Reclaiming Shelter: Affordable Housing From Abandoned Structures

The global housing crisis is a complex, worldwide issue affecting millions of people who either:

1. Can’t afford a home
2. Can’t find a home (or live in temporary conditions)
3. Are living in inadequate or unsafe conditions

While each region faces different challenges, I chose to focus on North America, as it’s the context I know best. My project reflects the specific needs and realities of the North American housing crisis.

In North America (and Europe), housing prices are skyroketing, which makes owning or even renting out of reach for many. Hence, the purpose of this project is to design affordable and culturally sensitive housing, while also addressing urban waste and climate impacts.

Extra reflexion: Now, why is this a pressing issue? Well, over 1.8 billion people worldwide lack adequate housing, and more than 1.1 billion people resides in slums and informal settlements.This then has an impact on various facets of individuals’ lives, from education, to employment, to health issues. Housing is recognized by the United Nations as a fundamental human right.

Softwares:

1. TinkerCAD

I started this project without much inspiration. Actually, the question of building affordable housing that could also solve other problems in a community seemed simple, yet I couldn’t find a satisfying answer.

My first stop to find some inspiration was to visit the Canadian Center or Architecture. The exhibition that was present at the time was HouseEurope! It is a European Citizens’ Initiative advocating for new EU legislation to make the renovation and transformation of existing buildings more accessible, affordable, and socially beneficial.

Their core arguments were:

1. Economic benefits: Demolition and new constructions are more expensive and often benefit larger corporations instead of local enterprises
2. Environmental sustainability: the construction sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions
3. Cultural preservation: maintaining historical and cultural significance

Prioritizing renovation over demolition was something that I had never thought of before. So I thought, could I also apply this to North America’s housing crisis?

Therefore, the goal of this project would be to use Factory_OS to renovate and recreate a safe affordable living area, while using abandoned building as a skeleton.

Now that I had my core idea established, I needed to do some groundwork and gather some concrete information.

Many cities have notable abandoned structures in North America, such as Hamilton, Montreal and Cape Breton Island in Canada, and Detroit, Gary and Baltimore in the US.

For my project, I will be using a building I found in Gananoque, Ontario as my model (pictures above).

The first thing that came to my mind when I was scouting the building was its material. Being primarily brick and concrete, it stays structurally sound for a lot longer. They are also fire-resistant, pest-resistant and way more renovation-friendly than wooden structures.

The second thing that came to my mind was the possibility for big open spaces. This is more of a personal preference, but it’s also a design strategy and sustainability principle to illuminate interior spaces. The building is not just a closed brick box but offered the chance for good natural light to enter.

Using pictures I took, I made a 3D model of the abandoned building with TiinkerCAD. I then slighlt modifyed the original structure for it to reflect my vision of repurposing the building into a livable area. I removed a few walls to open the space and added others to improve accessibility and safety.

The next step was to find a way to make the home a culturally sensitive design. This idea comes from an UN article I read, where the idea of building a home was more important than a house.

To achieve this, I spent a day walking around the city, noting down what stood out to me the most in Montreal. One thing was clear: people here love being in community – whether it’s in parks, on terrasses, or chatting in small local shops. That’s what inspired me to dedicate the entire ground floor of the project to local businesses. I included:

1. A coffee shop, reflecting Montreal’s abundance of cozy cafés
2. A thrift store, inspired by the city’s fashion scene
3. A bike repair shop, essential for a city full of cyclists
4. And a small library, because public access to books and knowledge is something I personally value deeply

Futhermore, due to Montreal’s dense urban layout, existing public transit access, and limited car infrastructure, this project prioritizes walkability and community integration over vehicle access thus the reason I didn’t include a parking.

But the ground floor can be flexible from a small parking lot, to more houses, a janitor/security office or even a basketball court. Depending on what the community wants, the choices are unlimited.

For the living areas on the second and third floors, I also wanted to prioritize the sense of community. Each floor has diffrent amenities, such as a gym, a study/workspace, a children's park, etc.

For the private living areas, I decided to use the modular living units provided by the Make It Home contest. Each unit would act as a mini apartment that includes the essentials for one or two people. To accommodate families or larger groups, the living units can be connected thus forming a bigger living area.

For the layout, I was inspired by Habitat 67 (Montreal). I wanted to stack the boxes in a way to ensure a vibe of freedom and creativity, instead of neatly stacked boxes. Personally, this design gave the building more air to breathe and feels less claustrophobic.