Neighborhood design for Cambridge

Abstract

This thesis examines the problem of modest high-density low-rise housing design for a site in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It considers first the general changes in housing demand and the housing industry which have made it necessary to re-evaluate the traditional solution of the detached single-family home in the suburbs. It then analyzes townhouse and apartment design as appropriate for the site and sets performance criteria. Critical to the success of a neighborhood design is the creation of workable, attractive street network and parking layout. There problems are examined and street performance criteria set. Also important for a modest housing scheme is the image of the buildings project to the surrounding community. Photographs of numerous examples of old and new housing forms already existing in Greater Boston are accompanied by a discussion of the uses of different materials. Finally the context of the site in East Cambridge and the major transformations now underway in the area are discussed and a program set for the site, followed by drawings of the design scheme.