Each year, the Innovation in Affordable Housing competition invites graduate students enrolled in accredited educational institutions in the United States to form multi-disciplinary teams to respond to an existing affordable housing design and planning issue. The competition requires teams composed of graduate students in architecture, planning and policy, finance, and other areas to address social, economic, environmental, design, financial, and construction issues in addition to an affordable housing design challenge.
The theme for the 2025 competition is “designing for disasters.” The graduate student teams were challenged to address the lack of affordable housing in Palm Beach County due to a shortage of land for development, while also considering the property is subject to Florida weather related to heat, heavy rains resulting in flooding, hurricanes and high winds, as well as post-disaster safety concerns. The student teams were tasked with redeveloping an underutilized 13+ acre of land owned by PBCHA that currently has a 134-unit public housing development and a maximum density of 350 units.
This year's finalists included:
- University of California, Berkeley Team Blue (first place)
- University of California, Berkeley Team Gold (second place)
- University of Kansas (runner-up)
- Yale University (runner-up)
UC Berkeley Team Blue’s winning design, named Mango Commons, is rooted in disaster resilience, long-term sustainability, and community cohesion. The 350-unit, three-phased redevelopment plan for PBCHA is innovative and resident-driven. Mango Commons makes use of built and natural systems for climate resilience, underpinned by the site’s self-sustaining circular economy. In its design, the project boasts large outdoor verandas to build social resilience and hearken to Southern “front porch” culture. Mango Commons also leverages community gardens, tech education, and culinary programming to promote food security, self-sufficiency, and intergenerational activities for the entire community. Lastly, for its financing, it incorporates a unique option-to-buy program and a partnership with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for ownership.
University of California, Berkeley Team Blue Wins CLPHA’s Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition
Winning Team Awarded $15,000 and Will Present Their Design at CLPHA’s Summer Meeting, Hosted by Atlanta Housing
UC Berkeley Team Gold Earns Second Place; University of Kansas and Yale University Teams Named Runners-up
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