Statement

We base our proposal on the premise that as a model of affordable and sustainable housing, the American Trailer Park is almost OK. Our proposal is to improve upon the existing model of the Trailer Park, adding amenities and support facilities as well as integrating a new idea about the landscape and urban living. Our hope is to create an environmentally sustainable commune community.

The Trailer Park, like the Drive-In Movie Theater, is a uniquely American invention. The most common example of the “machine in the garden”, the Trailer Park embodies a direct relationship to nature, a sense of community, suburban/urban frontierism and the allure of temporal living.

We feel that the Trailer Home represents the most democratic and accessible model of home ownership. It is affordable and adaptable. What is more, the trailer constitutes a perfect urban module; the multiplication of the unit forms a first town or pre-urbanism. And at a cost of under $60,000 for each new housing unit, the trailer home represents the best value over any other available housing model, both in terms of cost and ease of site delivery.

We propose using the Airstream International CCD Model, the interiors of which are designed by the San Francisco architect Christopher C. Deam. This model, which borrows design features from Japanese Capsule Hotels, is a modern update on the classic Airstream model. And with a manufacturers’ suggested retail list price of $57,233, it represents, we think, the most affordable and accessible solution for low to moderate income housing.

Jury Comments

The jury likes the spirit of this design. Even though it does not address the realities of the programming, it reminds us that not only people are being displaced but also a typology that has been dear to American culture. As the jury said, “Competitions are about invention. Let’s not forget about joy.”