Subdivision Series
Maximum Density: From the Series, Three Proposals for the Redesign of Suburban Subdivisions
In a typical suburban subdivision each house is surrounded by a private plot of greenery. Based on the
classic country house motif, these spaces are often poorly considered, performing a symbolic rather than
practical or aesthetic function. As land values have increased, these small, private parcels have been
reduced to a fraction of an acre in the most recent constructions. In Maximum Density, private green
spaces have been removed altogether, with individual houses packed tightly together, leaving a network
of narrow, meandering arteries providing common space and residential access.
Boltzmann’s Field: From the Series, Three Proposals for the Redesign of Suburban Subdivisions
The title refers to the Austrian physicist and philosopher, Ludwig Eduard Boltzmann (1844 – 1906).
Boltzmann is associated with the second law of thermodynamics or entropy law (also referred to as the
“law of disorder”). The law proposes that dynamically ordered systems are the least likely to occur in
nature. In Boltzmann’s Field, the arrangements of houses in this imaginary subdivision have been
modeled toward a state of disequilibrium. This contrasts with the hyper emphasis on order and regulation,
typical of US suburban zoning and design.
Painted Landscape: From the Series, Three Proposals for the Redesign of Suburban Subdivisions
Based on an imaginary subdivision plan, Painted Landscape includes 10,000 miniature model homes in
30 unique styles and 35 colors. In this proposal, each homeowner would choose from the fixed selection
of vibrantly colors houses, creating an eccentric, optical brilliance within the preestablished subdivision
plan. The arrangement of houses follows standard subdivision planning, with cul-de-sacs, streets and
boulevards, all within a slightly exaggerated spatial compression.