Shot in the Dark
Shot in the Dark was conceived as an entry to AIA Houston’s Gulf Coast Green competition in 2021. The proposal won first place and the audience choice award.
See coverage in Rice News
“Shot in the Dark,” is a modified shotgun house offering refuge in times of darkness and gathering space in times of calm. The self-help hub takes inspiration from the form of the shotgun cottage as an homage to the historic structures Freedmen’s Town has lost and as a celebration of Black contributions to architectural history. The body of the shotgun house is elevated to the second floor, creating a community gathering space on the ground floor. This space serves as an extension of the public park across the street. The ground floor also has three single stall restrooms with showers to help address the hygiene gap in urban infrastructure (made painfully apparent in Houston the winter before the competition). The main level provides storage space for emergency resources as well as a small kitchen. Finally, the shotgun house’s typical gable roof is partially flattened to accommodate solar panels and convertible emergency shelters.
Context
The project began with research into the history of Freedmen’s Town, including an exploration of development over time through historical satellite imagery.
This research revealed a remarkably dense historical urban fabric, made up of small shotgun houses that have largely been lost over the decades.
Concept
The competition site was small and narrow—perfectly scaled for a shotgun house. My proposal began with a classic shotgun form, which I then elevated to create public space on the ground floor. I also flattened part of the roof to accommodate solar power generation.
