It's been merely a month since rapper/entrepreneur/design aficionado Kanye West announced on Twitter that he would launch an architecture venture with his design firm, to be called YEEZY Home, and now first renderings have appeared on Instagram that list West among the designers.
"Low income housing scheme, made of prefabricated concrete in collaboration with Petra Kustrin, Jalil Peraza, Kanye West, Nejc Skufca," reads the caption of an image that shows a minimalist courtyard flanked by walls that mimic the brutalist, austere aesthetic of West's latest private estate as well as his YEEZY HQ in Calabasas, a posh Los Angeles suburb.
The image was shared by designer, and former Kanye West collaborator, Jalil Peraza who added another rendering this morning of an ultraminimalist kitchen with muted brass and concrete surfaces, crediting the same design team.
Hypebeast also published another rendering of what appears to be an interior space adjacent to the inner courtyard from the initial rendering.
Details beyond the few renderings have been sparse, so stayed tuned.
57 Comments
.
Hmmm, funny that a low income housing scheme should possess the aesthetic of a pre-cast detention center. There's been some excellent low-income housing designs done in California, this, is not one of them. Frankly I'm a supporter of the low-income unit requirement baked into a lot of development schemes these days. Of course there's probably some developers who've actively tried to bend the rules, i.e. 40/50 Riverside NYC's Poor Door, but it's also helped create housing for folks who would otherwise be left out. Nothing surprising with this release, if were a well thought-out plan I would've been shocked!
Let's see a site plan and floor plan.
I can smell the stale urine from here.
I have profound disagreements with a number of West’s publicly expressed points of view, but at the same time I have been intrigued by his YEEZE move.
I like these renderings, simply because I find minimalist aesthetics to be rather practical, unpretentious and may even appear economical. But it is impossible to judge the affordability of this scheme exclusively on the merits of these renderings. In fact, the choice of a stark Japanese zen garden/courtyard and what appears to be exquisitely crafted brushed golden kitchen paneling more than likely would blow any construction budget conceived as affordable for the current affordable housing market. Beautifully executed raw concrete is not a cheap date.
It would be good and helpful to see these illustrations accompanied by architectural drawings informing site, urban or rural context, proposed neighborhood planning, etc., so we all may benefit from the insights motivating the planning team to pursue this particular approach.
Thank you Sir for your poignant insight.
"I like these renderings, simply because I find minimalist aesthetics to be rather practical, unpretentious and may even appear economical."
Have you done any research into belongings ("stuff"), self-worth, and poverty? Austere, minimal surroundings don't generally work well for people without the means to be selective and reductive in their lifestyle choices.
I understand your point. Thank you for your observation.
The YEEZY brand consists of $120 T-shirts and $600 hoodies. "Affordable" as used here is a marketing term for starter millionaires.
I don't understand the graffiti photoshop.
Yeah, at least Miles could have replicated the correct sun angles.
No I just don't understand the frame between affordable housing and graffiti, it seems a tad condescending for my taste.
You guys are a tough crowd.
Just helping market the "affordable" illusion.
Why is it an illusion? If it is affordable housing, it is affordable, no? And why graffiti in relation to affordable housing? I still don't get that.
Ultra minimal flush-detailed polished concrete will never be affordable. > 80% could never afford to live here.
YEEZY is just branding. West fully embraces the neoliberal cause and they don't give a shit about anything except money. And there isn't any money in affordable housing. It's a fraud from the very start.
He should hook up with Patrik ...
If it's not affordable it wouldn't be affordable housing. Do you already know the rent they'll charge, please share if you have insider info ;)
It isn't and it's not, no matter what they call it. I'd be incredibly surprised if West subsidized rentals or sold below market value -
Looks like a detention cell or a mausoleum
I appreciate Kanye’s interest in architecture. That being said...
I have no idea what this is or how it relates to anything real. In the context of his music career, it superficially appears more Ye (lazy minimalism) than his earlier career peak (Graduation to 808s to MBDTF). It seems he’s been brainwashed by Rick Rubin’s subtractive ethos and a surface parody of classic international style modernism. But we can’t expect those that have no experience in architecture to have many tools in the toolbox.
I hope he keeps at it. Someone should slip him better references—like that new yellow Scarpa school. But he’s smart to brand it as “social” and “affordable” since that is a shield against any criticism in today’s PC design media.
Yesterday I listened (by chance) to a fragment of a song by this guy, nothing to report. I wish I could make millions out of mediocre music and clothes, but I'm not married to tv characters.
