Collaborative Project 1 | Group Project

Mera Habashi & Jonah Junco

COGNITIVE HOUSE

St. Louis faces a housing crisis rooted in exclusionary single-family zoning.

Principles: affordability, permanence, community engagement, biogenic design, active lifestyle.

Collage suggests living as a collective narrative.

CIRCULATION

Historic domesticity meets contemporary communal life.

ARAL VIEW
Street and home bleed together, encouraging encounter.

PERSPECTIVE VIEW

PERSPECTIVE VIEW

Section reveals integration of shared green space and alley-oriented access

BASMENT LEVEL
1. Storage 2. GYM / Laundry Room 3. Media room 4. Pantry

FIRST LEVEL
1. Great Room 2. Kitchen / Dining Area 3. Private Patio 4. Suite 5. Piano Stand 6. Shared Office Space 7. Living Space

SECOND LEVEL
1. Living Room 2. Roof Top Terrace 3. Shared Studio 4. Rood Top Terrace 5. Studio

THIRD LEVEL
1. Studio 2. Living Room

Situated in Saint Louis, this innovative co-housing project challenges the dominance of single-family housing by offering a collective, luxury living model for young urban residents. Instead of gated exclusivity, the design embraces openness — prioritizing pedestrian engagement, alley access, and shared communal life. The adaptable, modular layout promotes both privacy and connection, weaving together spaces for retreat with vibrant courtyards and collective amenities. This creates an energy-positive environment where shared living becomes aspirational rather than restrictive. By rethinking the neighborhood block, the project revitalizes the urban fabric, transforming the alley from a backdoor service route into a front stage for community interaction. Architecture here is not about isolation but about re-stitching people back into the city.

“This forward-thinking residence offers a counter-model to gated living — enhancing community engagement, promoting sustainable lifestyles, and setting a new standard for co-housing in the 21st century.”

MERA HABASHI