Affordable and Efficient Modular Housing for New York City

I am Kento Chalmers and I am a 12th grader. I live in New York City and when I saw this competition I thought of the homeless people and the complaints of how expensive it is to live in New York City. I also thought of the overcrowding of the busy cities that were an effect of people trying to live in the busy cities. I have always been interested in architecture and this competition let me test how not only to come up with a idea but how can create a model of it.

Computer

Revit

Clips

Ruler

Wood glue

Blade

Hammer

Wood driller

Nails

Brass wood stick

Paper

Foam Board

Plastic Sheet

The first step I did was research. I researched problems that are associated with New York City and housing. As a person who lives in New York City I see homeless people on benches and walking around and I also hear people complain about how hard it is to purchase a house and even families struggle to find places to live and these people crowd busy cities. This is why I thought to attract them to Staten Island. The borough with not as many people living and land costs being cheap compared to other places in New York City. This is why I chose an empty lot near Forest avenue and South avenue on Staten Island. There are many things around people can go to. This location will benefit people who are looking for cheaper as there is a lower cost of living in Staten Island.

For the next step I had to decide how to create the house based on how many people are going be there, costs and time of building a house, and impact of the house environmentally. I knew the problem dealt with people not being able to afford houses so it wouldn’t be efficient if one person paid for a house with so much space. This is why I decided a modular house would be a good idea. Families can live in a house with 2 floors and more bedrooms or one person can live in a house with a floor and one bedroom. I also knew that another problem that needed to be addressed was the environmental component. The house will be created out of wood from pine trees which grow very fast which makes wood from pine trees very sustainable and efficient. I also use glass to decrease the need for artificial lights in the modular house. I also have solar panels on the roof of every module of the top level so the house will be supported by solar power. Another problem the house had to deal with is efficiency with production. Since it is modular houses the house would be created in a factory. This will speed production because it can be created in any type of weather or time. These modules would then be shipped to the spot where the house should be placed. Trucks can only ship modules under 8 and a half feet which is why I chose to have the length of the module as 8 feet. I planned to create two different type of modules. An 8 feet by 16 feet by 8 feet

module and an 8 by 4 feet by 8 feet module.

For the floor plan, the first level with no modules added on to the modular house there is enough space for two people to live. The first level is created with 3 8 feet by 16 feet by 8 feet modules to create a 24 feet by 16 feet by 8 feet rectangle and a 8 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet modules behind the entrance. In the first level there is a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom. The 8 by 4 feet by 8 feet module is made with 3 glass walls with a door. The bathroom has a bathtub, a toilet, and a sink. If the owner wants to have more space then a second floor will be made of two 8 feet by 16 feet by 8 feet modules next to each other and 3 more 8 by 4 feet by 8 feet with stairs inside to go to the second floor. The floor space created by the area not covered by the two 8 by 16 by 8 modules will be turned into a patio with grass. There will be solar panels on each roof of the two 8 by 16 by 8 feet modules on the second level. I created the floor plan on Revit and on paper. The picture of the stairs how more 8 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet modules are put in so the stairs can go to the second level.

In my location the area can hold up to 20 houses. This could create a community and I plan on having a community center where families can go in with other residents of affordable housing.

The finished models show how the modules join together to make one nice space for people to live in. It also shows the different ways someone could choose to have the house made. Since the modules are made in factories it is very easy to move modules and take off modules from the building. I built this model to try to create a house that is affordable for people or families and putting them in a location that made it easier for them to be in.