Implying that his marriage to a TV character is what propelled him to stardom? Nevermind the fact that he produced what is arguably *one of* the greatest hiphop albums of all time (Jay Z's Blueprint) or that he sold roughly 10 million across his first 4 albums (with 1 charting to #2 and the other 3 charting to #1), all before he even starting dating KK... Just because that's how *you* know him doesn't make it correct.
Don't confuse commercial success with anything other than making money. YEEZY's $120 t-shirt isn't any better than an $8 Hanes.
As for Kim, she turned an internet sex vid into a self-promoted cartoon character with a massive PR machine and is a great example of how quality and money are completely unrelated.
+ kikkidy.
Miles, out of curiosity would you make the same comment to people who carry LV handbags versus Fossil? Because that's the comp, not Hanes. Or is this a jab at couture in general?
The comp is not branding, which in the end is all the same because it's still just a handbag, t-shirt, etc. Some asshole's name makes it better, like TRUMP Tower or Bruce Jenner on a box of Wheaties?
Equating money with culture is the same as equating it with intelligence, good looks, higher education, aesthetic sensibility, etc. This is known as false equivalence.
So when LV markets a $120 skull cap or T-shirt- neither of which reflect it's history in making travel/streamer trunks it's not branding. And Kanye ≠culture, and you must have higher education to have culture etc... OR maybe he just follows in the tradition of FUBU...
OK
Hey kikidy, I don't know him , I just see what they put up on tv, by chance. I don' t care a bit about him.
No, LV is all about branding. The point is that branding has no intrinsic value. The t-shirt does.
Marc, I think we're talking past each other here.
Fair enough.
Well, at least Kanye's wife managed to get Alice Johnson released from prison...
Another PR play. The Post nailed it.
I'm sure Alice Johnson is thankful for Kim's efforts...what have you done to improve the life of less fortunate people? Did you come up with an affordable housing scheme or manage to persuade Trump to release this woman from prison?
I'm sure she is, too. You think making this about me changes anything? Aside from the fact that you know nothing about what I've done in my community. I'm a bit disappointed, you're much better than this.
The fact is that Kim saw Stallone getting Trump to pardon Jack Johnson and saw a PR opportunity. That something good came of it is not the issue, and if it is why doesn't she work for the relief of the tens of thousands in prison for marijuana - many in states where it has been decriminalized and even legalized?
^ because that would take more effort than traveling to the wh for a 5 minute photo-op with oranjello?
But everything is a PR opportunity, it is about what you do with that opportunity. It just makes me sad when an affordable housing scheme is criticized mainly because it is coming from Kanye or a pardon is ridiculed because of Kardashian instead of looking at the achievements.
It's also about whether you do it for the PR or you do it because you believe in a cause. The only cause I see Kim endorsing is Kim. If she makes this a national issue - pardoning over-sentenced drug offenders - and purses it with a vengeance, using her celebrity as a tool, I'll change my position.
And what affordable housing? All I see is a bunch of polished concrete bullshit with a faux zen garden. I'd call this out regardless of who was behind it.
Why should it be a national issue, if you can help one person it is already a lot, she is using her public image to actually do something good, a grandmother will be released from prison, hurray! So what that there's a photo op after her meeting, that's normal after those.
Also, why can't affordable housing have a fake zen garden or material treatment that looks like polished concrete?
Polished concrete with a zen garden is by definition not affordable. Half the country doesn't have $1,000 in the bank. As for helping one person, I've done more than that and I'm not worth $200m.
There is a cultural disconnect here. You guys are busy celebrating a wedding of hereditary wealth financed by the general public. This is the essence of the problem. The American plutocracy is the same thing.
What's not affordable, some white pebbles and a rendering that hints at polished concrete?
Haters gonna hate. Kim and Kanye have done way more than all the washed up celebs like Alysa Milano (used to be so hot) that sit around and virtue signal all day. Talk about self promoting...ha
it will be funny to see the professional architecture organizations fall over themselves to celebrate Kanye the Architect while enforcing dues and meaningless regulations on their members
They already did.
So how much is one of these houses that range from 600 to 900 square feet?
If you have to ask, you can't afford it. For reference, Kanye's T-shirts are $120.
Poo Poo him all you want. If the houses are great structurally and truly affordable then why do you have to be such haters??
Because they hate the idea of a self made wealthy person addressing affordable housing...they want to govt to tax the shit out of Kanye and build shitty hope sucking housing projects.
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.