Construction on the Paper House started in earnest last week. Students started by building picnic tables, sawhorses, and cribbing to support the houses. From there, it was on to the floor diaphragm (donated by rk Miles) and lifting the first wall (in a rainstorm!). With any luck – and the students’ growing skills – all the exterior walls (donated by rk Miles) will be up this week.

Wow! The 2023 UMass DesignBuild team presented their final proposal for small-scale, affordable housing in Holyoke this past Friday. The students went above and beyond in their design, representation, and presentation. Attendees at the presentation were universally impressed with the students’ proposal. To paraphrase the words of one guest, this is the future of affordable housing: thoughtful design that is low-energy, low-carbon, and beautiful. I couldn’t agree more.

In late March, three teams from the UMass DesignBuild class presented three unique schematic design proposals for the house in Holyoke. Following presentations, discussions with out guest critics, and a friendly vote, we decided to move forward with a single proposal that combined compelling elements from all three proposals. Take a look at the work below!

The second iteration of the UMass DesignBuild program is well underway! Twelve students, hailing from the UMass Department of Architecture, the UMass Building and Construction Technology Program, and the Five College Architectural Studies Program, have spent the spring semester designing a new small, dwelling unit. We’re partnering again with OneHolyoke Community Development Corporation to design and build a small house that will become part of their affordable housing options in Holyoke, MA. The students are spending the spring semester in design and will then transition to building over a 2-month long summer session.