Gallery: Affordable Housing That Families Design and Build Themselves

  • Image may contain Human Person Animal Pet Canine Dog Mammal Building Housing Architecture and Outdoors
    Alejandro Cartagena
    01

    Casa Caja 8

    Monterrey, Mexico-based architecture firm S-AR has a new idea for an affordable housing initiative.
  • Image may contain Furniture Chair Table Dining Table Indoors Room Dining Room and Tabletop
    Alejandro Cartagena
    02

    Casa Caja 14

    Rather than building houses for families in need—like Habitat for Humanity might—S-AR is working with locals who own land, to custom design and construct their houses.
  • Image may contain Banister Handrail Slate Wall Patio Furniture and Chair
    Alejandro Cartagena
    03

    Casa Caja 10

    There's ample need for this: Mexico has been in a housing crisis for the past several years. There's a deficit of some 9 million homes.
  • Image may contain Plywood Wood Furniture and Tabletop
    Alejandro Cartagena
    04

    Casa Caja 7

    Because government-funded affordable housing initiatives can lead to a one-size-fits-all solution, S-AR wanted to make it possible for some homeowners to get involved during the blueprinting stage.
  • Image may contain Furniture Human Person Shelf Bed Interior Design Indoors and Home Decor
    Alejandro Cartagena
    05

    Casa Caja 20

    Local businesses donated the concrete blocks, plywood, and glass panes for windows.
  • Image may contain Footwear Clothing Apparel Shoe Human Person Flooring Floor and Female
    Alejandro Cartagena
    06

    Casa Caja 21

    No costs went into construction or contracting, because that’s already the owner’s expertise: the patriarch of the family works in construction.
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