Affordable artist colony in Houston’s Fifth Ward

The local nonprofit Fifth Ward CRC stepped in to buy a group of traditional Houston cottages when they realized that the site was being run by a slumlord and gradually becoming a liability for both residents and neighbors.  Due to its proximity to the historic Deluxe Theater, the social and cultural hub of Fifth Ward, it was thought appropriate to renovate the buildings and grounds into an artist colony, a place where local artists could have access to affordable live-work spaces, creating in turn a new destination that would further contribute to the life of the community. This adaptive reuse project takes on an approach of minimal intervention, a set of upgrades and silent corrections that respect the existing heritage while enabling the site to foster a new communal life.