Holy Living
What Do You Think You're Looking At? #95
This is a church in Washington, D.C.:
Or at least, it used to be:
What’s that modern makeover all about?
Well, it’s not the house of the Lord anymore; it’s just a house. Eight of them, actually. Here’s a good, detailed article on the project:
The 100-year-old Mt. Rona Missionary Baptist Church, located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Northwest D.C., had fallen out of consistent community use. Outlier Realty Capital, an investment firm that uses a value-add strategy to create “naturally occurring affordable housing” that isn’t subsidized by the government, purchased the building in 2016 and sought out Common to renovate the structure into eight coliving apartment units now dubbed Common Monroe.
I also love this:
Chang and team wanted to preserve as much of the original character of the building as possible and leave its historic features intact.
“Throughout Common Monroe, you can find historical details purposely poking out and celebrated, rather than covered by drywall, showing how underutilized buildings can be thoughtfully transformed to increase attainable housing in cities that need it most,” said Chang.
The team left elements that were structurally sound and celebrated them as focal points in the space. The classic bell tower was transformed into the entrance and stairway, and the original roof supports and spire in the ceiling give the top unit an open and airy feeling. The old church walls are also incorporated into the design with whitewashed exposed brick, ornamental niches and original arches adding texture and character to the units.
Now, I’ve often seen skepticism or outright opposition to the adaptive reuse of churches. Some folks even prefer that a church be demolished than used for a secular purpose. I kind of get that sentiment when the reuse in question, is, say, a nightclub. But for housing, and in a landscape where churches are consolidating and often selling older properties like this, I see no objection to it. It isn’t a cause of whatever troubles the churches are facing, certainly; only a result, and a better result than abandonment or demolition.
And the idea of “coliving,” while it may be a trend that fades out, is a way of ensuring that young people, often new arrivals to the city, can live somewhere. Yesterday I wrote this, and I think it fits right in with today’s piece:
This reads to a lot of people as lazy 20-somethings who won’t grow out of college, get real jobs, get married, and start families. It looks like trying desperately to hold on to the college experience. But it’s really more like an echo of our country’s past.
If you graduate at 22, and marry at 30 (even grant that you live together for a year or two), what are you supposed to actually do for those six-to-eight years? If the answer isn’t don’t do that—which, given the structural factors that encourage it is almost like saying “be Amish”—then the answer has to be building housing that works as a functional and affordable bridge between college and marriage.
This makes some conservatives uncomfortable, because they see it as making easier a lifestyle that they think shouldn’t be encouraged. But I think this is an underrated reason why housing has exploded as a political and social issue for people in their 20s and 30s.
As to the actual building in question—here’s another article with some great interior photos. Take a look!
Related Reading:
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Just wow. And those pictures of the renovated yet preserved features!
Although it wasn't called "co-living," this is exactly how I was able to move out on my own in my early 20s. I rented a room in a converted second floor. 3 people, each with their own private (and individually locking) bedroom shared the kitchen and bathroom. It was 1/3 of what I would've paid for an apartment, even with a roommate and the only way I was able to afford to leave my parents' house. We absolutely need more of this type of housing.