Multi-Generational Urban Revival: Sweat Equity and the Individual Homeowner
"Black landscapes matter because they are renewable. We can uncover, exhume, validate, and celebrate these landscapes through new narratives and stories that chose to return us to origins. The contested and the forgotten landscapes, renewed through a myriad of expressions, can give us incentives to obligations for years to come." How do we plan within a landscape of disinvestment and disenfranchisement of Black people, and, most of all, how do we not forget about Black people as a counterwave to new, predominately white gentry returning to a place that they chose to leave behind." - Walter Hood and Grace Tada
Monique Dorroh
Introduction Throughout the years, the United States Government has marketed the idea of the “American Dream”. However, we cannot endorse the idea of “Making America Great” with a dream that has never been equally obtainable for every citizen. Since the rise of suburbia, various communities of color, especially Black and Brown communities, have been undervalued due to racist policies ordained by local and state governments as well as private enterprise. As homeowners of color are met with slow equity and associations with “blight”, they respond with resiliency and resourcefulness to maintain their homes while finding ways to provide services to their communities. Although many external entities and real estate developers may classify urban inner city communities as blighted and in
TABLE OF CONTENTS need of a savior, these communities often create a social system in place that leads to economic increase. The stories present within Black and Brown spaces are not often told, but can change the way that the field of Architecture classifies space from the labeling of a bedroom on a micro level, to the evaluation of entire cities. One story that has pointed to this is that of my grandmother, Sandra Dorroh. She has owned her home in the city of Cleveland for 46 years. Her colonial style home was originally built in 1910 on a 3184 square foot lot. The property is a 2 story, single family home with approximately 1272 square feet single family home with a finished attic and basement. Thus far, it contains 6 bedrooms, a living room, dining room, and kitchen along with 1.5 bathrooms, a finished attic and finished basement. Over the years
she has had space for a religious sanctuary, a recording music studio, a GED tutoring center, a holiday gathering space, a game room, a cheerleading academy, rooms for people dealing with homelessness, office spaces, and a single car detached garage. Over these last 46 years of homeownership, she has utilized her property to raise 7 of her own children (Adam, Michael, Phillip, Stephen, Shaundra, Patricia, and Phylecia) and their 13 children as well as 8 or more nieces and nephews, their 40+ children, and other children within her neighborhood. Why is this important? For years Architects and planners have attempted to create the perfect single-family home to display timelessness and efficiency. We have seen the mass production of prefabricated kit homes. We have also seen the home “as a machine for living” idealized by famous
Architects such as Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius. As Architects have increasingly experimented with the construction of homes, these spaces have changed size, material quality, style, and even methods of production. New homes arise that are thought to be the future, however, they are often only a fashion trend that still lack the recipe to immortality. However, my grandmother has taught my family how to make a home timeless. Thus, despite what we are taught, architecture is a medium utilized by my grandmother and other homeowners who are the true designers of residential space. How can architects aid these homeowners to make equity more equitable as they adapt their homes to fit their present needs?
History + Context
pgs 4-5
Homeowner Housing Typologies
pgs 6-7
American Foursquare
pgs 8-9
Establishing Measurements
pgs 10-11
Renovation Processes
pgs 12-13
Future Possibilities
pgs 14-19
HISTORY + CONTEXT
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To Chicago, IL
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Newburgh + Southshore Railroad
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Brookpark Station
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Grandmother’s Home
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Landbank Owned/ Destroyed Properties ur
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Commercial Properties
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Block Scale of Grandmother’s Neighborhood
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Completed Land expansions
CA
To Columbus, OH
To
Block Scale of Grandmother’s Neighborhood
Collective Housing
HOMEOWNER HOUSING TYPOLOGIES
Land Bank Process
Collective Housing -
Separation of Building and Land Ownership - Ownership of building - Land owned by overhead entity
- Formula utilized to calculate resale values removes properties from speculative gyration of the real estate market. - Potential shared amenities such as: 1. Landscaping 2. Security 3. Parking - eg. Community Land Trust Model, Condos
Individual Housing - - - -
http://cuyahogalandbank.org/documents/CuyahogaImpactReport20190626.pdf
Ownership of specific property Individual land parcel Responsible for property upkeep Could potentially have HOA, block watch
Individual Housing
Property Types
Cape Cod Condos/ Townhomes
LAKEVIEW RD
Single Family Home
Empty Lot
Single Family Home
Empty Lot
Single Family Homes
Land Bank Process
Empty Lot
Duplex Homes
Empty Lot
E 123RD ST Section Through Site
AMERICAN FOURSQUARE TO DORMER
8'
SHED DORMER WOOD RAFTER
ATTIC PLYWOOD RIGID INSULATION POLYETH SHEATHING TAPE @ JOINTS VERTICAL ALUMINUM STRAPPING
10'
VAPOR BARRIER PAINT PLASTER INSULATION 2 x 4 WOOD STUDS 16" O.C.
HORIZONTAL ALUMINUM SIDING
SECOND FLOOR PLYWOOD RIGID INSULATION POLYETH SHEATHING TAPE @ JOINTS VERTICAL ALUMINUM STRAPPING
10'
VAPOR BARRIER PAINT PLASTER INSULATION WOOD STUDS 16" O.C.
HORIZONTAL ALUMINUM SIDING
FIRST FLOOR GYPSUM BOARD CEILING VAPOR BARRIER PAINT PLASTER INSULATION POLYETH VAPOR BARRIER
GRADE 10' RIGID INSULATION POLYETH DAMPROOFING CONC. FOUNDATION WALL
BASEMENT
POLYETH DAMPROOFING SEALANT SAND BED CONC. SLAB GRAVEL UNDER SLAB
WEEPING TILE W/ STONE COVER POURED CONC. FOOTING Material Section
ESTABLISHING MEASUREMENTS
TYPES OF EQUITY
Economic
SOCIAL EQ UITY LED T O PURCHA SE OF SECO N
D HOME
Collective
EQUITY BUILDING MODELS
Individual
Social
New Finishings Maintenance Threshold Changes Function Change Addition Ground Level Building Outline
1910s
1950s
1980s
2020s
RENOVATION PROCESSES
+SF
+
Finishing Changing/ Updating the cosmetic materiality of the internal rooms (i.e. marble countertops, painting, etc.) $+
Maintenance Making repairs to maintain existing conditions (i.e. replacing, broken pipes, roofing, etc.) $/$$+
Thresholds + Fenestration Creating new walls or removing walls and window openings to create additional functional spaces or higher appeal. $$$+
Reconfiguration Adding functional space (i.e. ba, bd, etc.) within the existing building envelope $$$+
Addition Increasing the square footage of the property $$$$+
ASSOCIATED COSTS
Free
10s
100s
1,000s
10,000s
High
FUTURE POSSIBILITIES
SENIOR LIVING
CO-LIVING
EDUCATION + DAYCARE
TAKE OUT
RESTAURANT
NAIL SALON
ORIGINAL HOME
EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVE
CURRENT HOME
TAKE OUT
CAFE