Densifying the suburbs : a single-family home alternative for tropical living in Coral Gables, Florida

Abstract

This design project was an experimental case study to establish a viable, reduced-size typological alternative for single-family housing as a potential vehicle for the densification of the urban suburbs. Through demographic and census data, the need for this kind of densification was first established and then a design project was formulated using site-specific parameters and industry projections on the future of housing needs. The project began with a study of different housing typologies that variably affected urban form. Then, the project focus narrowed to a complete design proposal for the selected site where specific typological ideas and their resulting urban form were tested.