Projects

Westside Neighborhood – English Avenue: Building a Sustainable Community through Design and Technology

Spring 2022

The work from this class supports a funded design and research project that addresses the socioeconomic and technical needs of Westside neighborhood English Avenue. This project leverages existing community resources to develop affordable housing and the establishment of positive neighborhood-based, citizen-centric social impact and equity through technology.

Project Assumptions:

• The community lacks access to technology and resources to support entrepreneurial efforts.
• This is a historically vibrant but rapidly shrinking neighborhood.
• The median income for all households in the Westside is $24,011, compared to $46,631 for Atlanta as a whole; and nearly 80% of Westside households earn less than the median Atlanta household.
• The current residents have expertise and ambition that can be directed towards empowering the community members as agents of change.
• Investment in retrofitting and updating current housing is needed to build community retention.

Project Activities:

• We will pursue the development of prototypes for an affordable and sustainable home.
• We will evaluate advancements in technology, fabrication, and assembly, specifically opportunities for innovative fabrication/assembly initiatives utilizing salvaged components integrated with new materials.
• We will review energy performance, resiliency, and sustainability of current and proposed constructions with recommendations for actionable energy-saving strategies.
• We will simulate the comfort and energy performance of developed designs to ensure that affordable design and construction methods do not compromise any sustainability goals.