2018 Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition: Whittier Falls in Dover, New Hampshire

Regina C. Gray, compiler
Social Science Analyst, Affordable Housing Research and Technology Division, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Winning Team: University of Maryland, College Park
Lauren Gilmartin, Daniel Green, Adan Ramos, Nathan Robbins, Sacsheen Scott

Runner-Up Team: University of Colorado Denver
Nora Bland, Adam Buehler, Will Dolenshek, Stacy Ester, Joel Miller

The Jury
M. Scott Ball, Valerie Fletcher, Clayton Mitchell, Kenneth Ogden, John Torti

The Innovation in Affordable Housing (IAH) Student Design and Planning Competition invites teams of graduate students from multiple disciplines to submit plans in response to an affordable housing design challenge in an existing home or residential building. Now in its fifth year running, the goals of the competition are to encourage research and innovation in high-quality affordable housing that strengthens the social and physical fabric of low- and moderate-income communities and to foster crosscutting teamwork within the design and community development process. This brief article includes a recounting of the challenges, solutions, and lessons learned by the first- and second-place student teams and thoughts from the jury on defining innovation in housing design.