whether the project is sustainable as affordable housing after the low-income housing tax credits expires. / Master of Science

This research report assesses the affordability of private residential developments in Addis Ababa and delineates factors that contribute to their affordability. Literatures related to concepts of housing affordability; household income levels; housing prices and mortgage financing, etc are reviewed. The research studies examined revealed that the combination of high population and high urban growth rates coupled with a high prevalence of urban poverty have placed massive strain on Ethiopian cites. Accordingly, the critical urban issue is: lack of healthy, affordable housing for all sectors of the urban population. This is especially true in Addis Ababa as it has a share of 23% of the country’s urban population. In Addis Ababa, there is strong housing demand as supply lags behind demand; conditions of existing houses worsen and the population is increasing. To date, the government housing program has only managed to build only about half of the demanded units. It has, therefore, became increasingly imperative that the government should concentrate on reforming and managing the policy and legal framework in such a way as to create an environment for the private sector to provide housing.

There is a growing recognition in the built environment for the significance of benchmarking. It is recognized as a key driver for measuring success criteria in the built environment sector. In spite of the huge application of this technique to the sector and other sectors, very little is known of it in affordable housing sub-sector and where it has been used, components of housing quality were not holistically considered. This study considers this identified deficiency in developing a benchmark for assessing affordable housing quality impact factors. As part of this study, samples of 4 affordable Housing projects were examined. Two each were originally selected from under 5 categories of ‘operational quality standards’ within United Kingdom. Samples of 10 projects were extracted from a total of 80 identified UK affordable housing projects. Investigative study was conducted on these projects showing varying impact factors and constituent parameters responsible for their quality. Identified impact criteria found on these projects were mapped against a unifying set standard and weighted with ‘relative importance index’. Adopting quality function deployment (QFD) technique, a quality matrix was developed from these quality standards groupings with their impact factors. An affordable housing quality benchmark and a relative toolkit evolved from resultant quality matrix of project case studies and questionnaire served on practitioners’ performance. Whereas the toolkit was empirically tested for reliability and construct validity, the benchmark was subjected to refinement with the use of project case study.

The purpose of this thesis is to determine if Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an effective means for encouraging stakeholder collaboration throughout the building design/construction process and improving upon affordable and sustainable strategies for infill housing development. The research methodology includes literature reviews, interviews, case studies, simulations, and experimentations. Literature reviews include documentation regarding BIM, housing affordability and policy, sustainable design strategies, and integrated design practice. I conducted interviews with local stakeholders who had participated in local affordable/sustainable housing projects. The primary case study was the Alley Flat Initiative (2003-2010) which I had the opportunity to be involved with in various capacities as a participant observer. Simulations were performed using a BIM software tool to ‘redesign’ the first Alley Flat Initiative prototype and compare design workflows. Finally, experimentation was done involving the instruction of BIM software and exploring its use within an academic design studio environment. The findings indicate four significant conclusions. First, the research suggests that inflated soft project costs (overhead, administration, and services) can be reduced if local city governments were to adopt BIM in conjunction with housing review and permitting processes. In addition, the city could use BIM data to quantify building impacts on energy and resources over time. Second, sustainability innovation can be easier to integrate within a BIM workflow due to the high-capacity of the software to exchange information with third-part analysis tools. One particular barrier that must be overcome, however, are financial barriers due to software and staff training costs associated with BIM technology. Third, BIM requires ‘front-loading’ projects with more information earlier in the design process, which encourages greater transparency and more direct collaboration between stakeholders. A fully leveraged BIM workflow may not be feasible beyond local small-scale architects and builders due to the relatively steep learning curve and higher software costs, but a hybrid approach might be possible depending on how residential construction practices and BIM software development evolves in the near future. And fourth, BIM can make project information centralized, accessible, and long-lasting – serving as a communication and learning tool across disciplines and between expert and non-expert participants. The product of this research includes recommendations for all stakeholder groups engaged in leveraging BIM for affordable and sustainable housing development. Additional related topics of inquiry which fell outside the scope of this research are also included for future investigation. / text

