Living large : an alternative model for urban living

Abstract

A house once symbolized the American dream-frequently clustered in tight rows and cul-de-sacs, the single-family dwelling not only represented financial success but stability and hope for the future. However, as recent generations have come to face more and more economic difficulties, a house has, for many, become more of a liability than a dream. Lack of home ownership in New York City has reached an extreme- more than 75% of residents rent rather than own. In light of this trend, this thesis seeks to imagine, through architecture, a new kind of American dream: housing for nomads where no one owns anything and people are free to roam around the city. This proposal suggests that rather than continuing to downsize the micro houses that constitute today's solution to the home ownership problem, Americans can once again live large-together.