Greenhouse Townhome Community
How can we design affordable townhouses that allows low and moderate income families the ability to buy their first house that also provides areas to plant and grow produce year-round? This project was inspired by the work of Alejandro Aravena who designs public housing projects with his architecture firm, Elemental. The concept is simple; design an affordable townhouse where half of the home is complete with all the living spaces and bedrooms that a small family would need and allow each family to complete the other half of their home as the family grows or their income increases.
This greenhouse townhome concept uses those ideas from Elemental as a starting point for a housing complex that allows families to grow fresh food year-round. It encloses half of the house with polycarbonate glazing to create a greenhouse where plants can grow all year. This also provides the benefit of being able to enjoy time outside in the sun during the winter, which is where many people who live in northern climates will experience vitamin D deficiency. The goal of the greenhouse townhomes is to design affordable housing that’s also beneficial to the health of the residents.
