3D Printed Affordable Housing in Albuquerque A thesis submitted to the Graduate School Of the University of Cincinnati In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture in the department of Architecture of the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning by Ryan Coblentz University of Cincinnati, 2019 Committee Chair: Michael McInturf Committee Member: Aarati Kanekar Abstract With the demand of urban housing continuing to increase and becoming more unattainable due to skyrocketing land values within cities, 3D printed architecture could hold the key to producing affordable housing quickly and cheaply without sacrificing design. While 3D printer technology has yet to reach the development required to be implemented at the scale necessary to address this problem, there is substantial evidence that within the foreseeable future it will become a viable solution and even fundamentally change the traditional construction method. Albuquerque, New Mexico has long struggled with affordable housing due to its large population of low-income residents. Within the last couple of years there has been a substantial movement within the city to address the affordable housing crisis, most notably through new mixed-use subsidized apartments in downtown. It is important to note that mixed-use typology has only recently been embraced by the city, whose stringent zoning laws made mixed-use developments impossible until only a few years ago. Using the handful of mixed-use apartments which have been completed so far as precedents, a site, which currently functions as a parking lot, has been selected within the downtown area to analyze how 3D printer construction can be applied to affordable housing. Therefore the project will analyze how 3D printing can be implemented to address issues regarding design, community, and cost, i for an affordable housing project in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The project will seek to create a mixed-use apartment complex aimed towards attracting young adults in order to take advantage of a city program known as ‘Innovate ABQ’ with similar goals. The project will serve as an example of how 3D printed technology can be implemented within cities to address the affordable housing crisis. ii iii Acknowledgements: My parents Jorge and Rouxanne, my brother and sister, Jorgie and Veronica. Thank you for always encouraging me and supporting me throughout my life. My wonderful fiancée Taylor, for being my emotional support and sounding board for my ideas throughout my academic career. My friends and loved ones, for sticking with me and for being understanding of my busy schedule. To Michael, for his guidance and critiques in this last year, and my past instructor’s who helped prepare me for this academic endeavor. iv Table of Contents Abstract i-ii Acknowledgements iii Figures/Illustrations vi-ix 01 Adobe Architecture 1-11 02 Affordable Housing 12-21 03 3D Printing 22-36 04 Design 37-62 Bibliography 63-66 v vi Figures/ Illustrations (All illustrations are created by author unless noted otherwise.) Figure 1 Ruins of a multistory dwelling in Chaco Canyon. Oswald, Benjamin. “Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon.” Digital Image. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Accessed January 22, 2019. https://www.ancient.eu/image/8964/pueblo-bonito-chaco-canyon/ Figure 2 Typical Features of a Kiva. Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque, New Mexico: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, (1984). Figure 3 Diagram of public/private space in Pueblo Bonito. Image by author. Inspired by Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque, New Mexico: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, (1984). Figure 4 Wall types found at Chaco Canyon. Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque, New Mexico: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, (1984). Figure 5 Isometric showing roof structure of pueblo architecture. Image by author. Inspired by Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque, New Mexico: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, (1984). vii Figure 6 Adobe wall (orange) section showing wood substructure (blue). Image by author. Inspired by Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque, New Mexico: National Park Sevice, U.S. Department of the Interior, (1984). Figure 7 Galisteo Modern by Archaeo Architects. An example of modern Pueblo Revival. “Galisteo.” Digital Image. Archaeo Architects. Accessed January, 16,2019. https://www.archaeoarchitects.com/portfolio-item/galisteo/ Figure 8 Hodgin Hall before (left) and after (right) its Pueblo Revival remodel. Hooker, Van Dorn. “Only in New Mexico: An Architectural History of the University