2025 | Professional

NY Architectural Design Awards Silver Winner Winner

Parts to Whole

Entrant Company

Ling Sha

Category

Residential Architecture - Affordable Housing

Client's Name

Country / Region

United States

Parts to Whole



Collective Social Housing Tower, Houston Midtown



Parts to Whole reimagines affordable housing as an adaptable framework for diverse contemporary households. Responding to the U.S. housing shortage and the need for inclusive living models, the project proposes a collective tower in Houston’s Midtown—an area long divided by highway infrastructure. The design transforms this corridor into a connected, transit-oriented community anchored by a public park.



Alternating residential and collective floors create flexible zones for co-living, supporting not only nuclear families but also single parents, multigenerational households, and individuals living independently. Shared kitchens, adaptable partitions, and communal amenities reduce costs while promoting social support networks.



By reframing density as cooperation rather than compression, Parts to Whole proposes a replicable model of urban housing that acknowledges evolving family structures, strengthens community resilience, and contributes to addressing systemic housing inequities across American cities.

Credits

Architectural Designer
Ling Sha
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