CICADA was well represented at the Homes Within Reach conference last week in Hershey, PA, with Associate Dana Rice and Architectural Designer Quanniesha Pierre-Louis, both presenting on different panels. Principals Kurt Raymond and daryn edwards also attended and all were impressed with the quality of the presentations this year. Some reflections on some common themes, recurring trends and future considerations are below…
Shared Housing and ADU's
Shared Housing and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU's) were widely discussed at several seminars during the conference. In this era of continually growing demand for housing coupled with high and rising construction costs, these concepts offer promise as another tool to address the shortage of affordable housing. However, they also are often specifically excluded from consideration because of limitations imposed by local zoning codes.
Shared Housing is the concept of two or more unrelated persons sharing a home. Successful examples of this type of housing require private bedrooms for each resident, shared areas such as living rooms and kitchens, and written agreements between the coinhabitants that include a baseline understanding of what "habitable and sanitary" conditions are to be maintained; descriptions of what is shared and what is private; and exit/termination clauses. These types of homes allow for an expanded acceptance of families to include Functional Families (those who choose to live together with common ties) beyond the Traditional Families (those related by blood.)
ADU's (euphemistically referred to as Granny Flats) can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes - underutilized basement or upper floor spaces; garage conversions or separate, smaller "homes" on a lot of a larger home. These smaller scale, independent living units maximize the use of potential space for its "highest and best use." ADU's also offer opportunities for elderly individuals to "age in place" by allowing them to stay in their homes, or part of their former home, especially if it is too large for them to maintain on their own.
Hopefully, with the education and advocacy of the different organizations and community groups working on these efforts, both Shared Housing and ADU's may be a new tool in the affordable housing tool kit in the near future.
Property Capital Needs Assessments as a Design Tool
After Associate Dana Rice moderated a panel on occupied renovation projects, there was an in depth conversation about the value and best practices when it comes to working with a Property Capital Needs Assessment (PCNA). As a requirement for PHFA-funded preservation developments, PCNA's are an integral part of the design and application process for these projects. While PHFA requires that this report be compiled by a third party, most designers/architects agree that best results are achieved when they are actively involved in that process. In general collaboration is vital in the design process on any renovation project, ideally PCNA's and other documentation would be predicated on a survey conducted at the same time, between the property manager, architect, contractor and the preparer of the PCNA report.
Pictured above (from left to right) are Associate Dana Rice, Principal Kurt Raymond and Architectural Designer Quanniesha Pierre-Louis. Principal daryn edwards also attended.
