Student Team Wins Top Prize for Affordable Housing Design
A rendering found in the High Street Homes / Casas de la Calle Principal proposal
Two students in Wentworth Institute of Technology Professor Ann Borst’s Affordable Housing architecture class took first prize in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s 24th annual Affordable Housing Development Competition.
Chrisoula Moraitis and Sabrina Silva—both Architecture ’23, Master of Architecture ’24— were part of a nine-student team hailing from Wentworth, UMass Amherst, and Clark University. The interdisciplinary group included graduate students studying community development, management, finance, and architecture.
The team’s submission, High Street Homes / Casas de la Calle Principal, addresses the housing and cultural needs of downtown Holyoke, proposing the reclamation of ten underutilized parcels, transformed into a five-building, mixed-use development. Highlights include:
- 86 residential units, prioritizing families with 61 two- and three-bedroom apartments
- Unique two phased financing plan raising over $59 million, with a capital stack comprised of a wide variety of equity and hard/soft debt
- Rooftop amenities, first-floor community-centered commercial spaces, and 10,890 square feet of communal green space
- A 3,300 square foot daycare center and a rainwater playground for children
According to Borst, the development features top-tier sustainable energy and water management systems, locally painted murals, and a plethora of gathering spaces.
“Our project is committed to incorporating the values of Holyoke into every aspect of our design and addressing the needs of tenants through sustainable and inclusive practices to ensure decades of safe and loved homes,” reads the team’s proposal.
Community responsiveness, project financing and feasibility, and urban and architectural design were all considered in the plan.
The $10,000 first-prize award will be shared with their development partner, John Gilbert of Way Finders, whose firm is actively pursuing a housing project in Holyoke, Mass.
The full High Street Homes / Casas de la Calle Principal proposal can be viewed online at this link.
Design renderings--and a picture of the team--can be found below.
