concord family housing, concord, ma

This design represented a major departure from the established public housing prototypes. Embraced enthusiastically by the client and the EOCD, this project has become a new model for agencies seeking to integrate public housing into their communities. Fourteen attached single-family "houses" are staggered in rows on two separate sites to provide each family with its own private parking area, entrance, front porch, and front and rear yards. These features encourage each family to maintain their own unit and take pride in their surroundings, while balancing the need for privacy with a strong sense of community.

Window and porch orientation enhance security of the entire housing complex. Clapboard siding, chimneys, covered porches, and other familiar New England architectural forms maintain the rural residential character of the traditional historic town. The "chimneys" also conceal light/ventilation shafts, which exhaust summer heat and flood natural daylight into the hallways and bedrooms of each unit.

“[Michael] did not just design buildings; his primary concern has been the tenants for whom he was designing the housing. He brought real creativity...and presented us with an innovative design which now serves as a model for the State.” -- F.G. Kehoe, CHA