Faum Architecture’s Post

Don't miss it!! Come let us solve this Rubik's Cube of a Housing crisis with more than the same old tired words...together.. Make it a movement for the Social Good...not just 'individual good'. It is possible.. Just don't give up. "To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." Architect Buckminster Fuller 1960. #developer #construction #planning #design #affordablehousing #affordablerentals #realestate #commercialrealestate #condos #realestateindustry #interestrates #loaninterest #inflation https://lnkd.in/g4tVFCMK

New Project Update from the MOYA Architecture Team! We're proud to unveil the new renderings for the Healthy Babies Project at 4501 Grant St NE, near Minnesota Ave Metro Station. This innovative renovation transforms an existing facility into a three-story hub for young mothers and infants, offering both temporary housing and essential services. Our design focuses on safety, sustainability, and support, featuring: - Structural improvements for enhanced safety and efficiency. - A multifunctional ground floor with communal spaces and offices. - Temporary housing for eight young mothers and their infants on the upper floors. This project represents our commitment to empowering communities and fostering healthy beginnings. Stay connected for further developments. #MOYADesignPartners #MOYAArchitecture #HealthyBabiesProject #Architecture #SocialImpact #SustainableDesign #UrbanRenovation #FamilySupport #MotherAndChild #HealthyLiving #EcoFriendly #DesignThinking #CommunityDevelopment #AffordableHousing #GreenBuilding #InclusiveDesign #ModernArchitecture #NonProfit #PublicInterestDesign

I had the pleasure of attending the “Towards a Neighbourhood Renaissance” event at the Urban Design Group this week. With so many great presentations on creating quality neighbourhoods it’s difficult to pick out the key take aways, but here goes: 1) We should be focussing on creating well designed neighbourhoods with community facilities, not just focusing on hitting housing targets. 2) As each setting is different, we should apply bespoke versions of the 20 minute neighbourhood to fit with each context and we should also consider interactions and community needs within 1, 5, 15, and 30 mins of the home. 3) The 3-30-300 nature access rule for a neighbourhood: See 3 trees from a home; aim for 30% tree canopy; and everyone to be within 300m of a green space. 4) The importance of temporary / meanwhile uses in sowing the seeds of a new community / neighbourhood. 5) Agents advice needs to be bolder and see beyond the “here and now” to what a place could be when advising on housing and mix of uses in new neighbourhoods. 6) The importance of well funded community hubs and how they can help (in particular) young and old with skills training and social events - in turn addressing loneliness, building confidence and improving overall well being in the community. 7) The need for clear development briefs, quality design guides and good procurement processes to ensure that local centres in new developments are delivered and demonstrate great place making. As someone who is actively involved in designing new neighbourhoods at Turley i found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking day. Thank you Urban Design Group.

🚀 Here's to the power of collaboration. Public, private, and non-profit partners — a new way forward for housing Toronto. 🏡 #UrbanDevelopment #HousingNow #PublicPrivatePartnership #TorontoHousing

Join me, Drew Webb, and Jim Schafer today for an Open House of our Opportunity Zone 12 plex in Missoula, Montana. Why We Did It: We believe that infill housing is crucial to Missoula’s future. By leveraging existing infrastructure, residents support local businesses and create vibrant, sustainable communities. Our vision is to build thoughtfully designed housing that respects the historical character of our neighborhoods. Project Highlights: -Sustainability: First apartment complex in Missoula with EV charging stations for residents. -Community Engagement: Donating prior house materials to Home Resource. -Energy Efficiency: Features include additional insulation with thermal breaks and high-efficiency air source heat pumps. -Character: Classic design elements that blend with the historical essence of the neighborhood. Experience Quality Infill Development: Join us for a walkthrough of the Waterworks Flats and see firsthand how this project represents the forward momentum of our community. Discover how this transformative project will contribute to Missoula’s growth and prosperity. Thanks to the team who helped make this a reality: Jonathan Hiser Affari Architecture Kody Swartz Woith Engineering, Inc PACE Collaborative

The man who determined the site of the headquarters of the two major global international organizations of the 20th century.   In 1927 and 1946, John D. Rockefeller Jr. made two donations that determined the sites of the League of Nations and the United Nations headquarters.   In 1926, when the League launched an international architectural competition for its new headquarters in Geneva, the construction site was to be on the shore of Lake Geneva (on properties three bought by the League: Perle du lac, Bartholoni and Moynier).   However, in 1927, Rockefeller offered $2 million for the construction and endowment of a library. Although this could be considered an odd donation today, in a world without internet and ChatGPT, a library was an essential asset for the League’s work.   Yet, the donation created a major challenge. The inclusion of a library significantly modified the original architectural project, and it became clear that the League’s parcel on the shore of the lake was too small for the new headquarters.   A new site had to be found.   After considerable discussions and stress, the site of the new League’s headquarters was moved to Ariana Park.   Without Rockefeller’s donation, the Palais des Nations would not have been built where it is today.   Almost 20 years later, Rockefeller again played a crucial role in the establishment of the UN headquarters.   At the end of 1946, the UN was still looking for a site. The only decision adopted until then was that it should have been in the US on a site “without cost or with reasonable cost”.   Many options were still open in San Francisco, Boston, New York, but Philadelphia seemed to be the favorite.   On 10 December, a few hours before the vote on the headquarters site, Rockefeller sent a letter to the UN in which he offered $8.5 million to allow the Organization to buy a tract of land in Manhattan in the area bounded by First Avenue, East 48th Street, the East River and East 42nd Street.   At the time, the site was a “slum area” with slaughterhouses and light industry. However, it was not without interest. William Zeckendorf, a real estate developer, was envisaging building a futurist project called X-City consisting of office buildings, apartments, but also a hotel, an opera hall, a theater. The X-City plans were used to show to the UN delegates that the plot befitted the UN headquarters requirements.   Three days after Rockefeller’s offer, the General Assembly accepted the donation.   The UN moved into its headquarters in 1952. The head of the group of architects who designed the building was Wallace Harrison, who had previously worked on the X-City project.   Once bitten, twice shy, Rockefeller added an extra condition to his donation to the UN, namely that it would be “free and clear of taxes” – a lesson learnt from his donation to the League, where he unexpectedly had to pay federal taxes!   Image: Portrait of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Francis O. Salisbury, UN Geneva art collection

