Katelyn 10/14 Shotgun and Tenement Housing Presentation
Shotgun and Tenement Historical Background
Traditional shotgun houses are small, single-story houses that are only one room wide and 2–4 rooms deep. The rooms are directly connected without a hallway (an enfilade). Later on, the double-barrel shotgun variation was developed which saved even more space by connecting two single-family shotgun houses. What stood out to me about shotgun housing was the consistent use of a gable roof and the concept of rooms being directly connected without a hallway.
Tenement housing was developed during the 1800s in the United States. Initially, tenements were just large buildings with multiple small spaces to rent, but it increasingly became a type of housing for lower-income families. Reforms tried to improve the quality of living by requiring light in bedrooms and in the rooms facing the street. What interested me with tenement housing was the concept of light wells and outdoor stairs.
Shotgun Deconstruction
For my shotgun house deconstruction, I started by taking the traditional facade of a shotgun house and cutting it into sections which I then extruded in relation to the initial floor plan I started with.
The elements of collage which I focused on here include: the abrupt end of axis lines and amalgamation of architectural objects. As you can see from both the floor plan and the facade, there are various axis lines which do not continue in a symmetrical and typical way. As for the amalgamation of spaces, the interior walls have cut outs which merge spaces together.
I also find the terms frame and montage to be present in the design. From the front elevation and section views, the shape looks like a traditional shotgun house, but then you see it is broken into smaller frames. When viewed from perspective or isometric, the separate frames appear as a montage of extrusions and cut outs.
Shotgun House Floor Plan, Section Views, and Isometric Views
Shotgun House Rendered Images
Tenement Deconstruction
For my tenement design I defined the single-family units present in the original building floor plan. They are arranged with a center hallway and stairs. I decided to pull the individual units apart from each other, creating open space in the center. I then decided to connect each of the units with a central “skyway” system and exterior stairs which would create more opportunities for light.
The element of collage which I focused on in this design is the creation of negative space. Here the central open courtyard with the skyways becomes an activated space.
In this design I was really interested in differentiating public versus private space, and the public becomes more relevant/prominent in my deconstruction than in traditional tenement housing.
