Designed to fit: affordable housing communities are no longer sore spots in neighborhoods. Emerging trends compliment the architecture and demographics of the surrounding community.

When talking with any architect or developer about a project, the discussion eventually will lead to opinions on the design. Does it fit with the community? Is it attractive and interesting to prospective residents?

A conversation among affordable housing professionals is no different, although many outside the industry wonder why good design is important in affordable housing.

Perhaps it's common sense. Communities that are designed well, and built well, will lease (or sell) well. This is true whether it is an affordable community or not. However, affordable communities are often subject to more controversy during the development and permit phases than other housing. More often than not, an attractive design that fits within the larger community will help settle fears and ease the approval process.

In Woodburn, Ore., high-quality design helped turn around the initial negative attitude toward a community. One architect from Robertson, Merryman, Barnes--the architectural firm involved with the job--said, "All the members of the public who came to speak against the [community] turned into supporters after seeing the presentations and drawings. During construction, people living in adjacent market-rate apartments called to ask if they could rent apartments."

The same factors that contribute to good design in market-rate communities also apply to affordable housing. One Web site, the Affordable Housing Design Advisor (www.designadvisor.org), created by the Office of Policy Development and Research within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), provides a checklist of 60 design tips. The National Housing Institute (www.nhi.org) also provides a variety, of articles and suggestions on good design in affordable housing.

Designing for the Residents

The most important design trend in affordable housing actually is not a trend, but rather a distinctive shift in paradigms. Coast to coast, there is no longer a cookie-cutter architectural approach to every affordable housing community--and this is a positive advancement. Perhaps the "trend" is that finally affordable housing is being designed to fit the area and community in which it is developed, whether that is high-rise construction or two-story townhomes.

To achieve a great fit, first and foremost affordable housing must be designed for the particular residents who will live in it. Whether the demographic is the elderly, working families or single parents, there are distinct factors that may apply to one segment and not another. For example, the Woodlands, in Boulder, Colo., was designed with single-parent households in mind. The community has six buildings consisting of 32 attached two-story townhouses and three one-story wheelchair-accessible flats, which surround a common green space with a playground. The architectural styling of each apartment echoes they style of single-family homes: front porches and gable roofs, picket fences and lattices. Another design feature included especially for this audience: The kitchen sinks are located at front windows so parents can watch their children playing outside while preparing meals.

Invisible Architecture

The second key to a good fit is that the affordable housing community must be designed to visually align within the neighborhood. The Woodlands would not fit in an urban setting. However, several new affordable housing communities are being built as part of urban infill projects. These communities are often located close to mass-transit lines and are designed with a bit more modern "edge." The Plaza Maria apartments in San Jose, Calif., is new-urban in feel, with its orange exterior paint and a corner tower with "spiky fringe." Designed by David Baker + Partners, the community definitely has a presence, yet blends in well with the surrounding neighborhood. (See photo, page 57.)

The Demise of Cookie-Cutter Buildings

Lastly, affordable housing developments today are designed with character. Whether the community exudes external character--like the Plaza Maria--or incorporates well thought--out interiors, affordable developments are not cinder block high-rises. They are built to be homes to those who live there and to parents who raise their children there. Today's affordable housing looks and feels much like market-rate housing, and because it fits the architectural style of the community in which it is built, many within that community would be hard pressed to identify it as "affordable." This is a positive trend, and with continuing commitment to design functionality and excellence, affordable housing will never look like the "projects" again.

Julie Bornstein is President of The Campaign for Affordable Housing, a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to dispelling the negative stereotypes surrounding affordable housing. Supported by a wide range of industry leaders, The Campaign for Affordable Housing promotes the benefits of affordable housing and acts as a clearinghouse for local and regional organizations. For information, visit www.tcah.org or call 323/330-0540.