HUD INNOVATION IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING STUDENT PLANNING & DESIGN COMPETITION 
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023

Tasked with improving an underutilized parcel of Chicago Housing Authority-owned land in Lincoln Park, Team UIC -- comprised of myself and four other graduate students -- approached the planning process by seeking to understand the geographic, social, historical, and political context in which the site is situated. Our proposed 100-unit affordable development reimagines the idea of a small community which benefits from an inward-facing design and high accessibility to nature, employment opportunities, and transportation. With both the past and future in mind, we sought to create adaptable, healthy, and environmentally sustainable homes for families who have been historically prevented from accessing the opportunities on North Side. We believe that Chicago is poised to provide housing that truly fosters holistic wellness for residents and communities, and we intentionally designed Garden City to speak to this priority.

After being selected as one of four finalist teams in February 2023, we spent two months refining and continuing to develop our project before traveling to the HUD Headquarters in Washington, D.C. to present our proposal to a panel of jurors. On April 12, 2023, our team was selected as the First Place winners of the HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Planning & Design Competition, for having the most holistic approach to planning and design of affordable housing.

My primary contributions to this project consisted of research, planning, narrative and script writing, presentation and slide design, and project management.

Click here to watch our final presentation to the jurors.