Kaimei
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[Domestic Future]
Detorit Transitional housing and urban farming Design
Studio Design Work-2025 Spring
Individual Project
Advisor: Ritchie Yao
This project reimagines transitional housing for low-income residents in Mexican Town, Detroit, through the lens of urban farming. During our site visit, I observed that the local food system has been significantly affected by gentrification—most notably at Honey Bee Market—making daily groceries increasingly unaffordable for vulnerable populations.
In response, this project integrates a multi-scalar urban agriculture strategy aimed at restoring food accessibility and fostering community self-sufficiency. The design is organized into three key components: a ground level dedicated entirely to communal farmland; a sunken terrain of community programs nested beneath, shaped by the scale of activities it accommodates; and a thin vertical “housing wall” elevated along the northern edge to maximize southern exposure for agriculture below.
Each housing unit features a private courtyard with an integrated composting system, reinforcing sustainable food practices at the domestic scale. Existing shotgun houses on-site are preserved and repurposed into shared composting stations and recycling hubs, further embedding circular systems within the community.
By treating both housing and landscape as modular “objects,” this project introduces playful rhythm into the site while reinforcing resilience. Ultimately, it proposes a new model for urban living—one where food production, sustainability, and social support converge to empower residents through daily practice and long-term opportunity.