Affordable ARU Design Competition
About the Competition
In the fall of 2023, Better Block Hawaiʻi in partnership with the County of Kauaʻi and the Rice Street Business Association hosted a design competition to increase awareness and interest for the County's Affordable Additional Rental Unit (ARU) Program. The competition was funded by AARP’s Community Challenge Program, which provides quick-action grants (focused on housing, transportation, and public spaces) to help communities become more livable for people of all ages. The competition winners were provided a financial award and their designs were featured in a design booklet. The booklet features information about the competition, the winners and their proposals, as well as the County's Affordable ARU program.
Congratulations to the Winners and Honorees
Participants were challenged with the task of developing a design proposal for an ARU to be hypothetically built on the island of Kauaʻi. We received proposals from current and recent students located on both Kauaʻi and Oʻahu. The students represented various fields, including planning, architecture, construction, and environmental design. Five finalists were selected based on the technical quality and creativity of their designs, as well as their consideration of environmental and community characteristics. The finalists presented their proposals at a community open house on November 30th, where the review committee selected the competition winners. The winners’ full design proposals can be viewed below.
Winners
Mark Krzyzanowski and Kammie Tavares: “E Hoʻi Kākou i Kauhale” - View Design Here
Michael Griffin: “ARU Design Proposal” - View Design Here
Honorable Mentions
Clinton Allen: “Sustaining ʻOhana” - View Design Here
Mymie Justine Aira Bayan: “Affordable ARU” - View Design Here
Melissa Yoo: “Wrapped: ARU Home” - View Design Here
Background on ARUs
The County of Kauaiʻi’s Affordable Additional Rental Unit (ARU) program is a rendition of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) but with a guarantee of affordability for renters. ADUs are often cited as a way to address housing shortages and promote more sustainable land use. While this can increase overall housing supply, ADUs are typically rented/sold on the private market, with no guarantees that they are affordable for local residents. Conversely, the County of Kauaiʻi’s Affordable ARU program subsidizes homeowners who participate in the Affordable ARU program to ensure that accessory units are rented at an affordable rate to local residents. For example, the County of Kauaʻi provides exemptions from certain permitting processes, reduced facility reserve charge, and a subsidy repayment.
Questions
Inquiries about the design competition may be submitted to info@betterblockhawaii.org.
