From Cells to Stability: a Dual-Accessible Housing Prototype

Hello! My name is Evette Delgado, and I’m a student at Houston Community College, serving as the Team Captain for a three-person team with Evelyn Arinivar and Reymundo Roman. In this Instructable, we’re proud to present our design for a stacked, two-unit supportive housing solution that is both accessible and cost-effective.

Using Autodesk software, we created a housing prototype specifically tailored to support formerly incarcerated individuals and homeless veterans; two populations that often face severe barriers when reentering society, many of whom also experience physical disabilities. National statistics show that nearly 50% of homeless veterans live with disabilities, and disability rates among formerly incarcerated individuals are two to three times higher than in the general population. Recognizing these overlapping challenges, our concept features two private, wheelchair-accessible homes stacked vertically, each thoughtfully designed to support individuals with limited range of motion, mobility impairments, and the need for independent living accommodations.

By integrating universal design principles with a compact, efficient layout, our project aims to provide safe, dignified, and independent housing that meets the unique needs of its residents. We believe our model is both scalable and human-centered.

Digital Design Tools

1. Autodesk Fusion 360 – for modeling individual building components and furniture
2. AutoCAD – for drafting floor plans, elevations, and 2D construction details

Our project addresses two critical and often overlooked issues: the lack of affordable, accessible housing for formerly incarcerated individuals and homeless veterans. Houston, Texas, has one of the highest incarceration rates in the U.S. and a growing homeless population, including many individuals who are aging, disabled, or living with chronic physical or mental health conditions.

After release, many returning citizens struggle to secure housing due to discrimination, limited finances, and zoning barriers that hinder reintegration. Without a stable place to live, the chances of finding employment, managing health, and avoiding recidivism are drastically reduced.

Homeless veterans face similar challenges, often complicated by PTSD, long-term illness, or mobility impairments. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, nearly 50% of homeless veterans live with disabilities, yet most affordable housing options in urban areas like Houston lack basic accessibility features.

Nationally, approximately 1 in 4 adults in the United States (around 61 million people) live with some type of disability. Among these, 13.7% have a mobility disability that makes walking or climbing stairs difficult, and 6.8% have an independent living disability, which affects their ability to perform daily tasks alone. These rates are even higher among formerly incarcerated individuals and veterans due to physical injuries, aging, and mental health conditions.

A study from the Prison Policy Initiative shows that disability rates among incarcerated individuals are 2 to 3 times higher than those in the general population. Similarly, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that nearly 39% of the homeless population has some form of disability, with mobility being one of the most common barriers to accessing stable shelter.

Houston’s demographic realities and ongoing housing crises make it the ideal setting for this project. Our design seeks to directly serve these overlooked populations with permanent, supportive housing tailored to their physical and social needs.

Our chosen site is located at 1402 Palmer Street, Houston, TX 77003, situated in Houston’s East Downtown area and is seven minutes from a correctional facility near the University of Houston–Downtown. This site places our design in close proximity to several key resources that make it ideal for supportive housing.

The location is only 10 minutes by bike from the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, which provides critical services like meals, case management, and housing navigation for individuals experiencing homelessness. Additionally, the site is well-connected to the METRO public transit system, offering residents access to the light rail and bus lines that make it easier to reach jobs, healthcare, and other city services.

Nearby, residents would have access to Houston Public Library branches, including the Central Library just a short commute away, providing free internet access, computer labs, and literacy resources. The area also includes grocery stores and corner markets that offer basic food and household necessities, helping meet day-to-day needs without requiring car ownership.

The site sits in a residential area, surrounded by modest single-family homes and duplexes. To maintain neighborhood harmony and reduce stigma, our design incorporates a simple, neutral exterior and uses conventional residential materials that allow it to blend seamlessly with the surrounding architecture. We believe that supportive housing should feel like part of the community not isolated from it.

Choosing this site allowed us to balance accessibility to services, public transportation, and neighborhood integration, creating a realistic foundation for long-term housing stability.

