Redefining the edge : housing on Chicago's waterfront

Abstract

This thesis proposes an approach to the design of urban housing which uses the public realm to reconcile the various desires of the city for continuous, accessible fabric, the developer for property value raising enhancements, and the inhabitant for security and a sense of local community. The project proposes thinking about urban housing development as a part of a larger neighborhood development rather than as an enclave. The design proposal demonstrates the application of this design method in answering to the needs of Chicago and the public realm, development pressures, and most importantly the comfort and quality of life of the inhabitant. The evolution of this more integrated urban housing design is traced and critiqued under various applications ranging from publicly-developed low-income to privately-developed upper income housing. The housing is evaluated according to its success first from a quality of life standpoint for its inhabitants, and second according to its integration and affects on the surrounding urban fabric. The basis of this range being that the argument revolves on establishing housing which can answer to the needs of the public realm and satisfy the basic needs of an inhabitant, in all income levels. This analysis of models and applications leads to a method, or rather standards in the success rate and feasibility of a housing development. The public realm is the next item critiqued to establish similar models of success. The result is a list of standards which a development must respond to, to satisfy both the needs of the city, and of its inhabitants. The comprehensive approach becomes the next step in the evolution. An SO-acre plot of Chicago's waterfront, where current housing and commercial development is occurring, is the test site for the comprehensive approach. The same standards by which the other housing was critiqued will be applied both at a city-wide level and a housing level. A master-plan is provided for growth on the SO-acre site including the general scope of the housing needs and requirements. The housing is then fully developed and explored on both the urban and architectural level.