This affordable housing design for a historically Black neighborhood in Raleigh, NC honors the stakeholders’ desire for housing with dignity that will inspire change, optimism, and respect for the rich cultural history of the community. The project turns gentrification into a positive force by first creating market-rate and “missing middle” properties, which will then fund the construction of close to 200 affordable units. Shared green spaces, sculptural stairways, modular construction, familiar materials, and efficient three-story walk-ups all support housing that is welcoming and accessible, an easy walk from the heart of downtown and a 5-minute walk to over
10 public transit stops.

Before beginning design, the team deconstructed and micro-analyzed the systems limiting affordable housing including finances, development code, building code, construction types, proformas, density, parking requirements, tree conservation, and stormwater. The three split-zoning building sites are zoned for traditional R-10 and mixed-use development; the plan proposes 13 detached homes, two accessory dwelling units, 26 townhomes, and 175 units targeting 30-70% AMI. Budget was the largest constraint, but by creating a system in which a non-profit developer can take on quickly replicable work, the design team afforded the client with added levels of financial innovation.