The Block Yards

Hey there! My name is Bailey Wallace, I'm an architecture student going into my junior year at Temple University. I grew up in a rural town on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and moved to Philadelphia to pursue my dreams of becoming an architect.

Not long after living in Philly, I noticed how hard the housing crisis is affecting the city. I'm entering this challenge not just to design a building, but to propose a solution that provides a new start for anyone in the unhoused community in Philadelphia.

1. Laptop/PC - For research and accessing Autodesk software
2. Sketchbook - For design sketches
3. Model Materials - For making a physical prototype

According to projecthome.org, there are 5,191 unhoused individuals in Philadelphia. This number continues to fluctuate year to year, but generally stays between 4-6 thousand shown in AXIOS' Philadelphia's chart. With these numbers in mind, as well as modular and sustainable design, I was immediately drawn to bricks. Philadelphia has a long and significant history with brick, largely due to its abundent clay deposits. Today, bricks are a prominent feature of Philadelphia's cityscape.

With the historical aspects fresh on my mind, Philadelphia's reputation as a major port came to light. With Philadelphia's longstanding trade hub, shipping containers are easily obtainable.

Combing both of these ideas, I came up with: The Block Yards.

Choosing a site in Philadelphia was difficult, but with my personal experience of living there for two years, I noticed a higher number of unhoused individuals near Chinatown and the Race/Vine Streets. Choosing an area within those locations was a non-negotiable for my project.

For my site, I selected a currently active surface parking lot located on the corner of Vine and 8th street. While the lot isn't currently for sale, I'm proposing it be purchased and repurposed, as it represents a critical opportunity to replace low-value urban land use with high-impact, community driven housing. Philadelphia is one of the most walkable cities in the country, especially in dense, culturally rich neighborhoods like Chinatown. This site is within walking distance of City Hall, public transportation, Reading Terminal Market, and of course, Chinatown.

Reclaiming this lot would provide permanent, supportive housing for those in need, and would also honor the neighborhood by helping the residents stay rooted in their community.

My design process began with iterative sketches that explored form and modularity, allowing me to experiment with how individual shipping container units could stack and connect like the historic bricks that define Philadelphia. Through repeated studies, I refined the idea of using shipping containers as modular "bricks," with each unit simple, repeatable, and adaptable.

The circular stacked form of the containers was to create a physical and social space that encourages integration, and creating a connection among residents. Research show that strong community bonds and mutual support are key to reducing chronic homelessness. By creating a community within my design, we can contribute to building a community and rebuilding lives one by one.

The pattern in which the modules are stacked allows for greenery to be placed on top of units, but also in the courtyard. This plays a vital role in both the physical and emotional layout of my design. Placing greenery not only improves insulation and energy efficiency, but also softens the industrial feel of the containers, helping the housing blend more naturally into the environment. At the center of the circular layout, a shared green courtyard becomes a communal oasis — a space for relaxation, gardening, gathering, and healing. This integration of nature promotes mental wellness, and encourages residents to spend time outside together. It also contributed to stormwater management and improved air quality.

For people transitioning out of homelessness to living in a green space is a powerful tool for restoring dignity, and fostering a sense of ownership over their living environment.

After working iteratively in my sketchbook, I moved into Tinker Cad to get working digitally. Tinker Cad allowed me to explore my modular design rapidly, testing spatial relationships, stacking strategies, and the overall modular layout of the units. This step was fast paced to adjust from hand sketching and the idea realm to real world thinking.

Once I refined the concept and was confident in the core layout, I was ready to transition into Revit.

Once I had a clear conceptual direction, I transitioned into Revit to get more technical with the project. Revit allowed me to refine the structural and spatial relationships I had been exploring, while also introducing important elements like wall assemblies, floor plates, and site context.

The shift from Tinker Cad allowed me to transform my project from a loose, conceptual massing model into a fully-articulated architectural proposal with technical depth and buildable logic.

After transitioning into Revit and refining the technical aspects of the design, the next step was producing architectural drawings that clearly communicate the project. I began by developing a site plan to situate the building within its urban context, considering access points, and the relationship between the building and the lot boundaries. From there, I created floor plans that revealed the layout of individual units and communal spaces, using line weights, hatching, and annotation to express material changes and programmatic zones.

In the floor plan, two larger units on the first level are designated for educational and communal use. If brought to life, this project would partner with various Philadelphia-based nonprofits to activate these spaces—offering workshops on financial literacy, job readiness, and other essential skills to support and empower residents.

Elevations helped me study and communicate the rhythm, scale, and vertical organization of the modular units, especially how the stacked containers played off one another in both form and function. These also helped me understand how my design contributed to the existing cityscape. I also generated an isometric view to showcase the project in three dimension. These drawings marked a key shift from conceptual to communicable, allowing the design to be understood in both technical and experiential terms.

In Revit, I generated base renderings and linework, which I then refined in Photoshop to produce two final renderings. One focuses on the interior experience, while the other offers an exterior perspective, as if the viewer is approaching the building from the street.

These visuals communicate the project’s materiality, aesthetic, and how it integrates into the Philadelphia cityscape. I placed strong emphasis on greenery throughout the renderings to highlight the bright, inviting, and community-driven atmosphere of the space.

For the physical prototype, I built a massing model to explore the modularity of the design blocks. Using my architectural drawings as a guide, I constructed the site and strategically placed the components on top to study layout, scale, and spatial relationships.

As a first-generation college student who grew up in a rural town, moving to Philadelphia to pursue a degree in architecture was both a bold leap and a necessary one. It’s taught me that risk is often a prerequisite for growth, and that creating meaningful change begins with a willingness to step into the unknown. My journey has not been linear, but every challenge—from navigating higher education alone to finding my creative voice—has reinforced my commitment to using design as a tool for equity and empowerment.

Through my education at Temple University, I have deepened my understanding of how architecture intersects with social responsibility. I’ve learned how to approach architecture not just as an art, but as a service—one that can transform lives and neighborhoods. Being in Philadelphia has also shaped my design sensibilities, showing me the urgency of creating inclusive, sustainable spaces in historically underserved communities.

In this challenge, I gained insights that only hands-on experience can provide—grappling not only with understanding the complex needs of unhoused individuals, but also with the difficulty of translating those needs into real, functional design solutions. This competition gave me the opportunity to propose meaningful responses to issues I witness firsthand in Philadelphia. While chronic homelessness is a widespread issue that extends far beyond the city I call home, being able to contribute locally felt deeply personal and purposeful.

This scholarship not only supports my academic journey but affirms the importance of design that reflects and uplifts the people it serves. I am grateful for the opportunity and committed to carrying this support forward by continuing to create spaces that heal, connect, and empower.