Low-Cost Housing Designs

Alejandro Aravena of Elemental Creates Free Public Housing

As the saying goes, nothing in this world comes for free and yet Alejandro Aravena is set on dispelling that belief. He along with his design firm Elemental has created four low-cost housing designs that will be free to the public. Free! They were created in an effort to "use architecture to solve the global housing and rapid-urbanization crisis by making its work more accessible," writes Fast Co Design.

Dubbed Incremental Housing, Alejandro Aravena's project relies on the idea that people can easily and affordably build a structure and adapt it to their needs over time themselves. He essentially hopes to put tried-and-tested plans online for people to follow, bringing them to life all on their own. That's an incredible concept.

Incremental Housing
The trend towards incremental housing encourages people to easily build and adapt affordable housing structures over time.
Free Public Housing
The trend of providing free public housing aims to address the global housing crisis and make architecture more accessible to all.
Do-it-yourself Construction
The trend towards do-it-yourself construction empowers individuals to construct their own housing using tried-and-tested plans available online.

Who This Affects Most

Architecture
The architecture industry has an opportunity to disrupt traditional housing models by providing incremental, adaptable designs for affordable housing.
Construction
The construction industry can capitalize on the trend of do-it-yourself construction by providing resources and materials specifically tailored for self-built housing.
Social Housing
The social housing industry can innovate by offering free public housing solutions to address the global housing crisis and improve accessibility.
SCORE
6.1 out of 10
GENDER
50% Men50% Women
MARKETTop markets: North America, Europe, Asia
GENERATION
  • Gen Z
  • Gen Alpha
  • Millennial (primary audience)
  • Gen X (primary audience)
POPULARITY
Popularity 96%
Activity 78%
Freshness 8%