Those iconic, boxy beauties known as Chicago bungalows were the starter homes for a generation of immigrants looking to begin a new life in the city. The brick houses were built in the early 1900s for a wood-wary Chicago still skittish of fire, and were designed to fit the city’s standard lots and challenging winters. As the population boomed, bungalows were replicated tenfold because of their smart design and affordability. Where are their contemporary brethren?
“As Chicago continues to lose population, I think we have to ask ourselves why and how is housing a part of that?” says Sarah Brune, competition organizer and manager of innovation and public policy with NHS. “We want to make sure that working families are able to stay in Chicago and really have a stable and fulfilling life here. I think that giving them affordable and quality housing options is one way to do that.”
“Equity in one’s home and to be able to purchase a home in a community where the land is valuable for an affordable price provides you with a great opportunity,” Dowell says.
“We’re asking architects to look at Chicago’s existing building code and global case studies where affordable housing is effective,” Rao says. “What changes need to happen to Chicago’s building code to make these projects feasible, more dynamic and more effective in housing people, building income and building a new type of wealth?”
