Orlando–based design firm Process Architecture is making a case for the healing properties of architecture—for less than $200,000 per house.

Cost of Construction

$19,330 Concrete	$9,550 Masonry	$1,500 Metals
$9,222 Framing	$15,225 Millwork & Carpentry	$1,385 Wood Trusses
$2,502 Wood Rainscreen	$2,840 Insulation	$4,470 Roof
$1,458 Soffit	$16,914 Windows, Doors & Hardware	$7,872 Stucco
$10,990 Drywall & Framing	$9,275 Flooring & Tile	$7,450 Paint
$6,940 Plumbing	$2,717 Roller Shades	$7,898 HVAC
$11,629 Electrical
Grand Total: $149,167

General Contractor Costs

$33,632 General Conditions	$23,026 Overhead & Profit	$11,600 Labor Burden
Grand Total: $68,258

Tapped by Aspire Health Partners, Florida’s largest behavioral health nonprofit, the firm designed and built affordable transitional housing to serve high-risk HIV/AIDS individuals and LGBT homeless youth.

“This new affordable housing model is not only functional, but also serves to satisfy both psychological and aesthetic purposes for individuals pursuing drug-free, productive lives,” explain the architects of the prototype that has been nicknamed the Aspire House and funded through the HUD program HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for Persons with HIV-AIDS).

Four Aspire Houses have been completed to date, each spanning 1,260 square feet with three-bedroom, two-bath floor plans. Design and construction costs average $186,000 per home, or approximately $134 per square foot.

The custom-designed homes not only needed to meet requirements for low maintenance and accessibility, but also had to stylistically blend into the existing neighborhood, which mainly comprises older homes.

Drawing inspiration from the traditional vernacular, Process Architecture designed a contemporary reinterpretation of the shotgun house, a southern housing typology where the front and rear doors are aligned with no interior hallway.

Tall ceilings and ample glazing establish a connection with the outdoors and give the modern home a bright and airy feel conducive to healthier lifestyles and drug rehabilitation.

“The homes could be sold out of the program in the future if necessary,” adds Process Architecture of the fully accessible houses.

“On the private market, the house can function as a compact, family home…[and] as straightforward, modern, affordable, starter homes for first-time homeowners or even scaled-down living for seniors. The Aspire House was designed as a sellable residential design relevant to a broad demographic.”

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Process Architecture, Fielding Featherston, AIA

Builder/General Contractor: R.C. Stevens Construction

Structural Engineer: William F. Stuhrkey, PhD, PE

Civil Engineer: B&S Engineering (now Appian Engineering)

Interior Design: Process Architecture

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