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American Institute of Architects - Housing and Community Design Awards

The Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in conjunction with the Residential Knowledge Community of The American Institute of Architects (AIA), recognizes excellence in affordable housing, community-based design, participatory design, and accessibility. These awards demonstrate that design matters and provide examples of important benchmarks in the housing industry. Awards are offered in four categories: Community–Informed Design Award, Creating Community Connection Award, Excellence in Affordable Housing Design Award, and Housing Accessibility— Alan J. Rothman Award.




Awards American Institute of Architects - Housing and Community Design

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Excellence in Affordable Housing Design Award
This award recognizes architecture that demonstrates overall excellence in terms of design in response to both the needs and constraints of affordable housing.
 

Five 88: San Francisco, California

With 200 units of family housing in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, Five 88 is the largest new affordable development to open in the city in a decade. Apartments are rented to families earning between 50 and 60 percent of the area median income and provide residents with shared community space, fitness facilities, and easy access to nearby transit. A mixed-use development with 10,000 square feet of retail space, Five 88 also enhances the neighborhood’s economic development.

Mission Bay is a rapidly developing neighborhood adjacent to the new UCSF Medical Center. The design of Five 88, which anticipates a future public park across the street, provides a dynamic visual entry to the neighborhood through its rich and playful detailing. It features dramatic landscaping in the style of Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, helping to set a vibrant tone in the neighborhood.


Housing Accessibility – Alan J. Rothman Award
The purpose of this award is to recognize exemplary projects that demonstrate excellence in improving housing accessibility for people with disabilities.
 

Station 162 Apartments: Portland, Oregon

Located just outside Portland in nearby Gresham, Oregon, the 44-unit Station 162 Apartments provides accessible housing and independent support services for residents. The development contains 25 fully accessible units for wheelchair-bound individuals and 19 adaptable units for more mobile elderly residents. This has helped to create a diverse and inter-generational mix of tenants.

Station 162 Apartments builds on the longstanding and pioneering work of its developer, QUAD — Quadriplegics United Against Dependency. QUAD opened the first independent living center in the U.S. not affiliated with a hospital or rehabilitation center a decade prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The building reflects the spirit of its site near downtown Gresham, and fosters community among its residents through the shared lounge spaces and exercise facilities.