The history of modern architecture, read through the evolution of the single family home. Each generation has sought to improve upon earlier iterations, rethinking and reinventing this seemingly simple building type. At certain historic moments, new ideas about domesticity have given form to radically different configurations of home and community. The necessity for unsustainable communities provides urgency and a unique opportunity to design affordable houses that respond to economic, social, and environmental challenges. The From the Ground Up competition sought to provide a new model for once vital urban residential neighborhoods throughout the United States through the creation of affordable, green homes. The proposals of the seven finalists in the competition were selected from the fifty two teams that submitted sketchbooks with ideas on how to approach this design challenge. Developed for a vacant in fill site in Syracuse s, these projects offer an array of innovative designs for cost efficient prototypes that provide a new vision for the neighborhood, which can be embraced by existing and future residents. These proposals and the resulting built work demonstrate the value of design within a typically underserved and demographically diverse community. Their ambition is to wed high standards of living with advanced technology and design in the development of small domestic projects. It is hoped that they act as catalysts for improving our neighborhoods, creating innovative green homes, from the ground up. The publication provides new models for contemporary affordable housing, cataloguing the winning designs from the international competition held by Syracuse University School of Architecture, featuring projects from Cook + Fox Architects, Della Valle Bernheimer and others.

Author Biography

Peggy Tully is a fellow at UPSTATE, a center for design, research, and real estate, within the Syracuse University School of Architecture.