Project Urbex: Affordable Housing Anywhere

My name is Will James, and I’m an 11th grader at Portage Northern High School. For the “Make It Real” Challenge, I set out to create not just a model, but an architectural prototype. This is a deeply researched, thoroughly prototyped response to a widespread crisis in housing affordability. My goal was to create a physical object that could be touched, examined, illuminated, and even disassembled, all while illustrating a system of modular, repeatable, and cost-efficient housing that could be implemented on the kinds of lots urban planners tend to overlook.

This project combines urban infill analysis, Autodesk CAD design, Revit modeling, terrain evaluation with Autodesk Forma, additive manufacturing, and architectural storytelling. The resulting work is a three-story model that represents an entire support-focused housing development. It was designed to sit on non-standard or sloped topographies and includes components such as counseling rooms, ADA-compliant facilities, renewable energy infrastructure, and classroom zones.

1. Autodesk Revit
2. Autodesk Forma
3. Fusion 360
4. Cura
5. Ender 3 Printer
6. PLA (white and gray)
7. Acrylic paint (gray, black, brown wash)
8. Blue cellophane
9. 5V LED strips
10. Coin cell holder + switch
11. Magnets + dowels
12. Superglue

This project started not with a sketch, but with a walk through my neighborhood. I noticed how many awkwardly shaped or leftover lots there were. These parcels—too narrow, too sloped, too inconvenient—often sat vacant for decades. I researched zoning maps, public land records, and local development ordinances. The truth became clear: traditional building methods aren't designed for this kind of land.

Rather than flattening or ignoring these spaces, I asked: What if we built for them instead? That led me to the idea of modular, infill-ready housing that could be deployed in unconventional places. The housing crisis won’t be solved by massive developments alone. We need smaller, smarter units that unlock forgotten terrain.

The second phase of the project involved determining who this housing would serve. I didn’t want this to be just a shelter. I envisioned this building as a blend of community school and transitional housing—supportive, educational, and resilient. I studied trauma-informed design, community-centered architecture, and case studies from nonprofits.

This layout blends housing with support infrastructure. The lower level serves as a shared school and service hub. It offers classrooms, counseling rooms, communal kitchens, and a flexible dining space that can double as a lecture or event hall. The upper floors hold compact, private living spaces arranged to maximize light, safety, and acoustic comfort.

Every hallway, every shared wall, was positioned with a human story in mind.

Before this project, I had never touched Autodesk Revit. Now, it’s one of the tools I’m most proud to have learned. I built the entire structure in Revit—floorplans, room schedules, section cuts, and all. The model includes:

1. 6 studio micro-units
2. 2 classrooms
3. 1 counseling center
4. Shared kitchen/dining area
5. ADA restrooms
6. Reception and entry vestibule

Using Autodesk Forma, I simulated the sun path, shadowing, and daylight access on my chosen site. Forma let me fine-tune the orientation and roof angle, helping me balance passive heating and glare control. I also tested different green space placements and proved the structure could anchor into sloped terrain without significant grading.

Forma brought real-world feedback into the virtual design. I now use it to check site feasibility, slope limitations, and even shade cast by neighboring buildings.

A big part of this design was sustainability. I knew affordability and green design had to go hand-in-hand. Key features include:

1. South-facing roof optimized for solar
2. Gutters and cisterns for rainwater harvesting
3. Shared kitchens and laundry rooms to reduce piping
4. Passive solar orientation with window placements
5. High-albedo roof coating simulated with paint on model

With the design finalized in Revit, I exported STL files floor by floor. Each section was adjusted for FDM printing—hollowed to fit LEDs and sliced for print volume limits. Cura handled slicing, and I added structural wall reinforcement where necessary.

Settings:

1. Layer Height: 0.2 mm
2. Infill: 15%
3. Wall Count: 4

After printing, I used matte gray primer to prepare the model and weathered acrylics for realism. I used cellophane for window effects and matte black on the roof to simulate solar coating. Each paint layer was hand-applied in passes, highlighting architectural details like texture, depth, and exposure.

I wanted the model to be more than static. I wired 5V LED strips between each floor, carefully routed through hollowed ducts. Lighting was coded by room function:

1. Warm white for bedrooms
2. Cool white for classrooms and kitchens
3. Neutral white for halls

To allow disassembly and internal visibility, I embedded magnets and printed key-aligned dowels. The model stacks floor by floor, simulating modular prefab assembly. Each level clicks into place, making it durable but easy to open.

The most important idea behind this project is that it doubles as a school. Classrooms serve children in the morning, adults in the evening. The kitchen feeds residents and students alike. The community room doubles as a lecture hall or counseling area. It becomes a civic tool, not just a structure.

I incorporated universal design:

1. 36” clearances
2. ADA-compliant bathrooms
3. Elevator shaft with backup battery slot
4. Multi-sensory navigation (Braille, visual contrast zones)

Cost drives affordability. I used shared plumbing walls, centralized HVAC zones, and prefabricated wall logic to cut cost. Floor decks are identical for faster manufacturing.

Estimated cost per square foot: under $140 using regional prefab partners.

I taught myself Revit, Forma, Fusion 360, and Cura from scratch. I learned how to read zoning maps, plan building circulation, light a scale model, and design for people—not just shapes. Each failure during this process led to a deeper understanding of design, empathy, and iteration.I taught myself Revit, Forma, Fusion 360, and Cura from scratch. I learned how to read zoning maps, plan building circulation, light a scale model, and design for people—not just shapes. Each failure during this process led to a deeper understanding of design, empathy, and iteration.

1. Add a terrain base with slope contours
2. Add roof garden modules
3. Present to local housing coalition

This is a prototype, but it’s meant to provoke thought. It’s meant to suggest that even forgotten land can become the heart of a community.

Will James

Portage Northern High School