Pruitt-Igoe: The Death of an Architectural Myth
In the project, new affordable housing is a very important component in my 2050 Martinez design. In the United States, affordable housing usually means medium to high-density housing that has about 4~10 stories. But what can be considered as a successful affordable housing project?
It made me think of the Pruitt-Igoe Housing project in St. Louis Missouri that was built in the 1950s. The project was touted as the definitive model for public housing projects when it was first built. However, in the 20 years of its short life, the apartment became a ‘living hell’ of crimes and poverty. There are multiple reasons that caused this project to fail. First, the project was built out of the context. The 10 stories apartment buildings were built right next to low-density housing which creates a spatial conflict. Secondly, the style and amenity of the building, because lacking the budget while it was built, was largely simplified. In the Marin City project, Kristina talked about how to use certain materials to prevent gentrification, which I think is very important. However, I believe it is also necessary to bring better things or designs to low-income groups. People evolve within the community. To make people stay in the community, attractive designs are also needed. Instead of seeing affordable housing as a shelter for low-income people, I’m more willing to see it as a place for the community to become better. Thirdly, the apartment didn’t have good maintenance. Just like Kristina said, maintenance is a big problem for many developments here in the United States. In places like affordable housings, residents don’t have too much money to pay for HOA. Therefore, designing housings that don’t need too much maintenance is very essential. Lastly, many public areas in the apartment building became home to gang violence because of lacking surveillance. The corridors inside the building that was meant to be a place for social gathering became space for illegal activities. This reminds me of how important to design space without creating a ‘blind area’. Designing a public housing project is difficult no matter what country. But it is especially challenging here in the United States as racial injustice still is a big obstacle in housing design.
