In a 2021 feature titled For Affordable Housing, The Revolution Will Be Modularized, we explored one architect’s vision for an industrial-scale solution to the affordable housing crisis; one which centered on shipping-container-sized modules configured as various combinations of housing options.
The proposal is one of many examples from our editorial of architects seeking ways of disrupting the design and delivery of housing; disruptions that address the ecological, economic, and logistical issues prevalent in traditional housebuilding. In the case of Bjarke Ingel’s Nabr, the solution is to redesign to process through which people purchase and customize a home; replacing the traditional procurement model for architects with a more welcoming, digital-first platform.
This redesign of the path to homeownership is not confined to starchitects. The same week we first reported on Nabr, we also covered the story of HOKO Design, a UK-based start-up which also proposes a digital-first approach to procuring an architect’s design services. The company, which has raised almost $600,000 through crowdfunding, seeks to create a new model for prospective homeowners with a platform integrating virtual reality, real-time client feedback, and a streamlined administrative process.
As more approaches and solutions for affordable, accessible housing populate our editorial, Archinect Jobs has seen examples of how these new ventures also bring new employment opportunities for architects and designers. One such opportunity is at Los Angeles-based Connect Homes, who are this week’s focus for our Job Highlights series. The company, which is currently recruiting for a Junior Architectural Designer, has combined an industrial, modular, customizable approach to homebuilding with the step-by-step digital-first process model seen at Nabr and HOKO.
The company has designed 15 standard models of homes which reflect various lots, lifestyles, and budgets. When customers have selected a model and customized it to their preferences, Connect Homes submits the drawings for local city permits before building the home at their prefab factory in San Bernardino. The company then partners with a local contractor to prepare the site and deliver and install the home for habitation.
The full job description for Connect Homes can be accessed here. Stay tuned for future curated job highlights and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more exciting opportunities on Archinect's industry-leading job board. Recent editions of our Job Highlights series have seen career opportunities for treehouse designers, model makers at BIG, and exhibition designers at The Met.
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