Donna Kacmar, FAIA, professor of architecture at the University of Houston, set her professional-level studio to design 4 small houses with the Fifth Ward Redevelopment Corporation. Their designs were presented in April and construction is expected to begin in the fall.

The Fifth Ward is located northeast of downtown Houston, bisected by transportation and industry. The character of the neighborhood is rapidly changing, with vacant lots being developed. The challenge set to the students was to design an affordable 850 square-foot house to be built on one of three lots in the neighborhood.

Four thoughtful, compact houses resulted from the exercise: the Live-Work House, the Breezeway House, the Porch House, and the Garden House.