The Lasting Legacy of Design

For me, the image that often pops into my head is Franklin Towers in my hometown of Portland, ME. At 16 stories and 175 feet, it remains Maine’s tallest residential building since it was built in 1969 and is one of the tallest buildings in the state (most others are churches or the State House). The tower dominates the Portland skyline with its 200 units.

It’s clear that building design has a lasting impact not only on its residents, but also on the community in which it is situated. Franklin Towers is one of thousands of examples around the country of large-scale construction built to maximize efficiency and per-unit cost.

But what if there’s a different way to think about design that goes beyond costs and scale and gets to solving America’s affordable housing crisis by getting small – both in terms of what’s being built and the companies that do the building.

In this issue, we have a unique interview with famed urban planner and father of “New Urbanism” Andrés Duany. He shares some fascinating, big-picture ideas with my colleague Darryl Hicks about how building smaller houses can be a cost-efficient way to provide affordable housing. He also advocates for a system where smaller builders can enter the marketplace, and eliminate much of the red tape that bogs down a highly regulated industry. Duany also presents some interesting ideas about cutting down on driving and building more walkable places to live and work. It’s a great interview and one we’re going to remember and refer back to at Tax Credit Advisor for some time to come.

Our team also takes a look at some of the current trends in design, particularly how COVID-19 has already changed the thinking of architects, engineers, builders, designers and operators. We have lots of great insights in the following pages from the top minds at The Architectural Team, ICON Architecture, Body Lawson Associates, Kittle Property Group, DREAM Collaborative and many other firms.

One big emerging trend is the need for flexibility in residential space. The pandemic has shown us the importance of having a place to work or learn for extended periods at home, as well as having a safe space when it’s important to be apart. Designers and builders are learning that energy efficiency remains as important as ever, but so does fresh air circulation in spaces that are tightly sealed up to keep out the cold of winter or heat of summer. And as the cost of lumber and other building material keeps going up, builders are looking at new and innovative ways to get the job done.

There are some big, new ideas coming and plenty of bold action in progress. The future of design starts now.

Paul Connolly
Executive Editor

Tax Credit Advisor welcomes reader comments. Contact the executive editor at pconnolly@dworbell.com.