208 - In search of champions: Stories in building affordable housing in practice

October 07, 2020

12:30PM - 1:30PM

For 30 years, LGA Architectural Partners (formerly Levitt Goodman Architects) has been a recognized leader at the forefront of affordable housing design. This presentation shares lessons from realizing a series of major projects across a spectrum of affordable housing, from emergency and transitional shelters to rental to affordable home ownership and celebrates success stories and allies who made these projects possible.
 
In each project, the work responds to the unique demographic needs and lived experiences of their often underrepresented residents. Through case studies, this presentation includes a mix of highlights and deep dives into the challenges and opportunities of affordable housing projects and, importantly, shares perspectives on the instrumental roles planners and other champions have played in the process. These stories range from the conventional to the unconventional, including adaptive reuse and expansion of historic buildings, roof top additions, modular housing, and more.
 
Key learning outcomes include:
 
•first, gaining knowledge in the ways in which meaningful resident engagement, lived experience, trauma-based design, and stepping away from preconceived notions have enabled site and building design responses to unique and specific demographic needs, as well as how the planning process impacted how they were realized;
•second, that a common theme has been opportunism in untapped site potential and the ways you can identify new sites and expand affordable housing opportunities within your communities; and
•lastly, what specific steps institutional barriers have been encountered and measurable steps that could be taken in support of realizing projects.
 

Speakers