Rough Theory

I noticed an article in today’s New York Times titled “Social Improvement with Architecture”, which features a couple of new social housing projects in Chicago (including one near the Cabrini Green redevelopment I discussed recently). The housing projects are intended to be informed by principles of social and environmental sustainability – and, apparently, by some social theory as well:

“Sustainable design is exciting because all of a sudden architecture loses a lot of its frivolity,” Mr. Tigerman said.

“Instead of worrying about Post Modernism and Deconstructivism,” he said, sustainable design “is based on reason and the forms come out of that.”

The article also features some potentially undesirable praise for the city of Chicago: is it a good thing for the city to point out that “Both projects symbolize what some say is Chicago’s leading role in housing the homeless and indigent”?

For more information on the developments, check the websites for the Near North SRO and the Pacific Garden Mission.