The Architecture of Social Housing: Ideas, Actions and Futures

This seminar will explore the question of how to make architecture that effectively houses vulnerable and marginalized populations in contemporary society. We will begin with a brief historical overview of modern social housing that will situate the particular focus of this class: Emergency and transitional housing in present-day Vancouver. Our task is to examine a complex set of issues relating to homelessness, public policy, and social services (among others), and investigate the ways in which architecture can act within these contingencies.

The course aims to be both conceptually rigorous and pragmatically engaged. To achieve this aim, we will, on the one hand, discuss seminal texts and architecture projects, and on the other, gain direct insight into current issues in Vancouver by involving an extensive number of guest experts. Guests will include architects, government figures, social service providers, and community representatives. We will engage these guests in lively and exploratory discussions.

SALA, in partnership with the provincial government’s Office for Housing and Construction Standards, is holding a social housing design competition in the summer of 2009. The work produced in this seminar will form, in part, the context information for the competition. This information and the winning competition entries will be incorporated into a published booklet.

The seminar will meet Mondays from 9:30 am - 12:30 pm in Lasr 301.

Course Instructor:  Matthew Soules, msoules@post.harvard.edu
Office Hours:  Mondays, 1-2 pm [scheduled appointment necessary]