This SIGUS workshop explored innovations in the
development and design of a superblock for new housing initiatives for a developer-lead
housing program. Participants were drawn from throughout MIT and formed into
four design teams. Each team prepared their vision of a 'superblock', combining
their architecture, planning and engineering skills in preparing a development
scenario. The scenarios included interior street design, schematic design
of housing units, and the process of development, bringing together housing,
land development, infrastructure, and financing concepts. The 'winning' team
was invited to the World Bank, Washington, D.C., to present their proposals.
The concepts provided direct inputs into the formulation of the detailed Gaza
strategies by the World Bank.
The workshop included presentations by professionals from throughout the Boston
area, who acted as advisors to the teams and offered focused presentations
on key topic areas.
Prof. Ed Marchant; Harvard Business School
Bruce Creager; Hoskins, Scott and Partners, Architect
Hubert Murray; Wallace Floyd Associates
The superblock - large circulation frameworks
which structure developer inputs - was the focus of the workshop. A physical
grid ranging from 50-220 meters on a side provided the overall frame, which
was to be developed by private enterprise according to their market assessment.
Typically, this has meant construction of 5-story units on 1 dunam plots (1,000sq.m.,
approximately 30m x 33m), with 4 units per floor, each of 120-140sq.m. The
ground floor was reserved for commercial use.