What Impact Can Design Have on Housing Affordability?
Thoughtful architectural choices can not only lower costs but offer gains for sustainability and affordability
July 19, 2024
Image: Evelien / stock.adobe.com
Design choices play a pivotal role in developing affordable housing.
When building housing, design choices not only affect quality of life but can also play a major part in the project's affordability. According to a Multi-Housing News interview with Margi Glavovic Nothard, founder and design director of Glavovic Studio, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., effective design is a collaborative team effort that addresses sustainability, improves daily living, and tackles housing affordability. But developers often prioritize short-term gains rather than considering the project more holistically.
“Architecture plays a crucial role in making housing more affordable. There are many avenues for increasing affordability and we can reduce building costs—up to a point. Holistically, the more sustainable a project, the lower the carbon footprint, and the lower the costs of development over time. By selecting materials and products that consume less energy and reduce waste, developments become more affordable. One of the challenges of this approach is that a developer may be interested in short-term gains, as they are selling the development, so the holistic management of the property is not taken into consideration as much as needed, with short-term cost savings and long-term increased costs.”