of New Mexico.” Image. Albuquerque: UNM Press. (2000). pp. 4–11 Figure 9 George Pearl Hall by Antoine Predock. An example of concrete Pueblo Revival. Sullivan, Mary Ann. “School of Architecture and Planning.” Digital Image. Digital Imaging Project MAS/BC. Accessed January 16, 2019. https://www.bluffton.edu/homepages/facstaff/sullivanm/newmexico/albuquerq ue/architecturepredock/archbuilding.html Figure 10 The Cave by Greenfield studio. A rammed earth, single-family dwelling. “The Cave in Pilares/ Greenfield.” Digital Image. ArchDaily. Accessed January 16, 2019. https://www.archdaily.com/615252/the-cave-in-pilares-greenfield Figure 11 Total HUD units in Pittsburgh, with the UPMC zone dashed. viii Silverman, Robert Mark, Kelly L. Patterson, Li Yin, Molly Ranahan, and Laiyun Wu. Affordable Housing in US Shrinking Cities: From Neighborhoods of Despair to Neighborhoods of Opportunity Bristol: Policy Press, (2016). Figure 12 Total HUD units in ABQ with downtown highlighted. “An Assessment of Fair Housing.” Digital Image. City of Albuquerque. (July, 25, 2017). https://www.cabq.gov/family/documents/affh-poewrpoint.pdf Figure 13 Summary of Albuquerque demographics. Figure 14 Completed office pods sitting on the site in Dubai. AD Editorial Team. "Office of the Future / Killa Design". ArchDaily. (July 13, 2017). www.archdaily.com/875642/office-of-the-future-killa-design Figure 15 A rendering of what Milestone may look like when completed. Walsh, Niall Patrick. "World's First 3D-Printed Concrete Housing Project to be Built in Eindhoven." Digital Image. ArchDaily. (June 01, 2018). www.archdaily.com/895597/worlds-first-3d-printed-concrete-housing-project-to- be-built-in-eindhoven Figure 16 A completed wall showcasing the triple S structure. AD Editorial Team. "3D Printing Fuses Thai Craftsmanship to Create Habitable Concrete Structures." Digital Image. ArchDaily. (February 12, 2018). ix www.archdaily.com/887403/3d-printing-fuses-thai-craftsmanship-to-create- habitable-concrete-structures Figure 17 Greater downtown Albuquerque. Figure 18 Immediate site context. Figure 19 Household demographics of Albuquerque. Figure 20 Lobo Rainforest from Broadway St. Urvanejo, Kelly. “Lobo Rainforest Now Houses Students and Community Groups.” Digital Image. Daily Lobo. (August 16, 2017). http://www.dailylobo.com/article/2017/08/lobo-rainforest-now-open Figure 21 Casitas de Colores front entry. “Casitas de Colores”. Digital Image. Dekker Perich Sabatini. (2017). https://www.dpsdesign.org/what-we-create/casitas-de-colores Figure 22 Elevations showing material studies. Figure 23 Adobe inspiration for color palette. Figure 24 Typical floor plan showing program. Figure 25 Examples of 3D Printed Wall Structure. Figure 26 Traditional construction cost estimates. Figure 27 3D printed construction estimate. Figure 28 Northeast Project Axon. x 01 Adobe Architecture Historic Context Figure 1 Ruins of a multistory dwelling in Chaco Canyon Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon by Stephen H. Lekson offers a documentation of a series of archaeological studies between 1971 and the book’s publication in 1984 on the pueblo dwellings of the Chaco Canyon settlement. The current focus of research is on the chapters of the book that discuss structure, forms, and room typologies of the pueblos. Given the rich history of communal-style living within New Mexico, an argument could be made to create a program that includes a communal lifestyle based on a 1 modern-day interpretation of pueblo style settlements, especially revolving around ideas of the kiva, and multi-level housing often found in Pueblos that at times could rise to four stories1. Kivas were large circular communal spaces often found in the center of pueblo dwellings that were often directly adjacent to living spaces, and other communal/shared rooms. Figure 2 Typical Features of a Kiva In contrast, living spaces and family dwellings within ancient Pueblo architecture were almost always rectilinear and share very similar proportions and dimensions to one another. The exception to this rule comes in the form of rooms that were directly adjacent to kivas, which as a result share a portion of a curved wall with the kiva. These rooms vary widely in size, and there is speculation regarding their purpose; they could have been dwelling spaces, private storage, or perhaps storage space for the kivas’ themselves in which 1 Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque, New Mexico: National Park Sevice, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1984. 2 communal ceremonies and rituals took place2. However, due to the nature of deterioration of ancient pueblo dwellings, there is no substantial evidence to ascertain the program of these spaces. Figure 3 Diagram