On a recent visit to the Art Institute of Chicago, I saw a number of things worth writing about, and maybe I will do that soon, but the one I wanted to mention first was a set of models of the Star Apartments. They're located in the small Architecture and Design area on the second level.
Unlike most architectural models, which show the way a building might look after it's built, these five depict some of the Star Apartments the way they have actually been furnished by the people who live in them. The Star Apartments, as the accompanying information card says, are permanent supportive housing in Los Angeles, built for formerly homeless people.
The apartments, according to the complex's Wikipedia page, are each 350 square feet. The building has 102 units in six stories. It was created as a collaborative between the architect (and model-maker) Mike Maltzan and Skid Row Housing Trust. The building has a health clinic, community garden, running track, fitness center, art space, and library. More than 15% of the building's 95,000 square feet is community space.
Each resident is required to pay 30 percent of income or government assistance toward rent. Residency is non-conditional, meaning residents are not required to enroll in assistance programs offered on-site, including addiction counseling, medical assistance, or psychiatric counseling.
This is an example of the "housing first" strategy the Trump regime is currently attempting to destroy.
The models in the Art Institute display show how real people personalize even small spaces. Imagine that you are looking into these apartments through a solid wall, since that's what's missing from each of the models:
There's one window, which is at the far right end in the bedroom area, and one door at the left.
The bathroom is in the center, in the area enclosed with the sliding colored door.
Each person has a small kitchen, a desk, a bed, and a wardrobe.
The other furnishings, arrangements, and decorating are individual.
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