Block 5 Housing

Students: Brian Rivera, Michael Peisel

Professor: Jordan Trachtenberg

To fit the smallest lot size of 2750 S.F. we followed the Miami 21 T5 Zoning constraints. This allowed 5 floors (+1 with added green space bonus). While stacking the floors with maximum allowable floor-to-area ratio, we rationalized the geometries to grant as much green space as possible per unit floor. The resulting vertical masses have ample green space, but are vertically disconnected from one another. Adding stairs that would serve as a continuation of the landscape, made up of organic and natural materials, unified the backyards. There is now vertical access to all green spaces from any point in the structure.

Rotation based on the central axes containing the circulation core was one strategy used to accommodate larger size lots (7,500 S.F. and 15,000 S.F.). In repeating them, one of the adjacent buildings was elevated to have a positive-negative play on its neighbor. This also allowed for a corridor of space in between the two buildings for egress stairs. A micro-community is formed, allowing shared communal spaces, large vertical and horizontal green areas, and views to the developing areas of downtown across the river. When replicated throughout Little Havana, the goal is to fit lower-income families with medium-income families while maintaining similar backyard-to-unit ratio. The total share of outside space becomes seamless across all unit types.