The Satterberg Foundation hired BuildingWork and W.G. Clark Construction to turn the flatiron building that Henry Yesler developed in 1892, into a nonprofit center for communities of color and this project is called the Metropole project. Based on information collected in focus groups and interviews with community advocates and others, the foundation decided to include a mix of uses – office space for itself and half a dozen low-cost suites for nonprofits, plus a multilevel childcare center, community meeting space with a commercial kitchen and more – in the building on the National Register of Historic Places. The project's guiding light has been the community's expressed desire for a dedicated space that puts communities of color front and center, says Kendra Walker, foundation spokesperson for the Metropole project. Seattle architecture company BuildingWork has done many big historic building renovations, and none has been as challenging as the Metropole in Pioneer Square. "I would say this is the most complex adaptive use project that we've ever undertaken," says Matt Aalfs, a partner at the firm. "It's extremely complex," Aalfs said, ticking off some of the project's challenges: reconstructing two floors that collapsed in the 1949 earthquake and shepherding the project through the Pioneer Square Preservation Board process. Dubbed "the coolest equity-focused family foundation you've probably never heard of" by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, Satterberg Foundation is unusual in that it practices trust-based philanthropy, meaning it doesn't require annual financial reporting. Five of the six suites have been claimed by the Chief Seattle Club , Social Justice Fund NW, Families of Color Seattle (FOCS), Spark Northwest, and the NA'AH ILLAHEE FUND. Other companies that worked on the Metropole are Swenson Say Faget, structural; LPD Engineering PLLC, civil; Karen Kiest Landscape Architects; Ecotope, mechanical; TFWB Engineers Inc., electrical; Dark Light Design; SSA Acoustics; RDH Building Science; Speweik Preservation Consultants, Inc.; and O'Brien360, sustainability. Read more from Puget Sound Business Journal' "Business of Nonprofits" recent editorial coverage... #seattlewa #CRE #philanthropy #foundations #historicrestoration https://lnkd.in/gNPipN4m

These are amazing examples of what can be done to deliver social housing - rather than trying to squeeze private sector suppliers of homes to deliver, reducing their output - let's find a way to get public/private finance to build places like the ones featured in this fantastic article.

Toronto’s breathtaking skyline, with looming towers neatly stacked like Tetris pieces along the shore of Lake Ontario, is one of the city’s largest attributes — and it’s about to radically change, reported the Toronto Star. "By 2030, at least seven “supertall” skyscrapers are expected to rise and forever alter the look of Canada’s busiest downtown. The supertalls, defined as being more than 300 metres tall by global non-profit Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), have divided housing observers. Proponents argue the vertical behemoths will add much needed housing as the city faces a severe affordability crisis, while critics say supertalls are impractical, luxury housing with units too pricey for the average buyer and will likely serve as investment vehicles for the world’s wealthiest." https://lnkd.in/dcJVWXwx #toronto #development #supertalls

I am not wanting to only ever point out problems in the way we build buildings, but they just keep presenting themselves everywhere I go. This time it is not about modelling to understand the problems, it is about seeing problems and understanding the most likely causes ( although this is actually based on the modelling understanding). This is of course the scientific method, hypothesis -> make a prediction based on all available information -> test this in the real world and gather the data -> analyse the data -> draw a conclusion that either supports or refutes the hypothesis. If you can't test and verify then you actually only have a reasonable suspicion, perhaps better described as an opinion (expert or otherwise). My favourite (and best kept secret no more) is the Stepping Stone Cafe, this is a beautiful space serving beautiful food with beautiful people. It's set in an exemplary development in Canberra and only recently completed in 2022. Read the back story here: https://lnkd.in/g9HGbd3c Now as to why I am even talking about this building is because all of the Discontinuities that I have been discussing recently and are likely (all) present here (and some more). The design is striking and the use of this land excellent, it really ticks all the boxes for what we need to do more of, BUT, it is also a complete failure of a building. The Discontinuities are discussed here: https://lnkd.in/gZuckBcB I will show you just a few of the externally obvious reasons from some photos I took last week, this was before it even got cold in Canberra. I was walking the dog in a light jumper when I took these. It is particularly that this building uses a mix of light-weight metal cladding and masonry that this makes it really clear what is going wrong with this building. Rebecca Vassarotti I would love to support the Greens government public housing contractor. I simply want to see it do things properly, it is in public and social housing that building appropriately really matters if you want value for public money.