"Housing design is equally a design territory in which we believe the school can contribute to both a regional and a national conversation for the betterment of our society" says Peter MacKeith, the Dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. Located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the school is situated in a region with a rich architectural legacy, spanning from E. Fay Jones to Marlon Blackwell. But, Northwest Arkansas has also become the 22nd fastest-growing area in the U.S. and like many smaller cities, is beginning to come up against similar housing challenges as larger ones.

Faced with the conflicting forces of rapid growth and strong desires to maintain small-town character, the school's recent design competition tasked design professionals to present housing solutions that embrace the local challenges, culture, value, and vision of Northwest Arkansas. Addressing the fact that many are struggling to find affordable, available housing options, the prompt called for mixed-income, mixed-use attainable housing plans, aimed at households making 60% to 120% of the median income.

Out of 25 nationally and internationally acclaimed design professionals invited to participate in the competition—and given seven weeks to design an innovative and fully practical proposal for building attainable housing—four firms emerged as victors: Digsau of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Kevin Daly Architecture of Los Angeles; Merge Architects Inc. of Boston; and 5468796 Architecture of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Known for their bold and contemporary schemes, Canadian firm 5468796 Architecture presented the compelling proposal, "14th Street Housing." Intentionally organized to a 10x10x10 framework, the post and beam grid extends from the cast-in-place concrete covered parking to the wood-frame mix-use residential buildings and interior configurations. The scheme allows for easy phasing, as the commercial areas, shared amenities, and residential units can be customized into various sizes in an effort to prioritize cost savings and increase affordability.

Organized through a series of small grain mixed-use buildings oriented on a 45 degree axis, natural daylight conditions are maximized for all site users and a choreography of landscape elements is created in the spaces in between buildings. According to the architects, the orientation lays out new and engaging arrangements of amenity space, communal gathering nodes, residential access points and pedestrian and cycling pathways that weave the buildings and human activity with the site.

A firm that has long been motivated by a certain sense of civic responsibility, 5468796's proposal reaches a large audience, while retaining local appeal. The firm writes: "The design for 14th Street Housing in Northwest Arkansas is inspired by the story of Bentonville, its ingenuity and efficiency, its beauty and serenity, and its ability to connect community members through civic events and outdoor activities. The re-imagined site transforms a formerly isolated parcel into a high quality neighborhood community that is evocative of these values and the city’s vibrant network of trails, businesses and diverse lifestyles."

The other winning projects also presented a stimulating spectrum of possible futures for Northwest Arkansas. Digsau riffed on the farmstead, scattering single family homes amongst duplexes and larger multi-family residences. Los Angeles architect Kevin Daly combined garden units with town houses to create a low rise, high density housing typology. And Merge's "Bentonvillage" was a multi-faceted proposal that would offer collaborative space, daycare, a teen center, bowling alley, and restaurants to local residents and beyond.