2019 ICFF NYC

Wellness in Living: Elevating Design in Affordable Housing

Affordable housing has evolved significantly over time. While always rooted in providing low- and moderate-income Americans with a home that is within their means, it is often institutionalized and focused on cost and durability, rather than how a home can be impactful in changing people's lives. 

We believe interior spaces are transformative. With the power to shape the experience of each person, the interiors of a home, office, classroom, library, and hospital convey more than just the physical components of their design. These intimate spaces have the power to impact each person emotionally and subconsciously. Unlike a building's exterior/facade, these are the spaces we inhabit, where we come in closest contact, enabling them to have the greatest impact in our lives. Thoughtful interior architecture can inspire, empower, heal, and teach. 

In designing for the public realm, our mission is that great design should be accessible to all. Our affordable housing clients are at a critical point in their lives; thoughtful design, healthy and inspirational materials, and appropriate lighting can inspire and empower those who are most vulnerable. We are changing the paradigm of affordable housing–institutional buildings with minimal lobbies, which evoke distrust, to the cold concrete hallways and sterile apartments that have long defined this building type.