This research report assesses the affordability of private residential developments in Addis Ababa and delineates factors that contribute to their affordability. Literatures related to concepts of housing affordability; household income levels; housing prices and mortgage financing, etc are reviewed. The research studies examined revealed that the combination of high population and high urban growth rates coupled with a high prevalence of urban poverty have placed massive strain on Ethiopian cites. Accordingly, the critical urban issue is: lack of healthy, affordable housing for all sectors of the urban population. This is especially true in Addis Ababa as it has a share of 23% of the country’s urban population. In Addis Ababa, there is strong housing demand as supply lags behind demand; conditions of existing houses worsen and the population is increasing. To date, the government housing program has only managed to build only about half of the demanded units. It has, therefore, became increasingly imperative that the government should concentrate on reforming and managing the policy and legal framework in such a way as to create an environment for the private sector to provide housing.

For my thesis, I have chosen to adapt the abandoned office/warehouse at 1207 North Boulevard for use as a community workshop for all of Richmond's urban neighborhoods. The community workshop's focus will be to provide open workshops, classes, a resource library and design consultation to low and middle income homeowners, affordable housing properties, and community parks. In addition, the center welcomes all of Richmond city residents to join and partake in 1207's resources in order to grow a multi-faceted community focused on improving the lives of all of Richmond City's residents. The center will function as a gathering space for all urban residents and will promote both the individual and the community through a ‘Do It Yourself' approach to home design and care that will instill pride and self reliance to all members of the community.

This thesis examines the Louisiana legislature's justifications for supporting inclusionary zoning to address the shortage in affordable housing since hurricane Katrina and compares the model ordinance, passed in 2007, to ordinances in San Francisco, Denver, and San Diego. These large city ordinances offer an assessment of older versus newer ordinances as well as strict versus lenient provisions within a mandatory ordinance. This thesis acknowledges the model ordinance is strong and accepts its recommendation to convene a housing task force to study implementation in New Orleans. In order to maximize the benefits of inclusionary zoning this task force should be convened quickly to undertake local housing market research to determine the right set-aside, threshold, and incentives to create a strong mandatory ordinance. This group must also focus on implementing key model ordinance provisions like setting aside units for very low-, low- and moderate-income households within each development and determining the ideal density bonus.

Este trabalho verifica os aspectos positivos e negativos existentes na gestão pósocupação de cinco edifícios reabilitados para Habitação de Interesse Social (HIS) em São Paulo com mais de dois anos uso. Os prédios selecionados pertencem ao Programa de Arrendamento Residencial (PAR) da Caixa Econômica Federal (CEF) em convênio com a Prefeitura da Cidade de São Paulo (PMSP) e suas unidades habitacionais são arrendadas a famílias com renda mensal entre três e seis salários mínimos. Na pesquisa são levantadas as dificuldades existentes neste período relacionadas aos aspectos sociais e econômicos dos moradores, assim como aos aspectos físicos e arquitetônicos do edifício. A metodologia utilizada inclui levantamento bibliográfico, entrevistas com os agentes responsáveis pela execução do programa habitacional e com os moradores dos edifícios. Após análise dos principais fatos que caracterizam a gestão pós-ocupação dos prédios, são apontadas as possíveis razões para as dificuldades encontradas na gestão. Destaca-se a falta de um trabalho social contínuo que monitore as relações sociais existentes no condomínio e que garanta a permanência da população no programa. Como resultado final do estudo são elencadas algumas alternativas para buscar a minimização dos problemas. / This work verifies the positive and negative aspects that exist in the post-occupancy management of five buildings that have been renovated for use as affordable housing in São Paulo, and have been in use for more than two years. The selected buildings are part of the Programa de Arrendamento Residencial (PAR) (Residential Rental Program) of the Caixa Econômica Federal (CEF) savings bank, in partnership with the São Paulo City Hall (PMSP), and the residential units are rented to families with a monthly income of three to six minimum salaries. The research investigates the difficulties that exist in this period, in relation to the residents social and economic aspects, as well as the physical and architectural aspects of the building. The methodology used includes a bibliographic review, interviews with the agents responsible for carrying out the residential program, and residents of the buildings. After analyzing the main facts which characterize the post-occupancy management of the buildings, possible reasons for the difficulties experienced in the management are indicated. The need is highlighted, for a continual social work, to monitor the existing social relations in the building and ensure that the population stays in the program. As the final result of the study, some alternatives are listed aimed at minimizing the problems.