http://www.sorkinstudio.com/house-as-garden
Sorkin Studio is pleased to announce that its Founder and Director, Michael Sorkin and Michael Sorkin Studio were awarded the Gold Prize for North America, by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction. The award ceremony took place at the Architecture Biennale in Venice on November 13, 2021.
The prize-winning project, "House as Garden," was designed in collaboration with the client, the non-profit organization, Blacks in Green founded by Naomi Davis. House as Garden is a sustainable residential building designed for the "sustainable square mile," in Chicago's South Side.
As a prototype, it shows how community can be regained and sustained by applying rational and appropriate technologies, self-reliance systems, and a spirit of sharing. The multi-family building consists of eight flexibly designed residential units as well as indoor and outdoor shared spaces, including a guest room, spaces for recreation, and green areas for onsite agriculture.
The residents share cars, bicycles, gardens, and certain indoor spaces. The project is intended to be net carbon negative, thanks to the many green systems and materials, the extensive greening, and the energy-efficient design.
The project's intent, according to Naomi Davi, is to "create a new normal for affordable housing. Its zero-waste, energy producing, wealth generating capacities are grounded by food and flower gardens inside and out, and within reach of the black middle-income purse."
The jury praised the proposal as an innovative residential building typology that not only gravitates around the value of sharing as a means of empowerment, but also environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing. They especially appreciated the great potential for flexibility and replicability of the project, which promotes transferable sustainable practices on many levels.