2020 Yale School of Architecture Jim Vlock Building Project

     Since 1967, the Yale School of Architecture has offered its first-year M.Arch I professional degree students the chance to design and build a structure as part of their graduate education. Unique among architecture schools, this program is mandatory for all members of the class. The Building Project typically results in a dwelling in an underprivileged neighborhood.

     Recent partnerships have led to a focus on affordable housing. The houses allow students the experience of working with a client and the opportunity to respond to the challenges of affordable housing and urban infill. Students have shown great enthusiasm for these projects focusing on community development and neighborhood improvement. Many of them arrive at school with a desire to include such socially responsible work in their future professional lives. Having the opportunity to participate in the design and construction of such building projects often reinforces their dedication to do so.

     Located on an internal flag lot in Newhallville, the 2020 Building Project house makes use of an existing CMU wall to create a private garden realm within the urban fabric. In the fourth year of a partnership with Columbus House, two 500 SF one-bedroom apartments will be inhabited by individuals who have recently experienced homelessness. The house was designed and documented during the spring semester by the Yale MArch I Class of 2022, and constructed by a small team of recent graduates during the summer and fall months.