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Less than a month after rapper turned fashion designer Kanye West announced he was starting his own architecture firm Yeezy Home, images have surfaced of what could be his first social housing project.
Very little information has been divulged about the architectural renderings released on Instagram, which depict a neo-brutalist inspired concrete shell, wrapping around an exposed and sunken internal courtyard.
The images were released by Jalil Peraza, a long-term collaborator of West’s who has teamed up with architect Nejc Škufca and industrial designer Vadik Marmeladov to bring the rapper's vision for social housing to life.
Peraza told The Urban Developer that his intention is to create a low-income housing scheme constructed of prefabricated concrete components.
He added how imperative it is for the construction to be affordable in order for the concept to be successful and scalable.
“I am also exploring alternative construction methodologies including expanded polystyrene and insulated concrete forms,” Peraza said.
Related reading: NY Architect Oana Stanescu on Richard Meier, Kanye West and the World's First Floating Pool
Peraza has experience delivering low-cost prefabricated architecture with his company Face Modules, which creates prefabricated commercial pod systems designed for mass application.
Face Modules designs prefabricated volumes that can be customised as a studio, pop-up shop or office, undercutting the more expensive variations currently available on the market.
Related reading: Kanye Announces Plans to ‘Build Cities’, Unveils Architecture Firm
To achieve a construction process that is faster and cheaper Peraza intends to use the “tilt-up” method of construction.
Tilt-up construction involves craning preformed concrete panels — some of which weigh upwards of 45 tonnes — into place on site.
Experienced tilt-up crews can erect as many as 30 panels per day.
A project timeline or development site is yet to be confirmed by West however he did indicate in a recent interview that he’d purchased 300 acres of land with the intention of developing it.
“I’m gonna build five properties, so it’s my first community. I’m getting into development. It’s just the next frontier for me,” West said.
