Compact Space: Reconfiguration and Reconsideration of Liliha Neighborhood

Abstract

Compact living is a valuable asset to current living standards. With issues of urban sprawl and housing affordability, living more compact is a solution that can benefit many. This project studies different compact living situations and explores the techniques utilized to make compact spaces habitable, comfortable, and valuable in our society. It highlights various multi-functional mechanisms, transformations, and flexibility used in compact living which provides efficient and comfortable means of living. Evaluating the housing crisis of 2008, the current state of housing costs, affordability, and ownership will begin to illustrate how compact living can become a meaningful solution to today’s living standards. Discussing issues of urban sprawl and traffic congestion, integral to our lifestyle patterns, will exhibit the adversarial effect of the causative low-density urban development of Honolulu. This project will reconsider how density can be increased in low density areas, and will utilize Liliha, Honolulu as the project site. The goal of the design is to utilize elements of compact living to improve housing and urban conditions. It will assess these urban development and zoning conditions, and will study select details of typology. These will be discussed in various maps, diagrams, and drawings which drive the final design of the project. The design of this project emphasizes the walk-up typology which can be found throughout Liliha neighborhood and Honolulu. It studies the current design of a typical walk-up and reconfigures it, keeping effective elements and eliminating unsuccessful ones. It then applies multi-functional mechanisms, transformations, and flexible elements studied to improve the quality of the living space and the urban fabric.