Six Affordable Units in the Fifth Ward, Houston

The project, developed in response to an affordable housing program run by the City of Houston proposes six affordable rental units in the property situated in the corner of Rawley and Staples Streets, in the Greater Fifth Ward area of Houston. The layout comprises four two-story structures fronting Staples Street, flanked by two accessible one-story structures located across a common pedestrian space for the residents. The organization of the project is reminiscent of the arrays of cottages and shotguns typical of the Fifth Ward neighborhood, with a series of small structures, each an independent dwelling, evenly spaced in a piece of land. Similarly, the architecture of the structures themselves is a contemporary take on the vernacular residential architecture of the city, featuring white clapboard cladding, standard-sized hung windows, and metal roofs. Overall, the playful geometry and light materiality of the project conveys a feeling of optimism and community for the small rental property.