Make It Right, the non-profit organization founded by actor Brad Pitt in 2007, recently revealed six new single-family housing designs for the Manheim Park neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri. The single-family homes will be built on vacant lots directly across the Bancroft School Apartments, an affordable housing and community complex that Make It Right collaboratively built in 2013 to provide homes for young people transitioning out of foster care, seniors, and families in need.
Six local architecture firms designed each of the houses in collaboration with the Manheim Park Neighborhood Association and homeowners in the community.
Cover image: El Dorado Inc.
BNIM Architects:
DRAW architecture + urban design:
Hufft Projects:
KEM Studio:
Pendulum Studio:
You can support the project through donations.
9 Comments
In spite of the seemingly obvious design talent portrayed here, I feel very skeptical of the legitimacy of the MIR organization doing work like this. Using speculative design experimentation in the name of social good is not the solution to these sorts of problems in neighborhoods. I do applaud the use of local architects this go around, at least they would presumably have a better feel for the local cultural and social conditions. Any comments from Kansas City or Manheim Park?
why would they pitch a roof in to the middle?
I'm originally from Kansas City and there are a lot of places within the city that needs this development and fast. The neighborhoods and communities just outside of downtown (powerlight district/Sprint Center) are as derelict as they come and it's nothing but crime. I'm not sure if this will help curb some of that though. Manheim Park, no idea where that is. Probably somewhere not close to the really affected areas though.
brandon, that's by the nelson atkins, between troost and the paseo. you can buy a house in that neighborhood for $12,000. a couple miles away you can spend upwards of a million for a new house.
Curtkram, Ah, okay. I've been through there a few times. That area is indeed in degradation, but if you hop to the other side of the highway, you'll see it's a lot worse. Even further up the road heading to Bannister. But then again, almost anything below street number 50 is bad areas. I guess the happy suburbia rendering threw me off from the reality I know is there. It's a nice city, just needs help in restoration.
FYI/Disclaimer: I grew up around Bannister and 99th st during my childhood and a few years in the teenage years.
why would they pitch a roof in to the middle?
Pritzker Prize winners do it.
why would a pritzker winner pitch a roof in the middle? it does look better when a pritzker architect does it though.
If that's Glenn Murckett it's to collect the rare rain from rain storms to store in a pool that is actually used as water for when fires happen in Australia since there are not a lot of fire hydrants in the bush.....seriously. in undergrad right before he Won the pritzker there were all these flyers showing this 'cool' body of water in front of the house...it wasn't a design element as everyone thought, it was highly practical, see above.
Herzog and DeMoron, Parrish Art Museum. Giant gutter to flood future art collections. Idiots.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.