Scattered-DD: Designing Deliberately

JUNE 9, 2019

For the AIA 2019 Conference on Architecture, Kathleen Lechleiter, alongside Harold Brave of Steven Winter Associates, presented Scatter-DD: Designing Deliberately Accessible Scattered-Site Public Housing, examining how thoughtful design can expand access, strengthen communities, and address long-standing inequities in Baltimore and beyond.

Public housing in the U.S.—and Baltimore in particular—has a complex and often fraught history. For marginalized communities, including people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those living with disabilities, the lack of affordable and accessible housing has deepened systemic inequities. The presentation utilized recent scattered-site housing efforts as a lens to explore how architecture and universal design can counteract these barriers.

The session covered both history and practice: from the discriminatory legacy of public housing, to the technical requirements of ADA compliance, to strategies for aligning design intent with accessibility review. Most importantly, the discussion highlighted how scattered-site public housing, when deliberately integrated into established neighborhoods, can provide healthier, more inclusive places to live.