Queer Housing: A Miniature World of Living and Fantasy
#HoustonTexas; #Residential; #Queer; #Commune; #Masterplan; #Tower; #Multi-Generational.
What is ‘queer’?
Being ‘queer’ is not about who you are having sex with, but being ‘queer’ is about the self that is at odds with everything around it and that has to invent, create, and find a place to speak, thrive, and live.
— Bell Hooks
Being ‘queer’ is not about who you are having sex with, but being ‘queer’ is about the self that is at odds with everything around it and that has to invent, create, and find a place to speak, thrive, and live.
— Bell Hooks
sizzle reel_a vision of queer-utopia _"the fantasy's... real..."
soundtrack: Always in My Heart - Los Indios Tabajaras.
In this proposal, the concept of queer domesticity takes center stage, reflecting a world where identities are fluid, boundaries are porous, and new household models such as the nuclear family emerges. The new residential tower, named ‘Broken Tower,’ embodies this non-conformity and adaptability ethos, symbolizing a change in form and concept.
Master Plan: CO-OP Business Model of the 'TruMont' queer community.
Generated through a collaborative effort of the eight students in our studio.
The master plan emerges from a collaborative effort within our studio, where we explored Queer Studies and Utopian precedents to shape our vision for a Queer Utopia Master Plan in Montrose, Houston. Historically known as a Gayborhood, we fondly refer to this new queer community as ‘TruMont.’ Our exploration extended beyond architecture, encompassing a financial model for this Queer Utopia Commune. In this endeavor, I collaborated with Lauren Ma for two weeks to develop one of the ‘Inner Loop + Housing Tower’ schemes. My individual pursuit chimed in later, focusing on a new queer housing typology proposal.
The design revolves around layers of communal spaces, fostering activities of various scales of intimacy and accommodating multi-generational, multi-identity, and multi-functional needs. The spatial arrangement emphasizes fluidity and flexibility, allowing the environment as well as the household to evolve and change.
Floor Plan: Queer Living Units
The tower’s layout features a reverse spatial arrangement of the master plan ground floor, with private living cells surrounding a queer communal space at the core. Each quadrant represents a different living experience, catering to various lifestyles and preferences.
The tower’s layout features a reverse spatial arrangement of the master plan ground floor, with private living cells surrounding a queer communal space at the core. Each quadrant represents a different living experience, catering to various lifestyles and preferences.
Rent/Own: share a paved balcony, with the option to combine adjacent units if the household size grows (e.g., 1b+1b=2b) or to convert an adjacent studio unit into a home office.
Transitional Housing: occupies the first two floors, with 8 SROs sharing a communal kitchen and dining area, three bathrooms, and a laundromat. Each SRO has a small balcony. Residents are required to contribute to co-op tasks, such as farming and maintenance.
Co-House Type: can be rented by room or as an entire unit. Each co-house spans two floors, arranged in a village-like plan with a communal courtyard at the center. An in-unit staircase provides access to second-floor terraces, which are exclusive to co-house residents. Each co-house has a shared kitchen space and half bathroom that can open up entirely to the courtyard for larger events. They also share a living room on the ground floor and an open-air terrace on the second floor. The units feature vegetation balconies, giving each peripheral room a bit of open-air space.
Transitional Housing: occupies the first two floors, with 8 SROs sharing a communal kitchen and dining area, three bathrooms, and a laundromat. Each SRO has a small balcony. Residents are required to contribute to co-op tasks, such as farming and maintenance.
Co-House Type: can be rented by room or as an entire unit. Each co-house spans two floors, arranged in a village-like plan with a communal courtyard at the center. An in-unit staircase provides access to second-floor terraces, which are exclusive to co-house residents. Each co-house has a shared kitchen space and half bathroom that can open up entirely to the courtyard for larger events. They also share a living room on the ground floor and an open-air terrace on the second floor. The units feature vegetation balconies, giving each peripheral room a bit of open-air space.
Vibe...
The vivid and diverse living situations emphasize the co-living goal: each individual can enjoy their own private space while forming relationships with neighbors through encounters, assemblies, and committee meetings. The design of corridors, balconies, courtyards, and terraces creates opportunities where individuals can support one another in their daily lives and participate in the running of the community.
A compact but cozy SRO at dusk
A shared balcony by two Rent-to-Own neighbors - one delightful encounter
A view of the communal courtyard and private terrace in a Co-House unit.
