New SRO Building Gets Starchitect Treatment

Architect Helmut Jahn's design for a new single-room occupancy building on the edge of Chicago's former Cabrini Green project gets high marks, but some criticize the cost of using high-end architects for affordable housing.

1 minute read

March 2, 2007, 6:00 AM PST

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"Helmut Jahn is perhaps the last architect you'd expect to design the type of housing for single, poor adults that people once sneeringly called a 'flophouse.' He puts his trademark modernist stamp on condominium high-rises where the most expensive units are being hawked for $2.2 million."

"But on Thursday, a new single-room occupancy, or SRO, building that resembles a glistening, streamlined train will open at 1244 N. Clybourn Ave. on the fringes of the fast-disappearing Cabrini-Green housing development."

"Ironically, given Jahn's association with the energy-hogging Thompson Center, the $14 million, 96-unit building is touted as a model for saving energy, its roof sporting twirling wind turbines. As a bonus, its tiny units boast drop-dead views of the downtown skyline."

"But some veteran affordable-housing architects are expressing muted criticism that Jahn's new SRO building is too costly and thus takes a disproportionate share of precious funds that would otherwise go to build other, much-needed housing for the poor."

Thanks to ArchNewsNow

Thursday, March 1, 2007 in The Chicago Tribune

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

The Paradox of American Housing

How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.

March 26, 2024 - The Atlantic

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

Aerial view of Anchorage, Alaska downtown with mountains in background at golden hour.

Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan

Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.

3 hours ago - Anchorage Daily News

Young man in wheelchair crossing zebra crosswalk.

How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities

Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.

4 hours ago - Governing

Aerial view of mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the winter with snow at dusk.

Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing

Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.

5 hours ago - CBS News

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.