Form, finance, and use over time

Abstract

This thesis is about making buildings affordable. It will explore thinking of buildings as being comprised of nearly decomposable systems of different lifespans. A nearly decomposable system is a system in which the links and relationships between the elements of it are stronger than its relationships to the elements of other systems. Nearly decomposable systems are subsystems of larger systems in which the interactions between subsystems are weak but not negligible. The four nearly decomposable systems of a building to be considered in this thesis will include: the structure, the exterior envelope, the interior, and the furniture. Each system will be analyzed according to the input it requires and the output that it provides the other, both initially and overtime. Each decomposable building system can be associated with different users: tenants, owners, investors, or others, depending on what the building requires of the users and on the ability to meet those requirements. Each decomposable system can be financed by a different financier or with a different financial mechanism. Similarly the input and output of the financial system both initially and over time wiN be analyzed . My intent in doing so is to match the user with that building system which meets the user's needs while staying within the constraints of the financial system. An analysis of the input and output of each system will be followed by a description of an economic model which was created with the intent of modelling the relationships between the three systems as they are played out in the average priced American house. Several strategies are superimposed on the model to demonstrate ways in which the affordability gap can be closed.