Small Rental I




Seven Affordable Units in the Fifth Ward


The project, developed in response to an affordable housing program run by the City of Houston, proposes seven affordable rental units in the form of terraced housing, with five two-story units flanked by two accessible one-story units, integrated into a single structure. Parking and vehicular circulation are resolved in the back of the property by a secured shared driveway that grants access to a landscaped surface parking area. The row of terraced houses has a south facade featuring pedestrian entrances and less openings towards the South, where it neighbors an office building, while the north facade displays larger glazed openings and porches towards the private backyards of each of the units. The seven-unit complex is unified through the design of its volume and facade treatment. The cornice line for the two-story units is prolonged over the living spaces of the one-story units providing double height spaces for the latter, while helping mediate the height of the project on its side elevations. The treatment of the brick cladding further unifies the the project, defining a strong volume punctuated by the rhythm of the smaller masses for entrances, stairs, and porches.








© Jesús Vassallo, 2020