Lunchtime Learning: Affordable Single Family Housing, A Houston Case Study
Presented by: Mark D. Smith, AIA, LEED AP BD&C
315 Capitol Street, Suite 120
Houston, TX 77002
713 520 0155
Affordable Single Family Housing: A Houston Case Study
by Mark D. Smith, AIA, LEED AP BD&C
This 90 minute session is a case study of an affordable single family residence recently designed and built by the presenter. The project, a 765 sf home in Houston's Fifth Ward, is used as a basis for a discussion of health, safety, and welfare issues which can be addressed by architects in ways which will improve the built environment and quality of life. The full spectrum of "HSW drivers" including sitting, public transportation, security, indoor air quality, rent & utility costs, flooding, walkability, and neighborhood interaction will be discussed.
Participants will be able to:
- Articulate the health, safety, and welfare challenges in affordable housing neighborhoods
- Describe how architects can apply their expertise in solving these challenges
- Explain how contextual design can improve the health, safety, and welfare of individuals
- List ways that hands-on construction experience improves HSW and architectural design skills
A boxed lunch is included with registration.
This session has been approved for 1.5 HSW AIA Learning Units.
About the Presenter:
Mark D. Smith, AIA, LEED AP BD&C
Mark has a broad range of experience in facilities-related work including planning, design, construction, construction management, and operations/maintenance. He has been employed in the roles of owner, architect, general contractor, and project manager. Mark's employers have been the USAF, Brown & Root/Halliburton/KBR, and Jacobs. He has worked for clients in industrial, federal government, commercial, petrochemical, educational, and health care sectors, in locations across the US and overseas. Mark has lived in Houston for the past 20 years.
After seeing the worsening affordable housing situation in Houston, he created a company to design and develop a prototype affordable home. That prototype is now occupied, and he has created a non-profit named Truly Home to develop similar homes on a larger scale.
