Historically, the arrangement and configuration of plans, within the context of domestic space most often reveals tight allotments of square footage and compartmentalization of spaces with inherent naming conventions that imply single use, inflexible scenarios of inhabitation: Living Room, Kitchen, Bedroom, etc. But, how we live, work and play are continually changing. The nuclear family, which dominated housing design of the 20th century, is disappearing. Replaced by diverse typologies of post-familial living arrangements, various forms of collectives, and new ways of combining dwelling and working, these new groups require a rethinking of what housing can be. This paradigmatic shift questions the status quo of what constitutes a home, how the private and the shared are partitioned, and what new kinds of spatial uses are necessary.
In response to these new domesticities, the project will explore the development of alternative forms of housing for emergent forms of living and working in Detroit’s Eastern Market area. We are not interested in the standard kit of parts, but instead we are interested in how these traditional spatial labels can be reframed and recombined at both the familial and communal scales to develop innovative scenarios, spaces, and buildings for contemporary domestic and collective models of living that are emerging in Detroit, and in cities worldwide.
Inner street view from western entrance
Site Plan and Site Axo
Ground Floor Plan
Sloping ceiling in top floor with natural sunlight
