The largest grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is also the first one in over a decade, has just been awarded to Auburn University's College of Architecture, Design
The $635,000 HUD grant will be used to develop housing solutions for people with disabilities and aging in place. CADC plans to use the funds for housing design solutions and prototypes, applications, smart home technology design, policy and implementation guidelines.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to work with HUD on this research collaboration and to engage the challenges and opportunities surrounding housing affordability and accessibility," said Justin Miller, chair of the Architecture program at the School of Architecture, Planning
The project team is made up of Miller and co-principal investigators Rusty Smith, associate director of the Rural Studio program; Wesley Collins from the McWhorter School of Building Science; and Christine Fleming, director of
Other team members include David Hill, chair of the Landscape Architecture program, and Jerrod Windham and Shu Wen Tzeng, faculty from the Industrial Design program in the School of Industrial and Graphic Design.
Project coordination and facilitation will be provided by CADC Associate Dean for Research Karen Rogers and
Faculty from all three schools in CADC are involved in the project, as well as faculty from the College of Education’s Center for Disability Research and Policy Studies, or CDRPS, and an industry partner, Smart Solutions/Smart Home Automation.
An advisory panel for the project is comprised of representatives from organizations including AARP, Volunteers for America, Habitat for Humanity, Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, Accessible Alabama and Home Builders Association of Alabama.
“This transdisciplinary team of Auburn researchers is uniquely positioned to assist HUD in addressing the complex issues related to the design and construction of affordable, sustainable, accessible housing for people with special needs and circumstances,” said CADC Dean and McWhorter Chair Vini Nathan. “The expected outcomes of this project have the potential for transformative impact in this domain.”
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