Date of Award
Summer 6-1-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Architecture (MArch)
Department
Architecture
First Advisor
Amelyn Ng
Second Advisor
Debbie Chen
Abstract
This thesis hopes to reimagine the suburbs and challenge the conventional role of architects and the homogeneity of suburban housing. Currently, architects are nearly excluded from the building of suburban homes altogether, resulting in cookie-cutter houses lacking resilience for evolving demographics. The suburban home, symbolizing consumerism, prioritizes affordability and return on investment over adaptability and community.
Homebuyers must also redefine homeownership, valuing diversity and community over financial investment. Rather than focusing on McMansions and superficial renovations, this proposal advocates for a more collective, interconnected approach to suburban design. It explores depictions of the nuclear family, reconfigures single-family homes, and utilizes governing documents, like the homeowner’s agreement, to subvert current systems that underlie the suburbs.
The goal of this thesis is then to envision neighborhoods fostering communal living within existing regulations while experimenting with new housing configurations where the public courtyard space is just as important as the private spaces. By prioritizing adaptability and community over financial gain, this speculative imagination hopes to provide a subtle alternative to the “American Dream.”
Recommended Citation
Liu, Eric, "Curb Appeal" (2024). Masters Theses. 1240.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1240
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