To ensure resilience and adaptability, we selected construction methods suited to Houston’s hot, humid climate and its frequent risk of flooding. A cornerstone of our approach is modular construction, which allows building components to be prefabricated in a controlled environment before being transported and assembled on-site. This strategy accelerates construction timelines, lowers labor costs, reduces on-site waste, and ensures greater consistency and quality in the final structure.

We propose using steel-reinforced wood framing with fiber cement siding, both materials are known for their long-term resistance to moisture, pests, and fire critical in Houston’s Gulf Coast environment. A metal roofing system further enhances durability while reflecting heat, and integrated rainwater management (via sloped roofs and gutter systems) helps mitigate flood risk.

The foundation is designed as a raised slab-on-grade supported by reinforced concrete piers, a method used for low-lying areas. This type of foundation protects against ground movement and occasional flooding, providing stability and longevity. To improve energy efficiency and occupant comfort, the home also incorporates passive ventilation features including wide roof overhangs and energy-efficient windows, that reduce heat gain, promote natural airflow, and lower utility costs over time.

Altogether, these methods result in a housing model that is durable, sustainable, cost-effective, and readily replicable in other underserved communities facing similar environmental and economic challenges.

The site itself echoes Houston’s local architectural traditions, compact, horizontal homes designed for shelter and practicality. Our design respects and reflects this vernacular, while also advancing a forward-thinking vision of accessible, adaptable, and sustainable housing for the long term.

Our design emphasizes an open-concept layout to promote ease of movement, natural light, and a sense of openness. Open living areas helps make the units feel larger and more adaptable for residents with PTSD or mobility limitations.

To ensure full access, both units are wheelchair accessible and feature range of motion accommodations. An ADA-compliant ramp wraps along the exterior of the structure, allowing access to the second floor without stairs. The ramp meets slope and landing regulations to support safety and long-term use.

Using Autodesk Fusion 360 and AutoCAD, we developed accurate 3D models and layout simulations to test circulation paths, door clearances, and turning radii for wheelchairs. The result is a streamlined, barrier-free environment that prioritizes autonomy and comfort.

We created detailed floor plans and 3D renders using Autodesk tools to visualize the structure’s layout, flow, and accessibility features. The housing prototype includes two vertically stacked units, each with private entrances and shared design principles.

Both floors are:

1. Fully wheelchair accessible, with 36-inch doors, 5-foot turning spaces, and wide corridors
2. Designed with wheelchair-height kitchen features, including accessible sinks, cooktops, and counters with open space beneath for ease of use
3. Outfitted with roll-in showers and walk-in bathrooms and extended floor space for safe maneuvering
4. Feature sliding doors to reduce obstruction and allow easy access between rooms for wheel-chair users.
5. Lowered countertops, lever-style handles, and touch-friendly light switches to support residents with limited range of motion
6. Designed with open circulation space to accommodate furniture flexibility and reduce movement barriers
7. Smooth, non-slip flooring and no carpeting to prevent tripping and having safe navigation, especially for wheeled mobility devices

The render shows a modest but warm structure with residential styling, helping it blend into the surrounding neighborhood. The visual model highlights how thoughtful, inclusive design can be both functional and community-centered.

Creating this housing prototype is more than just a technical process, it is a human one. By working on this project, our team gained insight into the systemic barriers faced by people who are formerly incarcerated, or homeless veterans, particularly those who also have physical disabilities. Our project pivoted from being a design challenge to a mission of creating a solution to reclaim the dignity, safety, and independence of those who are often disadvantaged due to built environment standards of conventional housing.

Utilizing Autodesk software allowed us to produce a visualization and simulate the accessibility needs in the project. It helped us to demonstrate that we could design a smaller structure without losing inclusivity. And by design, we needed to include range of ramp access, sliders doors, lower counters, and non-slip flooring. All aspects of the project were purposefully planned out because a functional design is not only about the aesthetic, but equity as well.