American Squalor: A Case Study in Combating Low- Quality Housing Construction

Abstract

Located in Northwest Arkansas, the City of Fayetteville is experiencing rapid population growth, resulting in increased housing development in denser urban areas. Often this housing is characterized by inappropriate materials, faulty design and construction practices, and lack of consideration for building lifespan or performance. These factors lead to rapid degradation of new construction, rendering new units incapable of addressing long-term housing demands. This paper provides context for Northwest Arkansas’ current housing demands and impacts of attempts to respond to this demand with new supply. It presents a Case Study, couched in this context, of a regionally common building in typology (multi-unit housing) and structure (pre-engineered light wood framing), and it identifies the units’ design, construction, and material flaws that led to its degradation. Further, it documents the implementation of a solution that addresses immediate deficiencies while proposing broader application of lasting, sustainable material applications. The production and consumption of low-quality, if efficient, materials systems for lagging housing supply is a consistent narrative thread through US history. That said, the current urgency of the housing crisis is uniquely exacerbated by the paired exigencies of population growth and climate change. More than ever, solutions are needed that efficiently meet demand while ameliorating the pressures wrought by a changing climate and swelling population.