Redesigning the Hood: Using Culturally Aware Wellness as a Tool to Inform Architectural Design

Abstract

There is a housing crisis in the United States. Public housing was created to solve some of the problem but has often been an uphill battle for many decades. Through history, the problems in public housing for Black people, and people of color have been greater because of systemic barriers put in place and social prejudices. Because of these preconceptions in the building world many project homes have not been built in a way that prioritizes the specific needs of the minority community at hand. This thesis details the research and design of a government housing development in Dallas, Texas, in the neighborhood of Oak Cliff, and its subsequent redesign. The site is named Brackins Village and is a government project housing development built in the 1950’s through the Dallas Housing Authority. The design for the homes is fueled with the intention to cater to the specific cultural wellness practices of the existing community. The neighborhood is predominately African American, so this thesis investigates wellness practices of this community and incorporates these practices into the design of the home. Black wellness practices often include a strong sense of community, close familial proximity, connection to spirituality, and spaces to celebrate, dance, or people watch.1 The redesign of this housing project includes central piazzas and semi-private courtyards that create outdoor spaces that cater to these practices and more. These spaces prioritize the health and wellness needs of this specific community based on their cultural practices. An investigation of public housing historical background and how it has affected the Black community is conducted to inform the designs. Disparities in the public housing world for Black people and people of color include practices of segregation, redlining, and poor government funding. Research into past precedents of successful public housing, and successful wellness spaces are utilized to inform the design and assess in which ways techniques from wellness space design can be used for home design.