Hidden Gem

Project idea

Following the COVID-19 eviction and foreclosure crisis, the City of Des Moines received a $100 million federal grant as part of The American Families Plan to construct Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in previously redlined areas of Des Moines.1 ADUs offer a variety of benefits to communities. They help increase a community’s housing supply, and since they cost less than a new single-family home on a separate lot, they are an affordable housing option for many low- and moderate-income residents. Elderly and/or disabled persons who may want to live close to family members or caregivers, empty nesters, and young adults just entering the workforce find ADUs convenient and affordable. In addition to increasing the supply of affordable housing, ADUs benefit homeowners by providing extra income that can assist in mitigating increases in the cost of living. This studio asks two primary questions: + Is 3D printed (additive manufactured) concrete a valid method for constructing housing in Iowa? + Can (and should) accessory dwelling units serve as architectural reparations in formerly redlined areas?

Project description

Our proposal is a 3D printed facility that showcases the built environment in Des Moines, Iowa revolving around the history of redlining. This facility programs educational and additive manufacturing technology spaces that combat the aftermath of redlining and other racial federal systems. The goal of the project is to continue the reconstruction of African American and African diasporic communities through ADUs( Accessory Dwelling Units) in order to repair legacies of a wealthy culture. While operating in the current system of the economy, we unravel hidden gems through spaces, forms and practices of liberation of the people. As a means of initiating a change in the perspectives of the structured constitution and housing laws.

Technical information

The facility is a complete 3d printed building. The metal frame and the exterior concrete layer can be 3d printed with the aid of additive manufacturing machines. The produced 3d printed ADUs ( Accessory Dwelling Units) Would be 3d printed on site with robots that are stored in the Hidden Gem Facility.