Necessity vs. Luxury : An Analysis on Two Juxtaposed Housing Projects

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By Elise Park

 

One of the most integral and relative aspects of architecture lies in the idea of housing. The consideration of housing and homes as a financial asset instead of as a fundamental and primitive human right has perpetuated a dangerous and harmful narrative in today’s society. Projects that strive to alleviate the stresses of affordable housing have become a necessary topic of conversation, as seen in BIG’s Via 57 West and Elemental’s Villa Verde. 

Villa Verde was constructed in the town of Constitucion, Chile by the firm Elemental, headed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Alejandro Aravena. Aravena won this highly recognized award in 2016 for his epitomization of “the revival of a more socially engaged architect…fighting for a better urban environment for all,” something that is heavily apparent in his firm’s projects. Elemental has used community as a main determinant in all of their social housing projects, taking into deep consideration what a family necessitates, rather than the aestheticism of the proposal as a whole. 

Incremental building, a prevalent theme at Elemental, deals with the ideology that half of a good house is far better in comparison to a fully built small house, and that conceiving this concept as an on-going housing project is extremely important in creating the ideal it strives to create. By supplying residents with a fully built and functional half of a house (57 meters squared), they are then able to expand upon it and enumerate its facilities with “non-essentials'' or extra space (85 meters squared).

Born from a community damaging earthquake in 2010, families and community members were integral to the creation and unique design of half of the home. The concrete foundations, plumbing, and electricity were finished ahead of building, and the Chilean Government paid for all necessary infrastructure for the community to properly function, meaning that all the families had to supply was their time, labor and supplemented materials. Residents were able to partake in various building workshops to learn how to build their houses. By cultivating a very communal and helpful environment, residents are able to live in a much more inviting home than any state funding or self research could have supplied. 

The form of the house is subjectively simple, perhaps as a nod to the overall conceptual idea. The simple gable is reminiscent of a typically imagined house, and the materials used were relegated from the scarcity of resources in Chile during the time following the earthquake. Strong, natural disaster resistant materials were utilized, including concrete and sturdy wood posts. Individual housing units share one concrete wall, which preserves material and implements the idea of stringency. This housing project, as a whole, seems to be born of absolute necessity, something that allows design to work in tandem with and be thought of in a way that takes into arcane consideration the issues that are prevalent and pressing in the area. In Villa Verde’s case, the earthquake coupled with an inadequacy of supplies created a dynamic and highly functional design, one that works for the community and not simply in spite of it.

BIG’s housing project, VIA 57 West, is a complete juxtaposition of the Villa Verde project. Constructed in New York City, the VIA 57 West is the epitome of iconicism. Bjarke Ingels, founder of the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), is considered one of the greatest and most inspirational architects of this time period. His approach to architecture derives from a sort of strictly diagrammatic approach to creating, and uses something he calls “hedonistic sustainability” as a way to create a dialogue about how to tie sustainability into his designs in a nuanced and playful way.  

BIG’s experience in housing is plentiful: there are over 25 projects listed as conceptualized or completed on their site. The projects are all beautifully designed, drawing upon a serious form of aestheticism coupled with sustainable considerations to create the majority of the projects. The VIA 57 West is no exception, as it became the project that essentially cemented BIG’s presence in the US. Upon meeting with the chairman of the Durst Organization, a real estate development company, Ingels asked him why his buildings all preserved the relative form of what buildings are typically. He wanted to create a form that was uniquely luxurious and held great architectural importance, while also taking into consideration the well being of the residents, by erecting gyms, pools and other centers to promote wellness.

The Scandimerican “courtscraper” combines the classic form of an American skyscraper with a European perimeter block, and uses a distinctly tetrahedral design to convey its uniqueness. A combination of metal facade panels, glazing and woodwork were utilized to create the utilitarian and modern exterior. The form of the building creates a man-made mountain and the slope is curated to allow the views of the building behind it stay intact, a design element that was important to Durst. The materials used in the creation of the VIA 57 West were chosen based on ethical and sustainable considerations. In addition to this, 20% of the total housing units were set for low-income residents, which allowed for the construction to be supported by government tax incentives. 

The $656,000 allocated to the construction of the VIA creates a pressing question: is this replicable and easily obtainable for poorer communities? The immediate answer is no. Luxury housing that benefits from public subsidy should be created to enhance and engage the community it belongs to, instead of for mere good looks. Though it is an outstanding architectural piece, it still distinctly plays off of the idea that housing is increasingly being viewed as a financial asset rather than an intrinsic right. 

In comparing the two housing projects, a monumental difference is apparent: necessity and functionality in direct juxtaposition with aestheticism and luxury. The Villa Verde was created with community in mind, while the VIA 57 West focused first on design, and secondly on wellness.  In this day and age, as the affordable housing crisis grows increasingly more prevalent, housing needs to be carefully considered, and a clear stance needs to be taken. This begs the question and argument: should architecture strive to solely define an aesthetical standard in society, or should it become a fundamental right rather than a privilege? 

 

Works Cited

Baldwin, Eric. “Behind the Building: VIA 57 West by BIG - Architizer Journal.” Journal, 11 Sept. 2020, architizer.com/blog/practice/materials/via-57-big/.

Greenspan, Sam. “Half a House.” 99% Invisible, 23 Oct. 2019, 99percentinvisible.org/episode/half-a-house/.

Kubey, Karen. “The Avery Review: How to Judge an Icon: Via 57 West.” The Avery Review | How to Judge an Icon: Via 57 West, averyreview.com/issues/20/how-to-judge-an-icon.

Tory-Henderson, Nina. “Quinta Monroy - Dansk Arkitektur Center.” DAC, dac.dk/en/knowledgebase/architecture/quinta-monroy/.

Zilliacus, Ariana. “Half A House Builds A Whole Community: Elemental's Controversial Social Housing.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 24 Oct. 2016, www.archdaily.com/797779/half-a-house-builds-a-whole-community-elementals-controversial-social-housing.