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Design Matters shows that there are many approaches to
creating well-designed affordable housing. The projects in the catalog
have been chosen to illustrate design excellence based on innovative and
functional approaches to one or more of the following eight design objectives:
Contain construction and lifecycle costs: Various
design strategies can contain, if not reduce, the cost of constructing
housing as well as the cost of maintaining the buildings--called "lifecycle
costs"--without compromising housing quality.
Support household and neighborhood fit: Housing
that "fits" both its residents and neighborhood is appropriate for the
types of households who live there and complements the surrounding neighborhood.
Adapt to household changes: Household fit can be
maintained over the long term if the housing is designed to allow for
flexible use, is easily expandable, and/or is adaptable to alternative
uses.
Be universally accessible: Quality housing is housing
designed for all people. It is accessible and acceptable to people with
a broad range of statures, and physical and mental abilities.
Meet high aesthetic standards: Aesthetic quality
is subjective--"beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." There is no one
standard of aesthetic appeal. However, when judging the aesthetic quality
of affordable housing, the following criteria are particularly relevant:
cultural appropriateness, appeal of the housing development both for the
residents and the neighbors, and the extent to which the new development
complements its physical context.
Promote energy and resource efficiency: Designs
that minimize energy consumption, reduce construction waste, and sustain
building durability and utility enhance housing affordability and resource
sustainability.
Ensure healthy indoor environments: All housing
should support the health of the occupants by eliminating exposure to
toxins in the air, in water, in building materials, and from the site.
Support physical safety and security: All housing
should provide people with both a feeling of security and actual safety
from physical hazards and criminal harm.
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